Life isn't easy and let's face it, we humans treat each other like crap. The mental weardown is real, and many of us turn to ways that are destructive, which I am guilty of myself. Some of us make mountains out of mole hills and project our own deficiencies on each other.
Example: One political influencer intentionally wore something in a public space to provoke people so they could get social media content. They started the day by wearing the item to see how many times they would be called out on wearing it. At the end of their attention-needy stunt, no one took the bait, and they said at the end of the day that everyone loved the item they wore, as no one said anything. They were looking to make content of people being upset. They posted at the end of the day saying everyone loved what they wore and no one said anything. It's exhausting as people are baiting each other to cause mental distress. Maybe, truly, no one cared what was on their body and went about their business.
We all can fall into this baited trap and cause distress.
One of the biggest issues I have is emotional eating. The negativity of social media or a stressful meeting for me causes me to run to the fridge. Working from home has no one watching me eat or counting my trips to the food cabinet.
I hate getting stuck into a routine. One of the primary changes to moving to Nova Scotia was to tell a new story in our lives. The same roads back in Ontario always led to the same places. Very much like being a truck driver is cool at first, as each new location is a new story.
Amazing land stops are no longer new and become a time marker of how far you have driven. For example, a straight drive without stopping from Dallas, Texas, took 24 hours to drive home back to Ontario. A straight drive from my home in Ontario to Calgary, Alberta, was 32 hours. It's predictable with, of course, some road construction may be an obstacle along the way.
Putting one foot in front of the other to force an almost irreversible change is a way to change your life. It's a new way, a better way, new thinking, new stories, and boy, does it feel good.
10 Ways That Yarn Can Help Your Life
1 - Despair
I discovered my love for crochet through my mom, who introduced me to the craft with double crochet and chain stitches at the very beginning. Despite facing challenges at school, watching my mother complete her projects and seeing the joy she felt in donating her finished scarves and mittens to charity served as a source of inspiration for me.
Crocheting became a lifeline for me, offering me goals to achieve and giving me a sense of purpose. Even though school was tough, my time spent crocheting allowed me to experience the satisfaction of accomplishment and kept me moving forward.
As I progressed to college, I realized my uniqueness was an asset. Those kids at high school were mistaken in thinking that everyone needs to fit into a specific mould. Crochet helped me embrace who I am and understand that standing out is something to be proud of.
2 - Mental Processing
Yarn has a way of quietening your mind. I don't really know if my brain is a filing system, and the day-to-day activities are left in the inbox unsorted and clogging up my mind. Crochet is a way to think not only about the stitchwork but also about other thoughts that are kicking around the inbox that have yet to be sorted.
In a job when I was 19, I was labelled as dick breath. I had bad breath on occasion, and it wasn't until my 40s that I started crocheting and re-thinking about those people calling me that name. I realized it may have been the foul smell of my breath that got that, but they figured out I was gay before I realized it myself. When I had this epiphany, it was like the trauma of that moment back 20 years earlier was filed and isn't something I thought about again until writing this article.
Crochet has a way of tying up loose ends or thinking about possible strategies. In the first episode of Harry Potter when he kept going back to the Mirror or Erised. Crochet has a way of being this mirror to keep going back to wishing for what you want. It can get you stuck and you tell to dwell in the past and forgive to live.
3 - Milestone Building
I was taught in school to always have goals, and this advice has stayed with me throughout my life. When I have hit a depression or am willing to move forward, I have realized my goals are not defined. Goals are essential to getting to where you need to go, but you also need milestones to pass as you go.
Crochet has milestones if you have ever thought about it. Just one more row before bed is a milestone. You've set a moment and you want to get there. You can write down your goals with milestones or just mentally picture it in your life.
We all know that crochet and knitting have fabulous health benefits. Kathryn Vercillo wrote a blog that appears on Lion Brand's Website titled 10 Most Important Health Benefits of Yarn Crafting.
I didn't expect to read anything that I didn't already know about but boy oh boy, was I surprised!
Crafting helps reduce and postpone dementia! Wow! That was really interesting as I guess it makes sense with the usage of memory for counting stitches and pattern recollection when working on projects.
This is a worthwhile read! Read the 10 Most Important Health Benefits of Yarn Crafting. While others may tell you that crochet and knitting are a waste of time, in their opinion of course. You can clearly tell them the benefits of it. In today's restless society, we need this more and more to slow us down.
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Phyllis Lawrence says
Hello:
Anxious to read this article and forward on to other crafters. I can see the 3 or 4 paragraphs for article promo/introduction and the comments. But, where are the 10 most important health benefits? Clicked on the link which took me right back to this intro. Clicked on photo which opened another screen with just the photo.
Thanks!
Mikey says
Great observation... it appears the original article we linked to has been taken down. I will remove this article.
Donna Stone says
Michael, where can I get the pattern for the eye pillow in the picture with this article?
Rachel Shelton says
I just love to crochet. My parents say I'm probably the only 16 year old in my town that is so interested in the different yarns and stuff I can make. And I will say ever since Iv been crocheting my stress and depression is gone. Because I put all of my feelings into my work I'm working on. And if I get mad or angry at someone I will go and calm down by crocheting. I am currently working on my granny square throw and trying to teach my dad that has lung cancer how to try to crochet and it is just so much fun to do with him. 🙂