Hanging out on your bed or sitting around a dining hall table with friends, everyone’s joking, debating, or doing homework. You obviously like your friends and want to be there, but something still feels off. The laughter feels forced, the conversation moves too fast, and you can’t even fathom getting out your Shakespeare to start your homework.
I’ve been there too – that strange sense of dullness when nothing in your day-to-day life is really out of the ordinary. At a boarding school, people will tell you it’s inevitable to feel stuck or suffocated, and it’s easy to blame Taft’s rigorous schedule. I’ve found that sometimes what helps isn’t another 3 pm nap, but instead using your hands.
I know, I know, we use our hands every day. However, I’m talking specifically about crafting. Over the years, I’ve taught myself to knit, crochet, needlepoint, sketch, paint – you name it, I’ve probably tried it. Taking the time to learn a new skill and mindfully create has significantly improved my mental health, providing me with space to relax and recharge.
And you don’t need to be an “artsy” person to benefit. Just think back to those weekly elementary school art classes or the friendship bracelet station at summer camp; crafting has always been a key component to healthy learning and unwinding. And it turns out that my positive experience is not a one-off – science agrees.
A study of over 7,000 participants in the UK found that engaging in creative activities can significantly boost mental health. Study leader and cognitive psychologist Helen Keyes told Frontiers, “Crafting and other artistic activities showed a meaningful effect in predicting people’s sense that their life is worthwhile.”
Crafting has been shown to lower stress and anxiety, improve confidence, sharpen mental agility, and even improve motor skills. Keyes also highlighted that crafting offers a unique sense of achievement and self-expression. Its impact, she found, was “bigger than the impact of being in employment.” But let’s be honest: I’m sure some of our working readers will agree that an abundance of self-expression is not always the case in the office.
At Taft, crafting has never been so easy. You don’t need to be an art student to start using your hands, though Taft offers an incredible array of art classes available to each student to fulfill their art requirement. Just grab a coloring book, some markers, and your favorite playlist. Pick up some knitting needles and yarn to make a beanie, scarf, or socks for the chilly holiday season. You can also grab a friend and a seat on the comfy library couches, where they offer coloring printouts and colored pencils. Even a mini “Grow Your Own” plant kit from Walgreens can do wonders. From experience, I can tell you there’s something surprisingly rewarding about seeing new sprouts on your windowsill.
Also, don’t overlook your family. Have a chat with your mother or grandmother; they might know how to knit and would be ecstatic to pass down the tradition. That’s how I, and many others, learned how to knit. It’s no coincidence that crafting is part of our childhood classrooms and, later, is associated with our grandmas. Crafting bridges generations and offers the rare opportunity to spend time alone that doesn’t feel lonely. Crafting lets you recharge, reflect, and rediscover a slower-paced joy. One pro tip: Make sure you keep an eye on the clock. Once you start, you may look up to find that hours have passed since you sat down, and friends are wondering where you are…
