Crafting and Wellbeing
In the first of a series on crafting and wellbeing, this blog provides an overview of wellbeing, and how crafting can help you improving yours.
Wellbeing - What is It?
What wellbeing means is slightly contested, with academic definitions differing to everyday usage. I quite like:
‘Well-being can be understood as how people feel and how they function, both on a personal and a social level, and how they evaluate their lives as a whole.’
This then includes ideas like happiness, sense of purpose, resilience, how in control you feel.
The Global Mind Project provides an annual report that looks into the ‘mental wellbeing of the global Internet-enabled population’. It defines mental wellbeing as a measure of ‘our mental capability and functioning, as well as our ability to navigate and cope with life’s stresses’, measured as MHQ.
Their 2023 report examined mental wellbeing across 71 different countries, and showed that across most ages mental wellbeing has declined year on year. It also showed that there has yet to be a recovery to pre-pandemic levels. This year, the UK was second from last in terms of MHQ, and showed the greatest proportion of respondents that were distressed or struggling.
Can I improve My Wellbeing with Crafting?
Luckily, because wellbeing is multi-dimensional there are many steps you can take to improve it. Mindfulness, exercise, spending time in nature, improving social relationships, and of course crafting are just some of the ways that you can help to improve your wellbeing. In fact, in one study it was found that ‘the impact of crafting was bigger than the impact of being in employment’. In the study, the DCMS Taking Part survey results were analysed and the results showed that 37.4% of respondents confirmed they had taken part in at least one craft activity in the last 12 months, and those that had reported higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction, as well as a stronger sense that life was worthwhile. In other studies, crafting has been shown to have a positive impact in medical settings too.
Through crafting, you get to be creative and find a sense of achievement, and it’s also a great method of self-expression, plus through repetition you can enter a flow state that can also be likened to a type of meditation. Not only that, but many crafts, particularly embroidery, are highly afforadble, requiring a low investment to get started.
What Crafts Do I Have To Do?
Whilst we are, of course, partial to embroidery, you can do any craft that appeals to you! Beyond embroidery we love all kinds of textile crafts like sewing, knitting, crochet, and quilting, but there’s lots beyond that from scrapbooking to card making, making resin pieces, painting, gardening, or making body scrub.
If you want to start embroidering to help your wellbeing why not check out the patterns in our store - there’s even a free pattern if you just want to check out the craft in an even more affordable way.
