I’m sure that a lot of people out there can second me on this when I say that anxiety is ROUGH. It’s rough to deal with, can be rough to learn how to safely manage, and it can hit you at any time during the day (or night.) For me, I’ve always struggled with learning and utilizing good coping strategies to keep myself in the green, and it became difficult to do so throughout this past year. I found myself needing to try something new to help me cope with my anxiety.
I decided to blow all my Christmas gift cards on yarn, crochet, and knitting supplies. I bought yarn, six crochet hooks, and two sets of knitting needles. I’ve discovered that sitting myself down in front of some trashy talk shows and crocheting like crazy does wonders to calm my mind. One day on a whim, I decided to throw on The Steve Wilkos Show for background noise, picked up my original hook, and start working. My anxiety? Gone. Nowhere to be seen after a little bit. I needed to get my hands on more of these magical tools that calmed my mile-a-second brain.
I’m not necessarily new to crochet, as I’m quite adept when it comes to crocheting yards of hand-made lace. Knitting, however, I am absolutely new to. It’s been quite fun learning all sorts of new crochet stitches, and I’ve actually started expanding past lace and into making garments! I am pleased to tell you that I have already crocheted one cozy light pink thigh high sock, and I am about to start on the second!
As for knitting, I am about halfway done with a solid black arm sleeve/warmer, which is looking super cool! It has this awesome stretchy ribbing pattern to it that I think is just the coolest! Probably the best part about all of this is that these supplies are portable. I can take them with me wherever I go.
This new little hobby of mine has been doing wonders for my mental health, and I am so very glad that I am this engrossed into it! I can’t wait to provide further updates when I am farther along this new path of my crafting journey!
What are some of your coping strategies for anxiety?
About Chrysanthemum Chan: Chrysanthemum is an award-winning cosplayer and Quantum brand ambassador. She enjoys fashion, cosplay and music and has a TikTok channel with over 380,000 followers. Click here to learn more about Chrysanthemum.