Embroidery Therapy... and You
Embroidery
Art for Stress
Long gone are the days when the women of the house ended their day with a spot of mending or embroidery, by a warm fire; the days when clothes were sewn at home and embellished and mended.
Today, mindfulness is having its moment. In the fast-paced, technological world extreme stress is not new to young or old and most of us deal with it, and the ailments that accompany it mostly through drugs.
However, in many areas of the globe; treatments such as art therapy, music therapy, and now, embroidery therapy is making inroads as a way to relieve stress. The ability to relax at these most stressful times of life is indeed a positive attribute to cultivate.
Embroidery Therapy... a New Thing?
In some ways, the matriarchs of yesteryear had it right though they didn’t know it as the word stress was not yet invented.
Sewing to aid psychological trauma is not a new thing. First world war veterans in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand practiced needlework as a form of therapy for shell shock. The soldiers called embroidery “fancy work” and embroidered subject matter from rural landscapes to flags, and decorative pieces for their parents or sweethearts.
Soldiers found such solace in practicing embroidery that an entire organization was set up to help disabled veterans return to the workforce by producing domestic and luxury textiles. The Disabled Soldiers’ Embroidery Industry was in operation between 1918 and 1955.
Today, stitching is at least a hobby, at most a career, and always a passion. It fulfills us creatively and is a means to a beautiful end. But the journey – the making – can benefit us all in ways we wouldn’t imagine.
“As a society, we are so burnt out, we need to release our anxiety but we also feel that we need to have something to show for that. Crafts like embroidery enable us to zone out and tap into something good for us. It connects you with something tribal and instinctive.” says psychologist Emma Kenny.
How Embroidery Can Help You
It reduces anxiety. Taking time to look at and appreciate a pleasing piece of embroidery, can help manage and reduce anxiety.
It alleviates stress. The act of embroidering a project can release neurotransmitters that promote joy and well-being while reducing stress hormones.
A study conducted by the Home Sewing Association found that those doing embroidery have lower blood pressure and a decreased heart rate.
It keeps your brain healthy. Communicative and spatial practices such as embroidery are important for the development, maintenance, and repair of the brain.
It helps the brain recover from injury. It re-establishes neuro pathways and improves brain plasticity in stroke victims.
It lets you be mindful. Mindfulness, defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment; thought to create a feeling of calm”. Embroidery can help us employ mindfulness, keeping us in the present moment by quietening the parts of the brain concerned with generating negative emotions.
It builds confidence. Completed embroidery projects can generate feelings of accomplishment, helping build self-confidence.
It lets you express yourself. While some people sing and others dance. Embroiderers find their self-expression in their embroidery.
It is a form of art therapy. Explore yourself through artistic practice and safely explore the emotions, memories, and ideas your work kindles. And...
It brightens up your home. A completed embroidery project can be used to decorate the home creating a more pleasing personal space, that contributes to a sense of joyful calm.
Embroidery
and Depression
Even if it’s just a few stitches a day, it’s progress. And progress goes hand in hand with growth, which means the unwelcome beasts of depression; exhaustion, inexplicable shame, or fear of stagnation to name a few, are chased away and replaced with a sense of purpose.
By making something – no matter how slowly, there’s a sense of development and movement. So when you hold something that you have made in your hand it is a symbol of value; Its toil in creating it is enough to start motivating you.
Embroidery Therapy and You
Even though the days of mending and embroidery by a warm fire are gone, with embroidery as an art form and therapy in the spotlight, its modern techniques, patterns, and benefits certainly outweigh its "out-of-fashion" status.
What is surprising too, is that today, this is an outlet not just for women. Anyone, male or female; needing relaxation from a stressful day at the office can create beautifully.
So take up your needle secure in the fact that in embroidering a pattern of your choice, you are not just creating something special; you are looking after your well-being too.
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