All over the UK, mental health awareness increases year by year but it is still not recognised enough to keep up with the rising cases of individuals that suffer on a daily basis. The Mental Health Awareness Foundation kick-started an annual event 21 years ago to help the UK focus on achieving good mental health, each one with a new theme. This year's theme is loneliness.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 runs from the 9th May until 15th May and we want to play a part in helping bring awareness to the people who need it the most. To do just that, we've listed down some mindful and creative ways to help combat the negative feelings of loneliness, through crafting.
Creative Mindfulness
Since the Pandemic, more and more of us have been suffering with loneliness which has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health. However, the countless hours of time spent indoors over the past 2 years has given many individuals the opportunity to pick up different types of crafting to pass the time.
Crafting has always been a great way to occupy the body and mind, there are visible repetitions throughout history during times of war and crisis of those who practiced craft to de-stress, distract and to better cope with worldly events.
So what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a form of meditation that focuses solely on present feelings, thoughts and actions. Practicing mindfulness has proven to be a really effective way to refocus your thoughts and clear the mind which in turn reduces stress and anxieties. Due to the constant distractions of life like phones, work, family and the news, many people struggle to switch off their mind and focus on single thoughts and feelings.
Being mindful can be hard but this is when mindful crafting comes into practice! By slowly spending time on simple crafts such as sewing, paper cutting or scrapbooking, our busy minds become occupied on that single task which leaves room to create a pressure-free headspace.
Mindful Crafting Inspiration!
Below we've listed some simple and repetitive crafts that you can try being mindful with:
Below we've listed some simple and reptitive crafts that you can try being mindful with:
Sewing
Although you can easily reach for the sewing machine, try and have a go with some hand sewing. Hand sewing is much slower and more gentle which makes it the perfect activity to practice mindfulness with. Cross stitch and embroidery are not so dissimilar to sewing either so why not try some mindfulness with those crafts too!
Paper Cutting
Paper cutting involves using a craft knife to slowly and delicately cut into paper. With this method you can easily create simple or beautifully intricate designs with just a single tool and paper.
Knitting & Crocheting
Knitting and crocheting respectively involve a lot of repetition which establishes the perfect headspace to get peace of mind. Making the same actions over and over can make it very easy to let your mind switch off only to count and create knots and stitches.
Colouring
Colouring is naturally a very mindful craft. It draws your focus to the shades of different colours, the weight of the pencil of the paper and the design you want to create.
Cardmaking
We can't forget papercraft! Creating card after card is a great way to focus your mind away from busy and overwhelming thoughts to simple tasks such as folding, cutting, glueing, drawing and stamping.
You're not alone
We feel it's extremely important for everyone to stay as connected as possible to prevent the feelings of loneliness. If you feel as if you need any help or support, please contact Samaritans helpline on 116 123. For anyone seeking information on help and support in their area, contact Mind Infoline on 0300 123 3393 or text 86463.