Sometimes, anxiety can get the best of you. A lot of us don’t prioritize ourselves, but luckily, there are many ways to practice self care, like running errands alone and buying yourself some treats. That being said, taking some solo time can also look like learning and practicing hobbies that make you feel like you again. Here are a couple of hobbies you can explore to calm your anxiety and rediscover yourself.
Writing
Although less of a visual craft, writing is an amazing way to calm anxiety and reduce stress. It can act as free therapy, helping you understand your emotions and express them in a different way. To feel better after a stressful day, write down your emotions, feelings and thoughts to lift them off your chest.
To flex your creative muscles, write stories and create your own worlds to detach from the stressful realities of everyday life. In doing so, you can practice your calligraphy skills and practice writing beautiful cursive letters. There are many dimensions to writing, most of which can provide a relaxing respite.
Painting/Coloring
Mixing colors and adding them on a canvas can be a very calming activity. You can just close your eyes and let your hands guide you. Painting can help you disconnect from reality and express yourself in unique ways. This type of art can let you drift away from problems that weigh on you everyday.
You can focus on your artistic side and create something that represents you on the canvas. Using this creative outlet, you can focus solely on yourself and be in your own little world. Coloring works in a similar way, however, you only need to think of color choices, rather than brushstrokes.
This means that you don’t have to think about anything else and you can let yourself meditate with the colors and patterns. Listen to music or play your favorite show in the background and let yourself enjoy the present moment.
Crochet
This might be a more difficult hobby to start, but once you get into it, you’ll cover your living space with crocheted creations everywhere. Although this craft requires more thinking, it is relaxing nonetheless. You can drift off into your world, creating keepsakes for yourself and loved ones. Learn to manipulate yarns of all colors and let the hook undo your stress knots. With your concentration entirely focused on the repetition of the crocheting motions, you might enter a flow state, letting you forget everything around you and focus only on the movements of your fingers.
Pottery/Clay hand-building
This is probably the most pricey DIY craft on this list. If you have never done pottery before, it may be worth it to take a class to learn this very hands-on hobby. If you have already done pottery and you have access to materials, it might be a very relaxing option to detach from your worries. You can let the movements of your hands shape the spinning clay. The wheel itself might mesmerize you, making you enter a meditative state and focus on your mental well-being.
The combination of tactile stimulation from the clay, the spin of the wheel and the creative freedom that you have when making a piece is well known for being therapeutic and grounding. Research has actually shown that pottery aids in stress relief and has numerous mental health benefits. If you ever feel stressed and nothing seems to calm you down, pottery might be the key.
Origami
If learning is something that you are always seeking, origami could be a great creative outlet to explore. You can follow tutorials and learn to fold papers in hundreds of different ways. This is a creative way to decompress while still keeping your brain active and working. You can make so many different creations and delight in the intricate details that come together from the different folds in the paper. This skill keeps you focused and concentrated for some time, lowering anxiety levels and having some therapeutic effects on your mental health. Next time you feel stressed, take some paper and try your hand at origami crafts.
College classes can be anxiety-inducing and with the added stress of homework, midterms and studying, you might start to forget yourself. If you ever feel yourself slipping, try one of these relaxing crafts to hopefully ground yourself again.
