How Crocheting Rewires Your Brain and Relieves Stress

In today’s world, we are constantly plugged in. We receive constant alerts that overload our eyes with blue light. It can be hard to find some type of peace for the mind. Most of us live above the neck. We experience blue light from screens and information overload, as well as being bombarded with mini stressors all day long. So we end up with a stressed, hyper brain and body.

I know there are many apps and techniques to help us unplug and meditate, but sometimes it can be hard to sit still and relax your mind. That’s when getting your hands busy with something tactile comes in handy. Crochet is an amazing form of therapy for these modern-day problems. Using just one hook, you can create endless loops with yarn and help clear your mind of stress, anxiety, and burnout.

When you are sitting in front of screens for extended periods of time, your brain stays in a state of alertness. All of that information coming at you at such a fast pace causes your body to be on guard. Your body will produce higher levels of stress hormones. This causes you to take shorter, shallower breaths, have tight muscles, and feel mentally exhausted. If you try to just tell your brain to relax when it’s in overdrive, you may not get the desired results. You need to help your body understand that you are safe.

Crochet allows you to engage your body with something that will immediately relax you. When you begin to insert your hook into the stitch, wrap your yarn and pull it through, your brain begins to calm down. You are using your hands and body to take your mind off of what’s going on digitally. This allows your brain to stay focused on what you’re doing in that moment. By relaxing your hands, you are telling your body that you are in a safe environment and can relax.

One of the main reasons why crochet can be so beneficial to your mental health is because of its repetitive nature. Not only is it repetitive, but you are using both hands. One hand holds the hook, while the other controls the tension on your yarn and project. This type of movement has been shown to help with anxiety and relieve stress. Similar to how some forms of therapy use repetitive motion to help the mind and body.

By repeating the same stitch over and over again, you will notice that your heart rate and breathing will begin to slow down. Your body will follow the pattern you are creating with your hands. Research has shown that repetitive movements help lower the brain waves that are causing you to feel anxious or overstimulated. This allows your brain to go into a relaxed state similar to that of meditation. When you combine relaxing your shoulders, taking deeper breaths, and keeping your hands moving, your body will enter a state of rest and digest.

Do you ever catch yourself looking at the clock and wonder where the time went? While crocheting, you may have spent 2 hours and it felt like it was only 20 minutes. This is called flow. 

Flow is when you are in the zone and enjoying what your doing. If your mind is not challenged enough, you will start thinking about all of those things on your to-do list. Or if you challenge yourself too much, you’ll become frustrated. 

There is always that middle ground with crochet. If you are a beginner, you can crochet a simple scarf that will allow your mind to drift into a peaceful zen-like state. If you are more advanced, you can work on textured patterns or a top that will challenge your mind just enough to keep any stressful thoughts from invading your brain. Once you reach that flow state, you will notice your brain stop worrying about everything that is going on around you, and you will just be present in each stitch.

Your brain not only feels better when crocheting, but your body is releasing chemicals as well. When you crochet, your body will release serotonin. Serotonin is what makes you feel happy and helps regulate your emotions. As you complete each row or color change, your brain will release dopamine. Just like you would when receiving a notification on your phone. The difference is you are not becoming addicted to your phone but are rewarding yourself for completing something you made. You will also notice that your body will release fewer stress hormones.

In today’s society, we are always trying to better ourselves and find ways to make money. I think this has started to play a big role in our crafting lives. Many crafters have experienced burnout from their crafting hobbies. This can mean keeping track of how much you’ve made or spending too much time trying to finish that WIP you’ve been avoiding. Some may even feel pressure to sell their creations. Once you start thinking about your hobby as a way to make money, you lose the joy of relaxing.

Remember, when crocheting to relax, you are going to have to unlearn some habits. Focus on the process and not the outcome. Allow yourself to crochet without a deadline. View your WIPs as a relaxing activity instead of a task you have to complete. Find happiness in relaxing and enjoying what you are doing instead of wanting to show others. Even when you mess up and have to rip out your stitches, it will be another enjoyable activity to do.

Here are some tips to help you crochet to relieve stress and anxiety. Since crochet is a very tactile activity, you want to find a yarn that you love. Whether it be an organic cotton or bamboo yarn. Just find something that you enjoy having in your hands. Have a project that you can easily grab when you need to relax. Maybe a simple scarf that you can always go back to. Try to turn your crochet time into a relaxing experience. Turn off your electronics and put on some calming music. 

Crochet can do so much more for us than just make pretty garments and blankets. It can help relieve stress, anxiety, and clear your mind. By getting your mind out of your head and into your hands, you are allowing your body to relax and de-stress. Next time you find yourself stressed out from too much time on your computer or life in general, pick up a crochet hook and relax.