Why Crafting Is Great For Your Brain: A Neuroscientist Explains

by Dr. Sarah McKayJune 24th, 2014

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Knit one. Purl one. Knit one. Purl one. Knit one. Purl one. The rhythmic and repetitive nature of knitting is calming, comforting and contemplative. It’s not a stretch for you to imagine knitting as a mindfulness practice, or perhaps a form of meditation.

I’m delighted to report that neuroscience is finally catching up on brain health aspects of the trend some have called "the new yoga."

Research shows that knitting and other forms of textile crafting such as sewing, weaving and crocheting have quite a lot in common with mindfulness and meditation — all are reported to have a positive impact on mind health and well-being.

In an online survey of more 3,545 knitters, by Betsan Corkhill, a UK-based knitting therapist who has done research on the therapeutic effects of knitting, more than half of respondents reported that knitting left them feeling "very happy." And many said that they knitted solely for the purposes of relaxation, stress relief and creativity.

The study found a significant relationship between the frequency of knitting and respondents’ perceived mood and feelings. Frequent knitters (those who knitted more than 3 times a week) were calmer, happier, less sad, less anxious, and more confident.

Corkhill’s study concluded, “Knitting has significant psychological and social benefits, which can contribute to well-being and quality of life.”

Interestingly, the study also found that people who knitted as part of a group were even happier than solo knitters. Knit-ins, stitch ‘n bitch groups, and even scrapbooking parties have many keys of mind and brain health covered.

Here are 10 ways crafting with friends may improve mind and brain wellness:

1. Mental challenge and problem solving
2. Social connection
3. Mindfulness
4. Development of hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness and fine motor dexterity
5. Learning and teaching
6. Focusing attention and thoughts on a task

7. Encouraging active creativity 
8. Gives a sense of pride and achievement
9. Teaches patience and perseverance 
10. Facilitates memory formation and retrieval 

According to her paper, “The skills and feelings experienced whilst knitting and stitching can also be used to facilitate the learning of techniques, such as meditation, relaxation and pacing which are commonly taught on pain management courses, or in the treatment of depression.”

“Using knitting to achieve a meditative state of mind could enable a much wider population to experience the benefits of meditation, as it doesn't entail having to understand, accept or engage in a prolonged learning period of the practice. It happens as a natural side-effect of knitting.”

Others have likened crafting to entering a state of "flow," what positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi describes as “a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. It is a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter.”

And, according to Corkhill, even Albert Einstein was reputed to have knitted between projects to "calm his mind and clear his thinking."

Neuroscientists are beginning to understand how mindfulness, meditation and experiencing "flow" impact the brain. Research shows these practices improve depression, anxiety, coping style in the face of adversity, improve quality of life, and significantly reduce stress. All vital for maintaining brain health and well-being.

Dr Sarah McKay 

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7 Reasons Why We Should Be Giving More Hugs

 03/27/2014 08:42 am ET | Updated Mar 27, 2014

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Lindsay Holmes Deputy Healthy Living Editor, The Huffington Post

AMBRE HALLER VIA GETTY IMAGES

Admit it: Nothing gives you comfort quite like a warm hug.

Whether you’re wrapped up in the arms of your partner or greeting a friend hello, hugs have a way of making us feel warm and fuzzy inside. But aside from making us feel protected and loved, this touching gesture can also do wonders for our well-being. So whether it’s a simple squeeze, a big bear hug or some cute cuddling — there are plenty of reasons why we should embrace the act of, well, embracing someone. Below, find seven reasons why we should be giving more hugs.

They make us feel good.

The simple act of a hug isn’t just felt on our arms. When we embrace someone, oxytocin (also known as “the cuddle hormone”) is released, making us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The chemical has also been linked to social bonding. “Oxytocin is a neuropeptide, which basically promotes feelings of devotion, trust and bonding,” DePauw University psychologist Matt Hertenstein told NPR. “It really lays the biological foundation and structure for connecting to other people.”

More hugs = lower blood pressure.

The hormones that are released in the body after a hug aren’t just good for happy feelings — they can also help your physical health. When someone touches you, the sensation on your skin activates pressure receptors called Pacinian corpuscles, which then send signals to the vagus nerve, an area of the brain that is responsible for (among many things) lowering blood pressure, NPR reported.

They may alleviate our fears.

In a study on fears and self-esteem, research published in the journal Psychological Science revealed that hugs and touch significantly reduce worry of mortality. The studies found that hugging — even if it was just an inatimate object like a teddy bear — helps soothe individuals’ existential fears. “Even fleeting and seemingly trivial instances of interpersonal touch may help people to deal more effectively with existential concern,” lead researcher Sander Koole wrote in the study. “Interpersonal touch is such a powerful mechanism that even objects that simulate touch by another person may help to instill in people a sense of existential significance.”

Hugging can be good for our hearts.

Embracing someone may warm your heart, but according to one study a hug can be good medicine for it too: In an experiment at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill , participants who didn’t have any contact with their partners developed a quickened heart rate of 10 beats per minute compared to the five beats per minute among those who got to hug their partners during the experiment.

Adults can benefit from hugging the most.

According to researchers at Ohio State University, hugging and physical touch becomes increasingly important with age. “The older you are, the more fragile you are physically, so contact becomes increasingly important for good health,”University psychologist Janice Kiecolt-Glaser told USA TODAY. Studies have shown that loneliness, particularly with age, can also increase stress and have averse health effects. By hugging someone, we instantly feel closer to that person and decrease feelings of loneliness.

