6 Reasons Why Sewing Benefits Your Mental Health

Mental Health Benefits of Sewing by thisblogisnotforyou.com

This week was world mental health day. What have sewing and mental health to do with each other, you might ask?

I asked myself the same question quite a few times. Why? Some of you might know that when I’m not sitting behind the sewing machine, I work full-time as a psychologist. So naturally I’ve thought about how these two very different passions of mine might go together. Not just in theory, but also in practice. I’ve lead some sewing groups for patients in a psychiatric hospital and witnessed the wonderful effects it has on some people.

Sewing not only is a great coping strategy for some people suffering from mental health issues. It’s a really great way of preventing our mental health from getting out of balance in the first place. Most of the time we might not think about it consciously, but we certainly feel the effects of it. Ever asked yourself why you are so addicted to and passionate about your hobby? Why you feel so much better after squeezing in some sewing during a busy day?

I have listed a couple of reasons why sewing makes us feel better and why it might be a great hobby to try if you are struggling to keep a balanced mind.

 

1. Allowing yourself some “selfish” me-time

Do you feel guilty when you’re spending your free time with sewing for yourself? You shouldn’t be! Sewing is a great way to not only spend some time with yourself, but also do something for yourself. Everyone of us needs some pampering every now and then. Especially if you work in a helping profession or spend your day caring for your family and others.

Taking time for yourself is important. We all need to focus on ourselves every once in a while to prevent ourselves from burning out. Did you know that one of the main causes for burnout is measuring your self-worth by the things you do for others and the appreciation you get (or might not get)? If your sense of self and self-worth is solely dependent on making others happy your self-esteem is a very fragile thing.

In allowing yourself to be immersed in something you simply do for your own pleasure you can spend some quality time with yourself, simply because you’re worth it.

 

2. Spending time away from your smart devices to prevent sensory overload

This is a more important point than you might think. Smart phones/laptops/tablets etc. have become such a major part of our lives. Think about how much time – just how many hours – you spend on any of these three plus your TV during the day. Spending the evening watching TV, or lying on the sofa with your laptop might seem to be a very relaxing thing to do at first glance. What you’re actually doing is exposing your mind to a massive sensory input. This is why we sometimes feel just too fatigued and tired to do anything BUT sit in front of our laptop watching yet another meaningless video or scrolling through posts skimming through texts instead of properly reading them. Social media (Instagram and Bloglovin’, anyone?) might seem like a very low-key, undemanding thing to do to relax in the evening, but essentially it can lead to sensory overload. And if you don’t break away every once in a while you get stuck in a vicious cycle, being glued in front of a screen feeling unable to do anything else than that.

This seemingly effective and very easy way of distraction and ‘relaxation’ sometimes is nothing more than white noise in our lives. It can lead to feelings of unrest, dissatisfaction and exhaustion in some people, especially if you’re a results-oriented person. Ever felt like you haven’t accomplished anything during the day? Can’t remember what you actually did the last weekend? Going to work on Monday feeling exhausted despite having had two days off?

When you are sewing, you are doing something purposeful with your free time while you are giving your mind a proper chance to relax and reset. You’re in a happy, healthy little bubble that you leave with a feeling of relaxation and accomplishment.

 

3. Being mindful

This very much ties in with the topic above. Sensory overload also happens when we multi-task too much. And we cannot stay relaxed and balanced when we constantly do more than one thing at a time. It’s possible to eat your dinner in front of the TV, while texting on your phone and simultaneously making a to-do list for the next day in your head. Partners and kids not even included in this scenario. Our minds can do wonderful things. And multi-tasking has become some sort of a standard requirement in our time.

Don’t underestimate how incredibly important and healthy it is to focus on just a single thing. You might have heard about the concept of mindfulness, which is becoming more and more popular as a self-help and coping strategy. It means doing one thing at a time. Being concentrated on one thing alone and experiencing it with all our senses. Being in-the-moment.

It is very meditative and helps you to stay or become calm and relaxed. It helps to reduce stress and ruminating thoughts.

