W.As a child, out of necessity, I learned that active fingers and hands reduced my anxiety. Hmmm, knitting does calming wonders for people all over the world. So let’s sink our needles into the thread and see what we can do with it.
‘The nurses wanted to give me [an anti-anxiety medication] until I told them I preferred knitting for anxiety. She stopped, looked at me and said, “That’s a lot healthier than drugs.”
I can count on one hand the number of times I have knitted. How about you? Are you a knitter?
Yes or no, you will receive a lot of interesting and useful information, so do your research…
Introduction
Let’s set the table with a few choice tidbits from an article I found on The Creatives Hour website: “15 Surprising and Interesting Knitting Statistics for 2024.”
- There are 53 million weavers in the United States, 7 million in the United Kingdom.
- U.S. knitting and crochet sales in 2019 were $1.2 billion
- 51% of knitters spend more than 8 hours a week on a project.
- Knitting is the most relaxing hobby that everyone can do.
- To relieve stress after a long day, knitters prefer to grab their needles rather than zoning out in front of the television or drinking an alcoholic beverage.
- 88% of knitters feel less stress when knitting
- Knitters have a lower heart rate by an average of 19% compared to participants in other activities.
- 40% of knitters use it to relieve depression.
How’s that for laying a solid foundation?
Tissue and mental illness: calm and structure.
Well, it’s time to sink our needles into the thread…
During an online browsing session I found this press release, dated March 15, 2024, from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden: “Knitting brings calm and structure to the lives of people with mental illness.”
Details a study that was published in The journal of occupational sciences. Its first author is occupational therapist and doctoral candidate at the University of Gothenburg, Joanna Nordstrand.
As the title of the press release indicates, the study shows that knitting, described as a way to provide a sense of calm and structure to life, is beneficial for people living with emotional and mental health problems.
A way of facing life
From Mrs. Nordstrand, who happens to be a weaver…
Knitters have a creative leisure interest that can also help them cope with life and thus improve their mental health. I am convinced that this is part of the reason why so many people have taken up knitting today.
What makes this study unique is that it explores what people suffering from emotional and mental health problems say (in their own words) about what knitting means for their health.
The study team collected 600 posts from Ravelry, a free online forum for knitters, crocheters and fiber artists. Publications were analyzed using established qualitative content analysis methods.
The benefits of knitting
The study results revealed three main ways in which knitting helps improve emotional and mental health.
- Allows people to relax
- As a hobby, it offers an identity as a knitter and a low-risk social context.
- It can bring structure to people’s lives.
Study participants noticed an improvement in their short- and long-term health because they believed that knitting is a highly valued occupation.
Some knitters also noticed a change in their mental processes and said that when they knitted, their thinking became clearer and easier to manage.
Mrs. Nordstrand…
The goal of the occupational therapist is to make people’s lives work. There is potential in needles and thread that the healthcare system should not ignore!
Comments from participants
See if these participant comments make the cut. I think they speak well of the benefits of knitting…
Regarding medication replacement
The nurses wanted to give me [an anti-anxiety medication] until I told them I preferred knitting for anxiety. She stopped, looked at me and said, “That’s a lot healthier than drugs.” Do you believe?
Stress reduction
When my parents convinced me to go to the hospital’s walk-in center, I was knitting while crying sitting next to my mother in the waiting room. I continued knitting for the entire hour. […]. I’ve now adjusted my medication, but knitting is still my best tool for reducing stress.
Thought management
While my hands are busy doing something, my mind slows down and I can think about one thing at a time… instead of having 20-30 threads all at once.
Very good, huh.
The power is at your fingertips
When I was a child, there was a night when anxiety got in the way of falling asleep. I stumbled in the dark and grabbed a notebook and pencil; I went back to bed and doodled until I passed out.
That was my first lesson in the power of active fingers and hands.
If depression, anxiety, or stress worries you frequently, grab some needles and thread. The power is at your fingertips.
Here is the full statement from the University of Gothenburg: “Knitting brings calm and structure to the lives of people with mental illness“
Be sure to check 15 Surprising and Interesting Knitting Statistics for 2024.”
Looking for more Chipur mental and emotional health information and inspirational articles? Examine the titles.
After a decades-long battle with panic, generalized anxiety, mood swings and alcohol dependence; Bill finally found his passion and life’s work: lending a hand to those in the same boat. At age 49 he entered graduate school and earned his counseling credentials. And he continues his service through Chipur and other projects.
