Astraia Sky

Why Your Nervous System Needs a Crochet Hook: Reclaiming the Physical Body from Screen Fatigue

I think we live our lives above the neck 90% of the time. All of those beeps and notifications and blue light from screens and staying vigilant at our job. We neglect our physical being and end our day mentally tired but physically tense. Full of thoughts and false urgency. 

If your mind is hyper and you aren’t in touch with your body, talking and reasoning will not calm you down. Touching your body and repetitive tasks can help relax you. Crochet allows us to do this with our hands.

An Excerpt from The Mindful Stitch

“We live in a society overrun by technology. We are bombarded with alerts, information, and blue-light screens. In our daily lives, we exist more mentally than physically. Our bodies have become an afterthought, casualties of the frenzy that lives inside our overworked brains. We hustle through life disconnected—floating around with a ‘head-only’ mindset and never feeling fully present in the physical world around us.

The Mindful Stitch will show you how to get your body back. Let’s stop looking at screens! Put down your phone. Close your laptop. Pick up a simple crochet hook and some yarn. I know… you might be thinking crochet is considered a ‘hobby.’ It’s been labeled as something only homemakers do. But what if crochet was actually so much more? What if you could view crochet as an advanced form of somatic practice?

A somatic practice is any practice that uses physical touch and internal body awareness to aid in mental wellness. When you crochet, you are doing more than just making something with your hands. You are having a dialogue with your nervous system through tactile stimulation. The rhythmic nature of looping yarn already puts your body at ease and releases obsessive thinking about what’s to come and what’s already happened. When you crochet, you are forced to be present in the here and now. All your energy is focused on the tension in your fingers, the yarn sliding through your palms, and the smooth sway of the hook.”

About the Book: The Mindful Stitch

Crochet doesn’t have to be another frantic activity on your to-do list. The Mindful Stitch: Crochet as a Path to Well-Being invites you to pause and reconnect. Mindfulness, brain science and yarn crafts collide as you learn how repetition and the rhythm of the hook calm your nervous system, quiet your inner narrator and help you find moments of creative flow. Perfect for beginners or seasoned crocheters–after reading this book and trying a stitching meditation or two–you’ll find it easier to stay grounded in the here and now.

Join the Advance Review Team

Calling all early birds AND crafters! Get a free advanced digital copy of The Mindful Stitch in return for your review upon release.

• Leave your honest review on Amazon (& Goodreads if you’d like).
• Just two or three heartfelt sentences about what moved you, was beneficial, or caught your attention ~ no thesis statements or college-level book reports required.
• Submit or publish the review anywhere within 2-3 weeks of receiving your copy (or on release day).

Simply fill out our Advance Review Crew Form. Within 48 hours, you’ll receive your advance copy straight to your inbox!