When you are sewing, you are basically forced to concentrate on one thing alone. You are fully immersed in your project. You have to go step-by-step. It’s not possible to multi-task, because you only have two hands and you need them both for every single step. There’s a certain order of things that you cannot evade if you want your project to be successful. A lot of sewing projects are demanding enough to keep our minds occupied and in-the-moment, without being stressful (hopefully!). And if your thoughts still keep running all over the place, try to consciously perceive your senses: Focus on the sound of your sewing machine, the scissors cutting through fabric or the feeling of a fabric between your fingers. Take everything in and enjoy the moment as much as possible.

Mental Health Benefits of Sewing by thisblogisnotforyou.com

4. Accomplishing something

Finishing a project feels like a major accomplishment. Holding or even wearing something you’ve made yourself, with your hands, from scratch, is an ineffably satisfying feeling. A sense of accomplishment is invaluable for our self-esteem.

And it’s not just about finishing a project and ticking off to-do lists. While you are working on a project you are learning new skills. You keep improving. You are developing effective problem-solving strategies. You have an opportunity to come up with amazing creativity.

Sewing gives you all sorts of reasons to feel proud of yourself and like yourself better.

 

5. Improving Body Image & Increasing Self-confidence

Since I started to sew, I’ve struggled less with my body image. I have often wondered how this is possible while I run around with a measuring tape, taking notes of my far-from-perfect measurements. This should be depressing. But somehow it is not.

Why does sewing help us get to grips better with our body image?

First of all, no more frustrating shopping trips! Shopping for trousers used to be a dreadful experience, always reminding myself that everything about my legs and bum was terribly wrong. Now, that I make my own clothes – including trousers – I do not have to go through depressing shopping trips anymore. I have learned more about sizing and that it’s simply unrealistic to fit in some average size.

Once you start sewing and get to know others who sew,  you notice that almost no one has a perfect body. Everyone has to make adjustments. It’s a very rare thing to fit into the average size.

Also, sewing helps you to develop your own individual style and sense of identity. You can make something no one else has. Something special and very individual.

Furthermore, if you sew something that fits well, you’ll start wearing your clothes with more confidence.

Oh, and let’s not forget: Compliments!

 

6. Effective coping strategy

If you are struggling with stress and an unbalanced lifestyle or you are suffering from a lack of drive or depression, sewing might be a very helpful coping strategy for you. It’s the overall package of a sense of accomplishment, self-confidence, of being in-the-moment. It’s a healthy way of distraction and most importantly, you can make it as easy or complicated as you like or are able to manage at the time.

Sewing is a very structured process which allows you to work on a project piecemeal and set your own speed. It helps you to work on your concentration. As it’s a step-by-step process, you can pause anytime without the frustrating feeling of having failed completely.

Socialising is important to keep a healthy balance in your life, especially if you are suffering from depression and anxiety. The sewing community is a wonderful way to connect with people. You can even talk to other sewists online if you don’t feel like going out or find it difficult to meet new people. Whatever your needs are, there is a way to share your passion with others. Talking to like-minded people can be very motivating and fulfilling.

Mental Health Benefits of Sewing by thisblogisnotforyou.com

What are your personal favourite benefits of sewing? Please join the discussion and leave a comment below.

I hope you enjoyed reading this somewhat special post. I certainly enjoyed writing it! I would love some feedback! Please let me know if you found this article interesting or helpful, and would like to read similar ones in the future.

xx

Charlie


Happy sewing!

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81 thoughts on “6 Reasons Why Sewing Benefits Your Mental Health

  1. Thank you for so succinctly putting into words many things I’ve thought about sewing over the years – I really enjoyed the article and would love to hear more! I spend my days dealing with spreadsheets and reports and a lot of intangible things, and it’s always been such a helpful thing for me to disconnect from all that and physically create something with my hands (instead of typing away at a computer). I’ve noticed in particular the stress-relief aspect of it, in that when I get so busy that I don’t have time to sew, my stress is compounded even more.

    One thing that I’m still working on incorporating is the mindfulness aspect of it, which I struggle doing in all parts of my life. I frequently have netflix or hulu on while I’m sewing, or some other form of distraction, and I’m trying to focus more on the task at hand. Do you have any tips for starting small with mindfulness?

