Crafting as Stress Relief

It’s not news that life is very busy for everyone these days. Between work, family obligations, housekeeping, general life maintenance, working towards goals, scheduling social events, the list goes on and on—one might feel overwhelmed, overworked, and stressed out. I get it and often feel the same, though what I do to alleviate the pressure might seem counter-intuitive to some. But crafting stress relief is real — and I’m excited to share it with you!

Finding the Time

I work hard to carve out time for yet another activity! Whaaaat?! Why?! Because creative work, where I make something tangible with my own hands, is fulfilling and calming in a way that all my other obligations are not. When everything in my life is pulling me in different directions, focusing on my craft helps pull those disparate parts back together.

For me, at this point in my life, it’s quilting, but I’ve always had a creative outlet of one kind or another (though it’s always something that uses both my hands and my imagination). For others it might be knitting, drawing, painting, gardening, cooking, writing, playing music, calligraphy, stained glass, embroidery, or any number of other creative pursuits.

Because in the midst of all this stuff I have to do, being able to slow down, breathe, and reset my mind helps me get calm, centered, and able to face the never-ending to-do list. As I’m focusing on fabric selection, or cutting, or running patches under the presser foot of my sewing machine, or pressing, I get to focus, without distraction, on the act of building a creative object. One that would never exist until I bring it to life.

But Why Crafting?

And that focus, combined with the low-stakes, actually-fun problems I get to consider and solve during my project, are kind of like refueling my energy tank for the harder, knottier, real-life issues that daily require attention and work. Those might even be running through the background of my mind at the time, and sometimes indulging in pure creativity can even help me figure out a more nuanced, creative solution to a real-life quandary I’m facing.

If I did not have this creative outlet, real life and its difficulties would threaten to consume every minute of my day. In this day and age we all need a break from real life every now and then (streaming binges, anyone?). But zoning out with a creative endeavor bolsters the mind and spirit much more than zoning out in front of a screen.

Think of it as active immersion and engaging with your own creativity vs. passive immersion where you consume the product of others’ creativity. Both are fun! But they do not deliver similar psychological shifts.

Creative Flow: What is It?

I’m speaking very much from personal experience here, and I imagine it’s much the same for others as it’s not just a vague sense I have — scientific studies have shown that immersing oneself in a creative pursuit actually lowers stress hormone levels. Even people who don’t consider themselves to be creative, and might consider beginning a crafting project to be actual, hard work (rather than a delightful respite from it) would benefit from pushing past that discomfort into a state of creative flow.

“Flow” is defined as a psychological state where the time feels suspended and a creator feels completely immersed in any given activity—very similar to the state achieved by meditation. But you can reap the benefits without having to sit still, clear your mind, and do absolutely nothing.

In fact, you can immerse yourself completely in any activity you enjoy, feel a part of something larger than yourself, and that supports your mental well-being. It’s crafting stress relief in action! Whenever we do something we really enjoy, our brains produce dopamine, a chemical that makes us feel good. Crafting has been shown to produce dopamine, so the more you do it, the better you feel.

And then, looking at your creation, sharing it with others, and getting positive reactions when you do so, provides another burst of dopamine so one can literally create a feedback loop of happiness by making their hobby a priority and sharing it with those around them.

If Your Time is Limited

But Gigi, you say, I’m already at capacity! I cannot fit any more activities into my schedule! I understand; I really do, from deep in my soul. If you really want to fit crafting into your life but have no room for it, you may just have to put something else on the back burner for a bit (for me it’s often housework, LOL).

Maybe it’s putting off answering emails for a day, or simply turning off your phone for a bit—I know that getting absorbed in my phone sneakily steals way more of my time than it should. Even if you can find 10 to 15 minutes a day, that will make a difference in the big picture. Just try to remember that crafting stress relief is real and you’ll feel ready to tackle your tasks after a short break!

A great introduction to this concept is outlined in 15 Minutes of Play by Victoria Findlay Wolfe. The idea is that focusing purely on a creative task for as little as 15 minutes a day can bolster your life and your creative pursuits. Believe it or not, it works to such an extent, that the benefits are more lasting and impactful than the little bit of time invested.

Even 15 minutes is enough time to make something real and tangible, then you can continue building upon that bit by bit each day, until you realize that you’ve actually created something significant. The growth is slow but, assuming it’s contributed to regularly, becomes a real piece of art with a life and presence of its own.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Quilting

And while I personally recommend quilting as a hobby, a state of flow can be accessed elsewhere, too—a big reason that coloring books for adults became so popular in recent years is that they offer a way for busy people to slow down and focus on a pleasurable, low-effort, creative activity without a large initial investment.

Puzzle books provide a similar outlet by keeping brains active and busy without becoming over-burdened. Even a little mental exercise of picking out a selection of beloved fabrics to make a particular quilt pattern—bonus points for completely changing the color palette—can provide that dopamine boost and keep stress at bay.

Even these little bits of various pastimes that keep our brains sharp and fingers nimble can produce concrete stress-lowering benefits; studies indicate other benefits include increased happiness, a connection to tradition, a sense of accomplishment, enhanced confidence, and improved cognitive abilities.

You don’t have to be good at any given activity to benefit from the results, either—just fully engaged when you do so. The skill will come naturally after working at it consistently. Excellence is not the goal; doing is.

Making Your Craft a Career

But, admittedly, it’s a tricky balance. Working at anything for a while means you will improve at it; you’ll probably get really good after a while, and you may get the idea to commodify your skills. Why not turn your beloved hobby into a money-maker, after all, and make a living doing something you love?

That’s exciting, brave, and if you do choose to go that route there are resources you can turn to. Lots of creative people have turned their talent into a career. But if one is not careful, however, the creative process may get derailed and redirected if the hobby turns into a hustle, as it becomes less about what one is doing in the moment and more about how much money or acclaim the product will produce.

Hinging one’s livelihood on their creativity can risk resulting in creative burn-out—the creative outlet becomes another obligation rather than a place to recharge. That runs the risk of creating more stress in the long run, so people with creative jobs are well-served by diversifying their creative outlets and reserving at least one activity just to access that flow state.

Crafting Stress Relief is Real!

So, according to me, and seconded by science, it really does behoove one to make time for creative work, without any expectations or ulterior goals — just settling into the activity wholeheartedly and seeing where it goes. And crafting stress relief has so many benefits!

Think of each stitch you sew on your machine as a stitch strengthening your sanity, sense of self, and creative spirit, making them stronger, more resilient, and ready to face whatever life may have in store. Happy, stress-reducing quilting!