Best craft for anxiety

[HearMeRawwr]

I suffer terribly with anxiety on an evening and tend to just take myself to bed at 7 to shut out the world. I'm on the right meds but haven't learnt to sit with my feelings yet, counselling starts in january, yay! I cant crochet for the life of me, I find colouring too passive. I need to occupy my hands and eyes so TV and reading are also too passive. Any ideas?

Cross stitch? There’s some great more modern patterns.

Alternatively knitting. I had to find the right style of knitting and I am definitely a small projects knitter but that’s soothing (not lace knitting which is stressful).

What about puzzles? They help me.

...as in jigsaw puzzles, sorry.

What about felting, I quite enjoy stabbing motion and making something quite free form

Have you tried video games? It’s quite an immersive hobby.

I second cross stitch and jigsaw puzzles. You can usually get free kits with cross stitch magazines if you just want to give it a try. Hope you find something that helps.

Jigsaws

Lego, either a set with instructions or free play

Solitaire

Beachcombing

Stone painting

Proper diy manicures and pedicures take time and can be creative with colours etc.

Journaling

Logic puzzles

Crosswords

Suduko

Learn a language through tapes

Baking

Card making

Interior design

Quilting

DIY pot pourri

Jewellery making

Sewing. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you like.
Very absorbing.

Paper cutting. It requires a lot of concentration and I find I go into a bit of a trance when I’m doing it. Great for shutting out anxious thoughts.

I bought a downloadable starter kit from here
www.etsy.com/shop/CreativismUK

Wasn’t expensive and comes with instructions, practice sheets and some simple projects. Have bought more complicated templates from the same shop and others on Etsy, there are loads and they’re generally not expensive - or of course you can design your own if you can draw (sadly I can’t) or use a computer programme to design something.

Best part about it is how cheap it is as a craft - you need a cheap self healing cutting mat, craft knife and scalpel blades, and some paper. Initial outlay of less than £10. Even if you buy a template for a couple of pounds the supplies for each piece are so cheap. Compared to knitting and crochet it’s a bargain, and much quicker to make something and feel that sense of achievement.

Of course if you want to crochet you absolutely can. Just takes a bit of practice.

If you want to do cross stitch check out Emily Peacock’s kits. They’re so gorgeous.

I like Lego, Sudko, Colouring books, my daughter got a french knitting doll for Xmas and it's very therapeutic! Small cross stitch kits, or making cards.

Hidden object games on tablet / phone are really absorbing. I can lose hours playing them.

Knitting. So much to learn. It keeps me sane. I love Fair Isle in particular. Great for meeting people too, and gifting.

And Mumsnet!

Whereabouts are you?

I crochet but don't find it very effective for anxiety as I go into autopilot and my brain keeps whirring. Jigsaws and crosswords are much more effective for me.

I’d second jigsaws . When I’m doing them I’m so focussed on doing it I don’t think about much else. And completing the challenge is satisfying too

Do you have children, if so how old are they? I like making costumes/dressing up clothes for mine, as it's creative, a good skill to have (sewing) and they get lots of enjoyment from what I've made.

I learned how to solve a Rubik's cube and it's my fidgety distraction when I'm anxious now. It's so satisfying every time I complete it

I know that's not a craft, but it's a good distraction

So glad you ordered cross stitch. My daughter has bad anxiety and bought a cross stitch 2 yrs back. It has helped her so much along with meds. She cross stitches every morning as soon as she wakes up and uses her Sad lamp. Her friends take the piss as she's only 19 but she loves it. I cross stitch too and it's like meditation to me. I also knit and sew but the cross stitch just seems to do it. Let us know how you get on.

Oh there's a good FB group called Cross stitch addicts. I'm obsessed.

Have you tried adult sticker books? They are a combo of paint by numbers and colouring book. Y I basically place the sticker in the accordingly numbered place to make a picture. Or there are more free form ones but they are more rare. I live these for my anxiety as I don't have to concentrate too much but do enough to reduce my anxiety.

Some great ideas here! Wish I lived near a beach for beach combing.
I play video games - I like adventure games and the Sims, where you. An escape into a whole new world.

and it's like meditation to me.

Anything that creates this. Knitting is suggested as being equally as effective as meditation. However it can be a tricky skill to master. So would suggest really small projects to start. For example a one ball of wool project would take me ‘super slow’ knitter two weeks. I can keep my motivation going for two weeks at an hour a day. This can be enough to give me that secure feeling.

Although, meditation is really really effective. You can store credit in your system for those really ropey times.