    1. Hi Laura! Thanks so much for your lovely comment. I totally get the binge-watching netflix while sewing! I sometimes do the same 🙂 Not so much to do something else while sewing, but rather because I feel bad watching TV and it makes me feel better if I do something productive simultaneously – which, alas, is not mindful at all.(I sew better and more neatly if I’m not distracted I noticed.)

      Being mindful sometimes sounds a lot easier than it is. I takes some practice to get used to. Once you get used to it, it’s much easier to incorporate during your day, at work or at home. You can start with some simple, short exercises. For example, you can sit somewhere comfortably, your sofa or in your favourite spot and just sit there doing nothing else. No talking, no phone or book or anything. Stay focused on the moment as much as you can. If your thoughts keep drifting away to all sorts of things (which is normal at first!), try to really focus on your breathing or the way your sitting etc. If you struggle with keeping the focus on yourself, you could pick a single sound or object to focus on. E.g. put on some calming music and listen very attentively or brew a cup of tea and focus on the changing colour and temperature and smell for a couple of minutes.

      As for sewing mindfully, switching out the netflix for some calm music is a first step! x

  2. Love this post. I am very far from being mindful but am aware of how much sewing helps me to unwind at the end of the day. I often listen to audio books if the sewing is easy enough – not so mindful but something else I love too. Going to switch off my computer now and hand finish the dress I am working on. It’s a Hepburn!

  3. I enjoyed reading! Especially the part about over-exposure to screens.
    A couple of years ago I realized how stressful Facebook makes me feel. All the photos and posts from people trying to impress made all the special moments feel more like a show and less like real life. With time I have also become aware as to how much time people put into editting their photos to make them look better (But less true to life). I cut on my Facebook time drastically and keep my online presence sewing-related only. I feel the sewing community enables me the escapism I need without the stress. Recently though I feel the community has become less personal and more business oriented with big blogs becoming more popular and the smaller (and more authentic ones) difficult to find. At times it even feels like a popularity contest…

    1. YES! “Escapism without the stress” really sums up how I feel about it, too! I do share your opinion on how the community has changed in parts, as well. Nowadays it is harder for smaller blogs to grow, because there are just so many blogs out there.
      I do feel passionately about smaller blogs and I always try to find new ones to follow and support.
      There are a few blogs which are incredibly popular and which have become huge because they stick out in the masses of blogs. I don’t blame them for making some money or even a living from it. And it becomes harder to engage with your readers as personal as before once you turn it into a business. I agree, sometimes it feels a bit like a popularity contest and you always feel someone else is doing things better than you are. It’s impossible to keep up. You cannot compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Sometimes we can’t help it though. Whenever I feel I’ve reached that point, I always try and take a little blogging break once or twice a year, to ground myself and get a new perspective on things.
      Thanks for your lovely comment, Roni! x

  4. Thank you for sharing. I think the reason I enjoyed sewing so much when I first started was because it allowed me to switch off from thinking about other things, namely work. Since then, I have found it incredibly cathartic during some very tough times.

    I think your point about social media rang very true for me. I often look forward to an evening of instagram and Bloglovin, but end up just feeling dissatisfied, and restless. I think I need to read/scroll less and sew more!

    1. Hi Helen! ‘Cathartic’ really is the right term for it – I sometimes feel like sewing helps me to bundle up all my negative energy to use it in a positive way. I feel the same about my ‘social media evenings’. I try to pick out a few interesting articles and posts that I read intently, slowly and often take the time to comment etc., instead of just trying to tick off my bloglovin’ feed for fear of missing out on something.

  5. My mum’s a psychologist 🙂

    I am definitely someone who struggles with mindfulness – I tend to think a lot, and plan a lot. Most of that comes from anxiety – but is very good for being a mathematician.

    I found listening to audiobooks to really help my mindfulness practice. It gave me something to concentrate on that was in the moment, like in my yoga classes where I practice listening to my yoga teacher’s voice rather than spacing off into my own thoughts.

