“When life throws you scraps, make a quilt.”
This week Footsteps in Eden Reflexology continues on our path of offering ideas for those mini-dose stress busters. The anonymous quote above says so much about our stressed out lives. We often feel like all that’s left for ourselves are scraps. The process of turning those scraps of time into creative endeavors frees our minds — for the moment at least — of our worries and stress.
Knitting and crocheting are currently very popular past times for people of all ages. I believe those engaged in this past time have learned the lesson of this quote from the editors of Diabetic Living; and, no, you certainly do not need to be a diabetic for this to be helpful. 🙂
When the daily stresses of life get out of control, find a quiet spot and pick up some knitting needles. The repetition and rhythm of knitting (or crocheting) helps elicit the relaxation response in your body, say researchers at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. It’s the opposite of, or counterbalance to, the brain’s flight-or-fight response to stressful situations.”
Some of you may be saying, “but I’ve never done needlework before.” My mother and grandmother, on the other hand, taught me many forms of sewing and needlework when I was just a little girl. Those skills have served me well. Sometimes, though, I love to learn new skills and more advanced techniques. Good News for all of us! There are many resources out there. One website (and app) that I have found to be quite helpful in learning new crafting skills in several areas is Craftsy. These are extremely well laid out video tutorials. Once you sign up with them or get their FREE app, they will regularly offer you discounted classes. An Etsy or Pinterest search will provide hours worth of ideas. Also visit Ravelry. You’ll find many tools to enhance your experience and 1000’s of patterns, many of them FREE. You’ll find a great deal of inspiration and helpful people at your local yarn shops as well. They are a wonderful place to share some down time with a group.
With creative skills in our relaxation toolbox, we’ll reap some additional benefits, too:
- Help improve and maintain dexterity.
- Keep the brain stimulated, slowing cognitive decline.
- Create useful items for yourself and your home.
- Create beautiful gift items.
- All of the above help us to feel better about ourselves as well, which may also contribute to relieving our stress.
For an inspiring account of the benefits of knitting, I encourage you to read, The Truth About Knitting.
