It is proven that having a therapeutic hobby helps with mindfulness. You can use crafts to help increase mindfulness and reduce stress. A great way to practice mindfulness and de-stress is choosing a pass-time or craft that can help you focus on that, forget about any worries or anxieties and just enjoy being creative. The end result is satisfying and you might even find it to be a wonderful escape from your hectic or routine lifestyle.

Remember when you were a child in school and you enjoyed making things, learning new crafts and enjoying your time? Well there is no need to stop being creative and learning new crafts when you are grown up. I decided to put to together a list of fun crafts to try and help increase mindfulness and reduce stress. Here they are –

Painting stones or rocks. Gather some nice smooth stones/rocks when you are out for a walk. Enjoy collecting your stones while taking a nice relaxing walk, enjoying the scenery, the sound of nature and breathing the fresh air. When you have collected some, take some colored paints and a brush and start painting! It is so simple really but you can make some cool creations and use them as decorations, put them in a plant bed or else use them as paper weights. It is nice relaxing craft that doesn’t involve any stress.

Coloring in. I recently bought myself an adult coloring book and I have to say it is so relaxing and satisfying to color in! It is a simple and mindful hobby. I leave the book in my living room and whenever I feel like chilling out, I just pick up my coloring book and start coloring in. It is incredibly relaxing.

Beading. I used to love making beaded jewelry when I was younger and even set up a market one time. It is so therapeutic and it is a great hobby since you can create some beautiful jewelry into the bargain. Even set up a market like I did. Either way, they make great presents for people, very personal. It is fun choosing from all the pretty beads too.

Knitting. Contrary to popular belief, knitting isn’t just for girls. Nowadays, it is normal to see a man knitting. It is a very relaxing and enjoyable craft. Again, you can produce some lovely items such as scarves, jumpers, gloves and hats. Over time, you will grow to love it. It really is a wonderful craft and perfect to help de-stress.

Scrap-booking. Remember the days when you used to tear pages out of magazines and enjoy cutting around the edges and carefully placing them in a scrap book? There was something very therapeutic about it. Often times when we would do this at school, there would be complete silence in the class room. Everybody seemed engrossed in their work. It is a great relaxing and satisfying thing to do. Just grab some old magazines, a scrap book and some pritt-stick and you can start your theme. 

Painting. OK this is an obvious one but when was the last time you painted? Like a proper picture? I haven’t painted a proper picture since high school. I always loved painting and art in school, it was my best subject. I have always said I would buy some supplies and start again. Now is the time. Get some decent paints, a good brush and some canvas. If you really enjoy it, why not get a proper easel and set up a space at home? A great way to unwind.

For ideas on how to de-stress yourself check here BRYAN G.