    Thank you for posting this, I hope it helps people feel more sewing positive rather than sewing guilty 🙂

    1. Thank you, Liz! I love the feeling sewing positive rather than sewing guilty! That’s a great way to put it. x

  6. I agree wholeheartedly! The sense of pride that comes with creation is not to be underestimated. Just like Nature Deficit Disorder, I think there is a a complete lack of creativity/making skills that has caused a major deficit in our society. Sewing ticks just the box to fulfill this need to make that we have gotten so far away from!

    1. Hi Carlee! I agree! That’s probably one of the reasons why sewing has become so popular in the last few years. x

  7. This is an excellent article–really helpful and thought-provoking. It also confirms a lot of my own experience. Within the last year I’ve started telling my family that I’m happier when I sew. It really is the case!

  8. Yes. Yes. Yes. All of that. I have been ill for 6 years now and came to sewing 3 years ago. When my whole world was falling apart and I didn’t know who I was, sewing became my North star. It has sustained me through bad times and good. And now, I can’t imagine my life without it.

    1. Thanks so much for your honest comment, Victoria! I’m so glad sewing has helped you so much. All the best for the future x

  9. i loved reading this – thanks so much for writing it!

    also whole heartedly agree with the comment about facebook/keeping your presence online sewing related. all facebook did was stress me out, now i barely go on there i enjoy my time online so much more.

    i was trying to tell my non-sewing friends how focussed sewing makes me, and how it’s great to get lost in a project and not really have space in your head to think about anything else, so stresses kind of melt away!

    1. Hi Rachel! Thanks for your comment. I did try to explain that to the Mr a couple of times and it’s so sweet of him to sometimes remind me and ask me whether it wouldn’t be better if I sewed a little when I feel horrible 🙂 Oh and btw, your blog name is amazing! x

  10. I just want to say that I really really wish you were MY psychologist. If my current one would even listen to the idea using my sewing as a way to fight my demons I think we’d might actually get somewhere.

    1. Hi Hedni! Thanks so much for your honesty. Sewing might not substitute psychological treatment, but it can be a really effective way of coping for some people. I always go by “do more of what makes you happy”. Once we find out what makes us feel better and what keep us going, it’s important to hold on to it and make room for it in our lives. All the best! x

  11. I am sure it also helps an individual to stress less. If someone has an activity that they love, it can make them more calm when participating in it. That can hopefully take away stress. If you can find an activity, such as sewing, it would be great to be able to do it often. That way you can hopefully remain more calm during the day!

  12. I loved reading this post and agree to all of it. I’ve recently given up my job after having my second daughter and I have felt like I’ve become only a mummy and wife whilst being at home – sewing has given me back my sense of who I am. I definitely feel more sane after having a little bit of me time. I have a good circle of friends but none of them sew so reading blogs and instagram are my way of connecting to the sewing community and finding comfort in the fact that there are other people out there who are just as obsessed with fabric, construction and fitting!

    1. Hi Dee! Thanks for sharing your experiences! I also have very few sewing friends in real life and it keeps amazing me how awesome the online sewing community can be!

    1. Hi Tine! Thanks so much! Well, now that we’re living in the same country at last (although on opposite ends) we might need to try and meet up at some point! At least we managed to match up time zones 😀

  13. This is a wonderful post and I just wanted to say that sewing has helped me cope with the grief of loosing my husband of 27 years to cancer and creating a new life for myself. Being a corporate wife, my life evolved around my husband’s career and I happily went along with it. But when he died, so did that life and it has been hard trying to find my place again in the world. Sewing online has introduced me to so many beautiful people and sewing for myself has created a sense of pride and achievement. Sewing has been the best therapy for starting my new life.

    1. Hi Marjorie! Thanks for sharing your experience so openly. You must’ve gone through some terribly difficult times and I’m glad you have found new strength and purpose in such a great creative hobby! Sewing can do wonderful things. x

    2. I love it that sewing helped you cope with grief. I lost three siblings and my mom in a seven year span. Each time someone died, I delved into one of my sewing and/or upholstery projects. They saved my life, along with lots of exercise and nature. Thanks Marjorie.

