Do you crochet? Are you thinking of learning to crochet? Did you know that crocheting can have amazing effects on your health? I am an RN (registered nurse) with a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. I also have a unique perspective on this coming from the patient side of things.
I unfortunately have had some pretty major health issues that have caused problems with my lungs and I am currently on oxygen as a young mother of 4. Crochet has been incredibly therapeutic for me to help get through difficulties related to this. I’ll share more of my story below.
If you find this post helpful, please share!
Studies of Crochet on Mental Health
It is quite interesting to note that there is an amazing plethora of health benefits associated with crochet. First I will share two studies that I found fascinating. Then we will dive into some of the benefits.
There was a study completed by the National Institute of Health to see the effects of crocheting on wellbeing. There were 8,391 participants in 87 different countries and it was found that there was a significant improvement in reported scores for mood after crocheting. Many of these people actively use crochet to manage mental health conditions and life events such as grief, chronic illness and pain.
Another study by the American Counseling Association that I found intriguing, was a small group and involved elderly people struggling with dementia issues. The people were put together in a group, meant to be similar to a book club, where they were taught to crochet, beginning with the basics. They made projects for people in need such as caps for cancer patients, lovies for preemies at the hospital, lovies for child victims of fire who lose all their toys etc. Two people in particular were noted to have had very low reading/comprehension levels at the start of the study. After working with basic crochet patterns, there was a marked improvement in those skills.
Effects of Crochet on Mental Health:
Crochet can help with the following:
Depression – The repetition needed for crochet has been shown to release serotonin which is the body’s natural “feel good” hormone”. In other words, crocheting stimulates the body to produce its own natural antidepressant!
Anxiety – Crochet is known to be helpful for anxiety because the rhythmic pattern helps calm the nervous system. Trying new patterns or a more complex project can force your mind into thinking of something else when you suffer from repetitive anxious thoughts.
Build self esteem – When you crochet, you are building new skills and it can make you feel productive in situations such as illness or injury where you aren’t able to do as much. It can be a way of giving to others and is also a form of self expression.
Reduce or postpone dementia – Learning new crochet techniques or following intricate patterns stimulates the brain and enhances cognitive function. This can help create new neural connections in your brain which helps maintain or improve long term memory. This is a fancy way of saying the brain is forming new pathways. Isn’t that amazing?
Insomnia – Crochet is known to help promote relaxation. Crocheting before bed can help you relax so you can fall asleep easier. If you follow sleep hygiene tips, one thing that is generally promoted is to turn off electronic devices that have blue light such as phones, tablets etc. prior to sleep. Crocheting is a way of getting away from electronics and relaxing, making you more ready for sleep.
The Mayo Clinic featured an amazing article. There is a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury resulting in short term memory loss. His doctors at the Mayo Clinic told him that the repetitive movements of crocheting might help him with his memory. He took up crocheting and over the course of a couple years, has given hundreds of blankets away to help comfort others. During that time, he fought a battle with stage 4 colon cancer. Amazingly he is now cancer free and doing well with his memory!
My Personal Journey with Illness and Crochet
I unfortunately got sick with COVID-19. I started experiencing severe shortness of breath and was put on oxygen. Unfortunately during that time, I was extremely limited by what I was able to do because even walking to the bathroom was difficult for me at that time. I was unable to work and couldn’t do even simple housework. My husband was absolutely amazing through it all, thankfully. He was supportive and handled things around the house like a champ.
Though I had great support, it was difficult for me to not be able to do much for my kids, the house, work etc. During that time, I learned new crochet techniques. I dove into amigurumi first and found I love it! Crochet during that time really offered me a sense of being productive. It gave me something that I could focus on and something I could be proud of when I was not able to get around much. Crochet is something I have always enjoyed, but during this time, it sparked even more passion.
After several months on oxygen, I finally was able to get off it. I worked hard to recover my lung function and eventually got significantly better. I was exercising every day, running around with the kids and pretty much what you’d expect for my age (early thirties). Unfortunately that was short lived. At the beginning of this year, I got sick with the flu (influenza A) and it really just gave my lungs a hard hit. I ended up back on oxygen and currently am still on oxygen.
During this second time around, crochet has once again been a fantastic outlet for me and has allowed me to still be able to do something productive. I also decided to start this blog which I have enjoyed immensely because I get to share something I love so much with others. Crochet has been something I have enjoyed basically all my life but since this illness, it has become even more important to me. Crochet has definitely made a positive impact on my mental health.
One thing to take note of though is that crochet should not take the place of medical care such as medication, therapy etc. However it is a great, safe option to add to your current treatment. Also, every person is different so you may find that your personal results are different from others.
Final Thoughts
Who knew that crochet could possibly be so good for your health? It’s amazing that something as enjoyable as crochet can lead to such amazing health benefits.
To recap, it has been studied and found that crochet has positive effects on mental health including:
- Reducing depression
- Reducing anxiety
- Building self esteem
- Reducing or postponing dementia
- Helping with insomnia
If you haven’t crocheted before, maybe it’s time you pick it up!
Here are a few articles you might be interested in:
Tutorial on how to crochet with right and left handed videos
Beginner washcloth with step by step instructions
How to read a crochet pattern
Common crochet mistakes and easy solutions for them
Amigurumi for beginners, top tips and tricks you need to know
15 free beginner amigurumi patterns that you need to see
If you found this article helpful, please share:
