Do you enjoy crafting in your free time? Results of a recent study suggest that it’s also good for your mental health.
Researchers in the United Kingdom looked at nearly 7,200 responses to a survey that gauged people’s hobbies and use of spare time.
They found that engaging in activities such as pottery, drawing, painting, knitting, sewing and crocheting led to “increased life satisfaction, a sense that life is worthwhile and happiness” at levels surpassing other known well-being predictors.
“Indeed, the impact of crafting was bigger than the impact of being in employment,” said lead study author Helen Keyes of Anglia Ruskin University. “Not only does crafting give us a sense of achievement, it’s also a meaningful route to self-expression.”
The study was published in the Frontiers in Public Health.