  14. Wow, I needed to read this – not because I’ve been spending time sewing but because I haven’t been and I’m starting to feel like I’m losing myself with the stresses in life. I didn’t realize that you are a psychologist – allow me to sing the praises of psychologists! My daughter is currently in an residential facility for eating disorders – the story of her last couple of years would take pages and pages. Her psychologist is amazing! He is soooo good at helping her to see the reality of her thought processes, etc. She still has a lot of progress to make, as in maybe maybe home by Christmas, but she has come far in 5 weeks. Yeah, my daughter in a hospital in another STATE would be one of several reasons my stress level is quite up there…. yes, she is by far and away better off there, she was starving at home… but still…

    1. Hi Angela. Thanks for your comment. I have worked in an adolescent ED unit for a while, and I have seen many parents suffer with their kids because of this awful illness. It’s a challenge for the whole family, and as a parent you might often feel like all you can do is watch helplessly. It’s important to look after yourself as well. Maybe you can squeeze in a bit of me-time here and there. All the best for you and your family! X

  15. Absolutely. My job is all intangible things (emails, Word documents, web stuff) and one reason I love sewing is because it’s the exact opposite of that. You get to hold different textures in your hands; you can see and feel the results of your work. It’s really calming, engrossing and so different from my day job – all positives for me.

  16. Hi Charlie, this is such a great post and something very close to my heart. I suffer from PND/depression and one of the things CBT taught me is that immersing myself in a hobby can be incredibly therapeutic. It is, for all the reasons you mention and more. Although I do still find times I feel so low that even the thought of turning my machine on is too much. I don’t know whether you’re aware of Seamwork Radio? I did an interview talking about things similar to this and your post really chimed with me as a result. Oh and my name is also Charlie! Thanks for putting so accurately what I need to remind myself sometimes. Best wishes Charlie

  17. I love this post. I am currently writing assessment for year 12 Textiles and it has a well-being focus. Brilliant! Thanks.

  18. I tried and cannot learn, obviously. I keep having to repeat patterns all the time. I’m taking a baseball bat to my Singer machine because I am FED UP

  19. A very interesting blog post, not sure how I missed it before!

    I am really curious your idea on listening to audiobooks while sewing. It is taking away from the mindfulness of the practice, but I love the escapism it provides for an hour or two an evening. I find it very therapeutic, but then wonder if I shouldn’t try and be more in the moment?

    1. Hi Linda!
      Do whatever feels right! If it brings you joy and actual relaxation, keep doing it. Audio books are much better than TV as you only need one of your senses to take them in. x

  20. I really enjoyed reading your post and I couldn’t agree more heartily! There is a new “challenge” afoot presently that ends at the end of February titled, #SMYLY which stands for “Sewing Makes You Love Yourself”. It has some brilliant contributers on youtube and I’m sure Instagram as well (I don’t do Instagram because I don’t do cell phones 🙂 ) I wrote a piece on my blog about why sewing has been so good for my mental health which is different from most since I think I’m among the oldest contributers (if not the oldest!) – you can read my story here https://www.psychicsewerkathleen.com/smyly2018-challenge/ Thank you for possibly being the impetus to kick off this campaign!

  21. I’m glad that you explained how sewing can help in mindfulness of a person because it’s very meditative and can help in staying calm. Working in a tech industry can cause sensory overload, and I feel that stress is wearing me out. I’m looking for a hobby that can also benefit my mental health. Thanks for mentioning that sewing can reduce stress and over-thinking. I’ll immediately look for sewing supplies later and get started. Thanks for the advice!

  22. I found it interesting when you mentioned that spending too much time on our gadgets actually subjects us to sensory overload. I actually thought that watching funny videos online was relaxing. Learning from the helpful tips you shared in your article, I now know better. I’m not really a creative person but I’m definitely down to trying out new things. If sewing is something that can help me relax my mind, I’d be sure to give it a try. Thanks for the bright idea!

  23. I find that working with the fabrics and sewing is also a time when I am in control. I choose what I am going to work on, I choose what color thread, etc. When so much of my life is out of my control, it is stress-reducing when I can have one place where I am in control.