Hugs are a natural stress reliever.

Feeling strung out? Go give someone a squeeze. When we embrace, we immediately reduce the amount of the stress hormone cortisol produced in our bodies. Hugs also make our bodies release tension and send calming messages to the brain.

Well-hugged babies are less stressed as adults.

Want to do something for future generations? Hug them when they’re still little. An Emory University study in rats found a link between touch and relieving stress, particularly in the early stages of life. The research concluded that the same can be said of humans, citing that babies’ development — including how they cope with stress as adults — depends on a combination of nature and nurture.

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GUIDED SLEEP MEDITATION TALKDOWN - Insomnia - Relaxation

Struggling to sleep...try this...had me out like a light in about 4 minutes. 7,150,246 views...I can see why.What do you think?

How To Hygge: Embrace the Cosy Danish Concept

14.10.16

Emily Bird

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The winter nights are drawing in on a world which seems to get busier and more hectic every day and the need to sit back, relax and enjoy the small things in life has never been more prevalent. With stress levels rising in many countries across the globe, the Danes have established themselves as lovers of calm and in turn, consistently top the polls as the happiest people on earth along with many other Scandinavian countries. It is frequently argued that this is all down to hygge. The concept of hygge is one which graces every walk of Scandinavian people’s lives, and news of  this lifestyle has been spreading quickly for the last few years, crossing international borders to spread warmth wherever the idea touches.

Image courtesy of UGG

What is Hygge?

Pronounced ‘hoo-ga’ or ‘hue-gah’, the word is becoming increasingly recognisable and was originally a Norwegian term for wellbeing. Developed into a concept and way of living by the Danish in the 18thcentury when it first appeared in writings of the time, the country hasn’t looked back since. Applicable to any time and space, hygge traverses both winter and summer but the idea really comes alive in the harsh and bracing cold season Scandinavia is renowned for. These bleak winters demonstrate the power of hygge even further, as even in the depths of the country’s coldest months when there is very little daylight, Denmark’s inhabitants remain the world’s happiest people.

Image courtesy of James Brindley

Frequently described as ‘cosiness’ or ‘togetherness’ in English, the term has no literal translation, making it almost impossible to pinpoint exactly what hygge means. Largely defined as more of a feeling or mood more than a specific word, the concept can be interpreted as a mental state rather than a physical one. Simple words like cosiness just don’t do it justice with countless moments from slipping into a hot bath, to enjoying your morning coffee with a fragrant scented candle lit nearby just two of many examples of hygge. You can hygge with a good book curled up on a sofa or with friends around the fire or dinner table, even places can be hyggeligt (hygge-like), demonstrating just how far the notion reaches.

Image courtesy of Amara

Hygge is the art form of creating intimacy in any given moment. Normally a social occasion for loved ones to get together to experience the comradeship, warmth and contentment of the event, it can also be enjoyed alone to calm the nerves and sooth the senses. An idea which not only breaches weather and seasonal barriers but also social ones, it is something everyone in Denmark partakes in and it has spread through to every aspect of Scandinavian living to become a part of the national consciousness. Appreciating the small joys in life at all times, hygge followers have tapped into a source of happiness which the rest of the world can greatly benefit from in an ever-evolving technological society.

Tips to Hygge in the Home

1. Invest in Candles

Rumoured as one of the largest consumers of candles in the world per capita, Denmark and other Scandinavian countries have embraced the power of the warming glow of candlelight. Whether scented or unscented, candlelight transforms the clean, fresh style of classic Scandinavian interiors into a flickering escape from winter’s chill and a simple lit candle is seen as one of the most fundamental hygge moments to achieve. Danish brand Skandinavisk have even developed a Hygge fragrance with notes of brewed tea, baked strawberry cake, rose petals and wild mint for the ultimate hygge experience.

2. Add Texture

When you think of cosy and warming interiors to create the perfect relaxing moment the mind instantly goes to lusciously soft textures which add another dimension to any interior – think chunky knit cushions, faux fur throws and fluffy woollen rugs. Made from the softest of materials from merino wool to cashmere, textured accessories are a huge trend of the moment with the layering of different tactile surfaces creating a styled look in any room and when combined with a roaring fire or soft candlelight, there is no setting more hygge.

Image courtesy of Amara

Reference 

Is Happiness In Our Genes?

HEALTH AND HAPPINESS / NOVEMBER 24, 2016

Here at Move we are always promoting a healthy and happy life. But what if you just find it that little bit harder to be happy than some of the people around you?  

Modern living would have us believe that we are the masters of our destiny and that happiness is a choice - only you can control how happy a life you live as a result of the choices that you make.

However, what if how happy we are is actually more out of our control then we think? Research has suggested that feelings associated with happiness could actually be predisposed due to our genetics. The study, carried out by The University of California found a particular gene's link to optimism, self-esteem and "mastery," - three critical psychological resources for coping with stress and depression.

This isn't the only study to discover these kind of findings. A 2009 study also suggested that generic factors can account for 40-50% of feelings associated with happiness. The study, conducted on twins, appeared to show that personality traits, such as sociablity, optimism, and how hardworking you are, are especially heritable. 

What does it all mean?

Although these studies go someway in suggesting that some people are genetically predisposed to be "happier" than others, it's important to remember the significance of environmental factors such as upbringing, relationships and friendships are also critical factors in someone's happiness levels. It's always worth remembering that if you're feeling blue, there are always things you can do to pick your mood up, such as exerciseand spending time with friends and family - and those are things that truly are in your control.

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