Cultivating Gratitude Through Knitting and Crocheting: A Daily Practice for Mental Well Being

A Daily Practice For Mental Well-Being:

So many of us live in a world with a thousand screens around us to distract us, to take away from the importance of the simple things in life. I’ve been thinking about knitting and crocheting, as a way of practicing gratitude. I stumbled across an incredible website dedicated to the subject, from UC Berkley, which has an entire department devoted to the subject. Here’s the link if that interests you at all. There are amazing articles, and some great podcasts to check out here.

(I want to make it very clear that I am not a doctor, I am not a mental health professional or a scientist-legal disclaimer)

Over the last year, I’ve taken the approach that if I don’t care for my mental health, the rest of my life falls apart. I can only pour from a cup that isn’t empty.

Each day, I start with a few moments of gratitude after the coffee has brewed, the wood stove is filled, the dogs let out, and the sun has yet to rise. I have integrated a 20-minute meditative knitting practice, that has, for me, improved my focus, my optimism, and my overall mood throughout the day.

During this time, I knit something easy, with nothing to count, just the ebb and flow of each stitch, I take mental note of 10 things that I am grateful for, simple or complex. For example, one thing from this morning’s gratitude session was, I was thankful that I could sip hot coffee while seeing the sun creep up.

I repeat this for 20 minutes before bed as well, asking myself an important question, “What made your soul happy today?” I often will jot down the most important ones in my knitting journal.

I’ve kept a knitting journal for a long time, and it’s always nice to look back through it when I am having a day of strife, or a moment where I can’t see my path forward.

Do any of you practice “gratitude”? Have you implemented it into your crafting or knitting routine? Let us know in the comments section. I would love to hear if gratitude has helped you as well.

Today I am grateful for these three things, Rosie my dog, had her 3-week post-surgery check-up, and she’s doing great! I’m grateful to be able to watch our chickens enjoy the nearly uncovered grass outside our studio window, I am also grateful for each of you.