  24. i am one of those people who operates in overdrive most of the time. Listening to an audiobook while sewing simple things restores my equilibrium. However, complete silence is essential while I ponder problems to solve or if I’m seeking creative inspiration.

  25. I teach sewing. I believe in supporting humans to do what humans always have done – make stuff! It is grounding in an over mediated electronic life. Even more important in a psychological and developmental context. Supporting human adaptation and evolution from one historical cultural context to the next for a healthy psyche. Does that make sense?! Haha. Industrialisation, globalisation, free trade etc mean humans don’t get as much satisfaction from crafting everyday items such as baskets, tools, clothing, shelter.

  26. It got me when you pointed out that learning how to sew is good for mental health because the person will be able to accomplish something. Actually, I have been engaging in a lot of crafts, and I think that sewing will be another form of relaxation for me. My job is pretty stressful after all. I’ll get myself a kit and start sewing.

  27. That’s interesting that sewing can be useful in not only treating mental health problems but also preventing them. I like the idea of having some time doing a hobby off of a screen since I spend most of the day looking at one at work. Maybe I’ll have to think about starting to sew in some free time and see if it helps.

  28. I found it interesting how you mentioned how sewing can improve your mental health by helping you focus on the small intricacies of working with your hands. My wife and I recently moved across the country and has been experiencing lots of anxiety and depression that comes with moving to a new area. She used to love sewing pretty dresses for her grandchildren but stopped ever since her sewing machine broke three years ago. I will keep this in mind as we search for a sewing machine repair service so she can start doing what she loves again!

  29. Wow. That was a fascinating article. I did a little bit of sewing today. It is repairing two of my stuffed animals. I can repair stuff, but otherwise I can’t do any other kind of sewing. I don’t get into anything too fancy. Repairing is a lot easier and takes a lot less work than building a whole new thing from scratch. When I sewed, it helped me feel better. It went beyond the satisfaction of having my stuffed animals in better shape. I looked it up, and found this wonderful article. The thing that really blows my mind is how familiar it is. My favorite way to cope with my mental health problems is to do my art. It is my therapy. Every single reason given in this article applies to art as well. Personally I do visual art and writing. I think sewing would be art too. There can be a lot of creativity with fashion design and the like. I expand the definition of art well beyond the stereotypical drawing and painting. Any method of creative expression can be art. So sewing has the potential to be like this. There is only a minor difference of the medium. It swaps out paint and paper for fabric and thread. I do know that there is professional art therapy and journal therapy. That is the kind of thing that I do, except more formal. If sewing works so well for you, than maybe there can be professional sewing therapy. You have even done this with patients. Here are the tips.

    1. When I do art, I have me time. Socializing and working all day is stressful and exhausting. It is also rough to do endless tasks for unpleasable family members. When I do art, I get to get away from all of that. It is nice to do something for me. I don’t think of it as “selfish” per se. It is a method of self care that supports mental wellbeing. I get a lot of solitude while doing art. I need that in order to recharge for the next day. I once worked in an Amazon warehouse. The hours were so excessively long, that I had no free time to do art in the day. As a result my physical and mental health deteriorated badly. I got so sick that I had to resign. That shows how important personal art time is to me.

    2. When I do art, I do get a break from technical media. This is expecially true when I do traditional art. I do writing in notebooks. I sketch in notebooks. I used to do a lot of nice drawings on paper. I also do art on the computer. I do typing and digital painting. I am not sure if this counts. I am pretty good at replicating the traditional experience. I just work on the digital painting program and listen to YouTube in the background. I have even made YouTube lists. Videos automatically play on. So it reduces the interruptions caused by manually selecting another video.

    3. When I do art, there is a sense of mindfulness. I can only focus on one thing at a time. I enjoy getting in the zone and focus on art for hours at a time. I hate multitasking, and I prefer avoiding it. At most I have something playing in the background and that is it. Sometimes I work in silence. Sometimes I work with music. Sometimes I work with YouTube. I only use certain kinds of YouTube videos. These are things like essays, reviews and analysis. they involve the video maker speaking and explaining something. So I can still enjoy it just by listening. It is too hard to switch looking between a video and my art. I can listen to something, but my eyes got to be glued to my art. I am terrible at multitasking, but I make up for it by my good ability to focus on one thing.

