I’ve always had a hard time focusing this has a lot to do with anxiety. When I go to sit down and watch a tv show or listen to music I have a hard time enjoying myself. Often times restlessness gets in my way and all I can think about are the things I should be doing or things I should have done, or how I’ve wasted my day, or that one, random, awkward moment I had with an acquaintance eight weeks ago (this last one is the worst, there is literally nothing you can do to change anything, but you just can’t shake this dumb thought).
The way that I would combat those nasty thoughts was by picking up my phone and flipping through Instagram or Pinterest, but once I felt calm and put my phone down the thoughts would often come back or I would begin to feel guilty that I just spent an hour doing nothing on my phone.
One day I was compelled to try a new craft. It started with a Facebook group I joined called MBMBAM Crafting Appreciation Group. This is a craft group based around one of my favorite podcasts, My Brother, My Brother, and Me. I can not remember what compelled me to join the crafting group (I have very little crafty experience) but once I did I loved seeing all of the pieces like-minded folks were creating. There are all kinds of crafts featured on this page although it does seem like cross stitch is mighty prevalent, probably because it’s a great beginner’s craft and a fairly affordable hobby. People on this page are always very encouraging of others who were just attempting their fist projects and are always ready with helpful tips and tools. While I’ve never actually even posted in this group seeing so many people not only enjoy crafting but also feeling accomplished by their finished projects encouraged me to give it a go my self. *Side note: Another very fun facebook page for cross stitching is Subversive Cross stitch. It is loaded with a ton of fun and naughty cross stitch ideas.
And so I did! To my surprise I found it very fulfilling and, even more so, relaxing. This is the type of project I can pick up while I put on a movie or enjoy my favorite podcast and it keeps those stressful, unhelpful thoughts at bay. I get to use my hands to create something and I get to create a tangible finished product that I can use to decorate my home, or even better, give as a gift.
I’ve been participating in this craft for about a year now and I think it has seriously helped my mental health and assuaged my anxiety. It still creeps up and it always will, and yes, sometime I still pick up my phone and scroll through the instagram void, but having this new tool to distract me has been invaluable.
I would like to create a post in the near future about how I began cross stitching, what tools I used and mistakes I made. Please comment if that is something you’d enjoy reading!
Worth a Whirl 