World Mental Health Day: Our Minds, Our Rights
Ralien
October 10th, 2023
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Hey everyone! Today is World Mental Health Day.
Arts & Crafts is a terrific way to deal with mental health.
Mental Health Foundation is a great resource that explains everything very well, but I would like to highlight some important things!
Mental health is a universal right.
- 2-3x more likely for children and adults in the lowest income bracket to develop mental health problems than in the highest.
- 38% off people with severe symptoms of mental health problems also have long-term physical conditions.
- 5x more likely for asylum seekers to have mental health needs than the general population.
How do I cope with my mental health?
That is a great cup that we are here to help you with. This could be talking anonymously to a listener here on 7 Cups, taking a self-care day, diving into some arts and crafts, or whatever makes you feel cozy!
What are the mental benefits of arts & crafts?
Credit to: Healthy Quilting
1. Stress relief
Immersion in your latest project can help you to refocus your mind from harmful and negative distractions. Often opening you up to more positive attitudes, or mellowing of moods as you let go of anxiousness from stressful situations. The act of crafting becomes a meditation in itself.
2. Lowers blood pressure
As you would expect with any stress relieving activity, blood pressures are likely to lower when we feel calm and more content. It is not too hard to imagine that there are some health benefits we can take from crafting, that include lowering blood pressure.
3. Confidence and enhanced self-esteem
Finishing a project gives you a sense of accomplishment, which positively promotes a happier state of mind through the release of Dopamine into your system. If you open yourself to looking for the positives in even the most challenging of projects by looking for the learning opportunities, that can also promote the feeling of accomplishment. Helping you achieve a move towards better mental health and mood improvement at that moment.
4. Increases brain activity and cognition
I mentioned before the release of Dopamine which promotes a calmer state of mind when crafting. That stimulation also allows our brain to fire new neurons associated with focus, concentration and learning. All of which helps us increase our productivity, which in turn again promotes happiness as we work through projects.
5. Enhances quality of life
For those of us with debilitating conditions crafting even in shorter bursts enhances not only our physical capabilities, but can also immeasurably improve our mental well being, even when our conditions feel they are worsening. The act of sewing, knitting or cross-stitch for some can act as dexterity exercises and the completion of a satisfying project can make us feel accomplished, even if our bodies hold us back.
6. Small exercises can help dexterity
Sometimes we think of exercise as these big gestures of keep fit programs and whilst of course many of these programs are designed to help you gain bigger overall impacts on your body’s physiological health, there are also gains to be won from smaller exercises. As we get older and our body ages, one of the biggest things we notice is our body doesn’t easily do the things we used to take for granted we could do. Opening jars, breaking small pills and so on. Taking up a craft, like knitting for example, can help keep your fingers trained to be more nimble as you age.
7. Boosts empathy
Engaging with other artists and crafters accelerates your ability to improve your critical thinking and empathy. We see this working in group projects and at exhibitions, where our engagement with people and their work often increases and encourages our passion and debate.
8. Allows further self expression and understanding
Now more than ever makers are using their art to empower themselves by expressing their views on the world, a different type of therapy. They are creating a tapestry of emotions, pouring their heart and soul into every stitch. This is a huge benefit, not just personally, but also for our community and the world around us. We are talking about subjects we might not otherwise come across in our daily lives.
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