    4. I get a sense of accomplishment for my art. I like to complete pieces. It can be one picture. It could be one article or chapter of writing. It is very satisfying. I like to build this up into big projects. I even have a whole fantasy world to do art about it. World building is hands down the most enjoyable time suck for me. I freaking love world building. Completing projects is good for my self esteem. I even like how I improve my art skills.

    5. This part doesn’t fit as well as the others, but there is some connection. My kind of art does nothing for body image. Clothes shopping is a struggle for me, because I am too big to fit in standard sizes. I have even shopped at plus size stores. It must be nice to measure one self and make cloths to accomodate that. There is a lot of control over the style of the cloths. My writing and drawing can’t do that. However they can bring out an inner beauty. I like to make beautiful pictures and it helps me feel better about it. It is what is on the inside that counts. Sewing can bring out inner beauty. It can bring out the aesthetics and creativity one has in their mind. I like it when a pearson wears something to reflect thier inner quality and strength. For example a woman good with ice magic would look great in a sparkling blue and white dress.

    6. Art is good for my well being in general. There are three things that I have noticed. One is that art makes my happy. Two it raises my self esteem. Three it gives me a good outlet to express myself. It feels good to let it out and communicate with others. Holding it in too much is not healthy.

  30. I really want to find some activities that will help my mental health while also being very productive. I think that making some of my own clothing and blankets could fit the bill. I like that you touched on getting away from your phones for a while and reducing your screen time while sewing.

  31. Lovely post and so happy to have come across your blog. We have background in psychology in common along with a love of sewing, though you are much further along on the journey. Your site and musings are beautiful. Thanks for the great rest break this snowy afternoon.

  32. It’s awesome that sewing is a great way to do something for yourself. My sister would like to do more sewing soon. I’ll share this information with her so that she look into her options for professionals who can ensure that her sewing machine is in good repair.

  33. It’s helpful that this article points out that sewing is a great way to relieve stress. I’ve been looking for a new hobby to reduce my stress levels after work, so I’m considering buying a sewing machine. I’m going to look for a reputable sewing machine dealer in my area to use.

  34. It’s great to learn that sewing could be relaxing and reduce stress. My wife is wanting to become happier again and she was wondering how she could reduce some of her stress. I’ll be sure to tell her that she should start sewing again to regain control of her mental health.

  35. It got my attention when you said that sewing could keep you calm and relaxed because it is a very meditative activity. With this in mind, I will be sure to shop for high-quality sewing kits and supplies. Since my only child got married more than 3 months ago, I have been feeling so alone at home. What I want is to find a way to shift my attention to something productive for me. Thanks for sharing this.

  36. I recently had to repair something for my son, so I got my moms sowing box and started sowing. As I was sowing I realised how relaxing it was and I felt as though I was connecting with myself and I realised there must be more benefits to sowing. So I’m thinking if other projects I can do…

  37. Thank you for explaining that sewing can help you to give yourself some “me time”. I’ve been wondering how I can help my mental health over the last few days. I never thought about picking up a hobby like this, but I’ll be sure to look at some tutorials and find some patterns so that I can start learning.

  38. What caught my attention is when you said that sewing could help you to feel relaxed and calm as it is very meditative. With this in mind, I will consider looking for an embroidery machine that I can use moving forward. I want to make sure that I can stay productive even when at home and pregnant, so I will surely do your tips.

  39. I enjoy reading your blog. One of the ones i actually read.
    I agree with your article on the mental health benefits of sewing. Im a part time milliner you might say and I particularly enjoy hand stitching. I love mending things to save them from landfill. I cared for my husband for many years and now hes in care but im still his carer.
    You’re right how sewing takes your mind away from stresses of the day and takes you to that happy place. Solving problems of projects or learning new skills can create new neural pathways in the brain.
    Thank you for giving us this space to find ourselves

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