Looking for something to make you happy outside of work? Maybe try picking up crocheting.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Wollongong Australia found that crocheting can make a positive impact on your life by making you feel calmer and happier. The study asked 8,000 participants about their crocheting habits and while the study was female-dominated (99%), researchers found that 90% of respondents said hooking yarn over and over again made them feel calmer.
In addition, 82% said it also made them feel happier, but more surprisingly, 70% of respondents said crocheting even helped benefit their memory and concentration.
“The results from the survey show that crocheting provides many positive benefits for people in terms of wellbeing,” Dr. Pippa Burns told Marthastewart.com in 2018. “Being aware that crocheting can provide positive benefits may encourage people to take up the hobby as a self-care strategy.”
Crafting, whether it’s crocheting or knitting, has its mental benefits. A study published in The British Journal of Occupational Therapy found that 81% of respondents with depressed said they felt happy after knitting. Crafting has also been found to reduce anxiety, build self-esteem, and even help fight through insomnia.
Perhaps crocheting and knitting would benefit the workplace. Fifty percent of workers in a recent survey said they felt stressed in their jobs, while another survey found that 53% of workers said work leaves them feeling “overtired and overwhelmed.”
Originally posted on Ladders.
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