During lockdown, we can easily get bored. So what is there to do?
For some, lockdown has been a difficult experience due to the uncertainty of our future. For others, it has a been boring due to the lack of things to do. Students across the country have been occupied by plenty of work set by schools and tutors. This has not helped towards their boredom. While the days seem to blend into one, taking up a craft may help break this monotonous cycle.
Crafting has many benefits that can help towards our mental wellbeing. Taking up a craft can help you reduce your stress levels. This is incredibly important during lockdown which has been a stressful experience for some. Stress can lead to other health problems which is why it is important to minimise the amount of stress that we experience. In addition, doing crafts can help towards lowering levels of anxiety and depression. Repetitive crafts such as knitting or crochet have been shown to release serotonin which is a natural anti-depressant. Crafting is a therapeutic activity that allows us to disconnect from our daily worries and stresses.
Recently, there have been numerous different craft shows on the television, inspiring people to take it up as a hobby. For example, Kirstie Allsopp’s show Kirstie: Keep Crafting and Carry On shows us a range of crafts which we can do while in lockdown. She utilises materials that we should be able to find around the home and turns them into something new. The Great British Sewing Bee has also made its return to our screens - where amateur sewers take on various different challenges, competing to be named “Britain’s Best Home Sewer”.
Inspired by the Sewing Bee, I tried myself to make a top using a Simplicity sewing pattern. I was lucky to find some material that I had bought last year that I could use for my latest project. While making it, I was able to learn various different skills such as how to hack the pattern to my own needs. I was able to give myself a break from my work and focus on other things. It helped me take my mind of things and it could help you too.
We all have much more time on our hands now in lockdown, so why not pick up a craft to do. It could be anything: sewing, knitting, drawing, working with clay or even painting – the choice is up to you, just use your imagination.
Esme Magnier
