Crocheting is a hobby and an art. It has been passed down for centuries and many people still do it today, but is it a good hobby to have? Is it worth it to learn?
Crocheting is a good hobby because it is inexpensive, it is portable, it is great for children and adults, and it is easy to learn the basics. Other benefits are helping to reduce anxiety and depression, postpone/reduce dementia, and decrease chronic pain. The products of crochet can be useful for yourself or for gifts for others as well which helps build a sense of accomplishment with this hobby.
Let’s delve into some more details about the benefit of crochet and why crocheting really is a great hobby to have!
Why is Crocheting a Good Hobby?
Crocheting is a great hobby because there are many benefits to your health and well-being, it is great for people of all ages (once enough dexterity and attention span are developed), it can be inexpensive if you purchase materials frugally, and you can take it anywhere!
There are many health/wellness benefits of crocheting. The below-listed benefits are well documented and have scientific research to back them up! The Craft Yarn Council has a page dedicated to the benefits of crocheting. They list the references to back up all of these claims, all from scientific research! Also, Counseling.org promotes crochet as a type of therapy.
Crocheting has been documented to:
- Relieves depression
- Reduces anxiety
- Decreased stress
- Builds self-esteem
- Reduce irritability
- Reduce or postpone dementia
- Improve insomnia
- Builds community
- Helps with grief
For these reasons, crocheting is a fantastic hobby to learn and practice!
Let’s look at each benefit a little bit more. You know, just in case you need MORE convincing! haha!
Crocheting helps people with depression and anxiety. In surveys conducted by researchers, 75% of people with anxiety and 81% of people with depression reported a significant decrease in symptoms following crocheting.
Similarly, 85% of respondents to a Craft Yarn Council survey reported stress reduction following crocheting. The hobby has been related to meditating, and it seems to have similar responses on stress levels, including decreasing heart rate and blood pressure!
Crochet is a “positive outlet” that helps reduce irritability. In the same Craft Yarn Council survey, 68% of crocheters reported improved mood due to the hobby. It reduces frustration, boredom, and restlessness as well.
Crocheting can build self-esteem, which combats the negative health effects of low self-esteem. In a Craft Yarn Council survey, 56% of crocheters reported gaining a “sense of confidence” from the craft. Counseling.org states that it helps self-esteem by “building new skills, allowing the crafter to feel productive, providing a useful way to give to others, [and] creating beauty through self-expression.”
A few specific references, but most notably the Mayo Clinic, reported crocheting reduces the risk of memory loss by 30-50%! They concluded definitively that crocheting can help postpone, prevent, or even improve dementia/memory loss.
In the UK, a study was performed on the effect of crocheting on insomnia. The results were remarkable! 100% of the patients with insomnia reported improvement, and 90% of them were able to completely eliminate medications following the program which included yarncrafts!
As you can see, there are a TON of benefits of crocheting on your health and well-being! Pick up the hobby for your body, mind, and soul!
Is Learning to Crochet Worth It?
Learning to crochet is definitely “worth it.” It is really quick to learn the basics and make your first project, the starting costs are low, you can create a wide variety of projects, you will enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with creating, you can give the projects as gifts or keep as heirlooms, and you will get the health benefits associated with this stress-busting hobby.
If you are looking to learn crocheting, you can actually start making complete projects after just learning one stitch! See my post “What Should a Beginner Crochet? The Easiest Things to Crochet!” if you want to learn more about that!
Crocheting *can* be expensive, just like any other hobby, but the initial costs are low with just a hook or two and some yarn you can be off and hooking! As you get more into crocheting, you’ll have to decide what types of yarn you’ll want to invest in, but checking out thrift stores and yard sales is a good way to get some nice yarn on the cheap!
There are many documented health benefits of crocheting, which I already discussed above! So I say, do it! I’m excited for you to start if you are a beginner and to continue and become passionate again if you are returning!
Is Crocheting Good for Your Brain?
Crocheting is a hobby that has been shown to be good for your brain, decreasing the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia by 30-50%, according to a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic. Crocheting provides consistent new learning, increased synaptic connections, and decreased stress. These benefits have all been shown to decrease the risk of dementia.
Crochet can be easy, and you can stick to the same stitches, and it will still provide benefits in stress relief, reducing anxiety, reducing depression, etc; but you can also ALWAYS learn new techniques and expand your skills. This gives the brain some “exercise” and helps ward off cognitive decline.
It has also been shown that the improvement in hand-eye coordination helps to build more connections in the brain. The more connections the more protection against decline because of a bigger “reserve”.
So the benefits of crochet are numerous, but it does also specifically help your brain!
Why Crocheting is One of the Most Preferred Hobbies
Crocheting is one of the most preferred hobbies because of its extensive health and wellness benefits including reducing depression and anxiety, decreasing stress and irritability, delaying/reducing dementia, improving insomnia, and improving self-confidence. It also has benefits over other hobbies in affordability, portability, and accessibility. It is easy to learn and perfect for children and adults alike!
I hope you enjoyed learning about the many benefits of crochet and why it is an awesome hobby to pick up! If you think of any other questions, drop me a comment, and I will answer the best I can!
Now it is time for YOU to get Crafty with Ashy!
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