Remember those adult colouring books that were all the craze not too long back? Many people found that spending time keeping within the lines was good mindful practise. But if getting the crayons out isn’t your kind of fun, here are some other crafty hobbies that will distract your mind from negativity.
Are you looking to start a crafty hobby?
Cross stitch
Cross stitching is a fun and easy hobby to take up if you’re bored or need to distract yourself from intrusive thoughts.
You can buy starter packs from supermarkets and craft stores and they’re probably a lot cheaper than you think.
It’s a simple hobby that gives you a rewarding end product.
Bread making
There are few things in life that are better than a roll of fresh crusty bread.
What’s stopping you from perfecting the art of baking a loaf of home-made bread? It’s fun, smells amazing in the oven, and is a delicious treat with a spread of butter…
Find a recipe online or a buy a breadmaking book and impress your loved ones with the best thing since… oh, it is the best thing.
Painting
You don’t have to be Vincent Van Gogh to enjoy an afternoon of painting.
Whether you are putting a brush to a canvas or a mug, decorating things with a touch of paint will add colour and positivity to your life.
Origami
There are so many impressive things you can do with a piece of paper.
If you have no idea where to start, watching a few YouTube tutorials will set you up nicely. Swans, butterflies and flowers are all easy ways to start your hobby in the Japanese art of paper-folding.
And once you’ve perfected it with paper, move on to napkins. We suggest hosting a dinner party purely to show your skills off to your friends!
Knitting
For some reason we all still associate knitting with the older generation, but, more and more young people are taking up this hobby as a fun way to practise mindfulness.
Start off by learning to knit something simple – like a scarf. The better you get at it the more you’ll want to advance your new skill!
Who knows, maybe this time next year you’ll have your own knitted jumper collection?
Clay modelling
This is one for those who don’t mind getting a bit messy.
There are endless opportunities for things to make if you decide to get into this crafty hobby. Plates for nibbles, mugs, even little figurines… Channel your creativity in making clay products!
Once they’ve set, you can then paint them with the colours and patterns to make them pretty.
Think how rewarding it will feel when people ask where you bought your little plates from and you tell them you made them yourself!
Writing poems
You don’t have to be a literary genius to put your thoughts down on paper.
A lot of people think you must be able to rhyme every word to write a good poem, but some of the best pieces of poetry have been the short, simple verses.
Writing down your thoughts is a great outlet if you struggle with anxiety – so channelling those thoughts into poetry helps to make sense of them in a creative way.