A colleague of mine calls handwork "the original fidget toy." Sewing, knitting, crocheting, macramé, calligraphy, needle felting, and other handcrafts like these involve small, repetitive movements that can provide a focus for meditation and actually improve brain health.

In the early 2010s I volunteered teaching crochet at a women's residential substance recovery program in San Jose, CA. The therapist who led the group sessions told me she included handwork as an important part of recovery because her research indicated that the repeated movements helped repair the brain as it overcame addiction.

In my own life, time spent working with my hands is more than just enjoyable: it is an important part of my daily self-care. I set aside time each afternoon to work on one of my many ongoing projects, and I can feel the difference in my mood and patience if I skip it!

Here are links to two studies showing cognitive benefits from various types of handworks.

Knitting as stress relief in cancer recovery

Creative outlets linked to fewer depressive symptoms during COVID-19

Making something by hand is an opportunity to slow down and create something beautiful. Whether you are making something to wear, a decor item, or a toy for a special small someone, creating it yourself invites you to consider your materials, time, and energy thoughtfully, putting your love into every stitch.

Handwork is an antidote to fast fashion. Learning to make, mend, and treasure your belongings changes your relationship to them. You notice how much work goes into creating something, and gain a greater appreciation for the people who make everyday items.

Artist Andy Goldsworthy wrote, "physical engagement with the world is an essential part of how we learn. Touch is an integral part of creative process in which the hand feeds the mind. The feel, friction, resistance, shock and unpredictable nature of touch provokes ideas." Goldsworthy's sentiments, formed through manipulating stone, leaves, sticks, and other natural materials, apply equally to fiber and fabric.

My two younger children's very wise preschool teacher told me, "Don't be quick to have them transition from half day to full day. They need to have time at home to play, and to consolidate the lessons from their day. It's so important for them to tinker." I saw that they would (and still do) sit down and engage in focused construction work with Legos, Magna-Tiles, and other toys that provided open-ended creative play. I couldn't call them to lunch or get them to stop until they were ready. Their brains had entered a flow state, restoring and refreshing them.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term "flow" to describe the feeling of being totally immersed in work. In his TED talk "Flow, the secret to happiness," Csikszentmihalyi described how humans only have so much capacity for attention - try listening to two people talking at the same time. A person simply doesn't have enough attention to "really do well something that requires a lot of concentration, and at the same time to feel that [they] exist."

Handwork brings this same restorative opportunity for consolidation to your day. The children I volunteer with enjoy "brain breaks" to knit or crochet between lessons at school, giving them a pause before tackling their next challenging work. While the skills initially can be challenging for them to learn, that's part of the fun! Eventually they become automatic, soothing, and totally absorbing.

If your day brings a lot of decisions, discussions, and a general expenditure of energy, handwork allows you to step away from that and bring balance to your life.