Crochet Helped Heal My Anxiety — And How It Can Help You Too
.png)
Crochet Helped Heal My Anxiety — And How It Can Help You Too
.png)
Anxiety is something that lives quietly in the background of my life. Sometimes it whispers. Sometimes it screams. For years, I didn’t have the tools to calm it down. I didn’t even understand what was happening inside my body — I just knew that I felt on edge, overwhelmed, and like I could never fully relax.
Crochet changed that for me.
This isn’t just a story about yarn and hooks. It’s about survival. It’s about finding peace in the middle of chaos. It’s about taking something as simple as a granny square and turning it into a lifeline.
If you struggle with anxiety, I want you to know something: you deserve calm. You deserve peace. You deserve to feel proud of yourself. And sometimes healing starts with something as small and simple as a single stitch.
Growing Up in Chaos
I didn’t grow up in a peaceful environment.
I grew up poor. I grew up in a very unfriendly environment. I was surrounded by drugs and alcohol. I experienced things no child should ever have to see or go through. When you grow up in chaos, your nervous system learns to stay on high alert. You’re always scanning. Always bracing. Always waiting for the next thing to go wrong.
That kind of upbringing doesn’t just disappear when you turn 18.
It follows you.
As I got older, I noticed how deeply it shaped me. I didn’t like big crowds. Being around too many people made my chest feel tight. I struggled to trust others, so I chose not to form close friendships. Confrontation? It made my heart pound through my chest. My breathing would become shallow and fast. On the outside, I might look calm — but inside, I was screaming.
Anxiety isn’t always loud to other people. Sometimes it’s silent. Sometimes it’s just you fighting your own body.
All I wanted was peace.
The Early Gift of Crochet
I learned how to crochet when I was 12 years old.
Back then, I didn’t understand what a gift that was. It was just something I learned. Something to pass the time. Something creative.
But crochet planted a seed in me.
There was something about holding yarn in my hands. Something about the rhythm of hook and loop. Something about turning string into something useful, beautiful, tangible.
Even as a child in an unstable environment, crochet gave me a small sense of control. I couldn’t control what was happening around me, but I could control my stitches. I could make something.
And when you grow up feeling powerless, creating something with your own hands is powerful.
When Anxiety Took Over
As an adult, anxiety became harder to ignore.
Being a mom. Being a wife. Running a household. The constant responsibilities. The noise. The needs. The expectations.
I love my family deeply — but when you already live with anxiety, the constant “Mom, can you…” and “Hey, I need…” can feel like your nervous system never gets a break.
There were days my mind wouldn’t slow down. My body stayed tense. My thoughts raced. I felt overwhelmed to the point of shutting down.
I was told I needed to find something soothing. Something to help calm my anxiety. Something that could bring me back to center.
And that’s when I chose crochet again.
Picking Up the Hook Again
When I picked up my crochet hook as an adult, it felt like coming home.
I didn’t overthink it. I didn’t try to create anything complicated. I grabbed some yarn and started with something simple — a granny square. A throw blanket. Mindless repetition.
No pressure. No perfection.
Just stitch after stitch.
That’s when I noticed something.
My breathing slowed down.
My shoulders relaxed.
My thoughts weren’t racing as fast.
My body — which had been stuck in fight-or-flight mode for years — finally softened.
Crochet puts me in a calm phase. A grounded phase. A present phase.
And presence is something anxiety tries to steal from you.
Why Crochet Helps Anxiety (More Than You Realize)
What I didn’t know at first was that crochet isn’t just “a hobby.” It’s therapeutic in ways that are deeply rooted in how our brains and nervous systems work.
Here’s why crochet can help with anxiety:
1. Repetition Calms the Nervous System
Anxiety thrives on unpredictability.
Crochet is predictable.
The same motion. The same rhythm. Yarn over. Pull through. Repeat.
Repetitive hand movements activate the parasympathetic nervous system — the “rest and digest” system. The system responsible for calming your body down.
It’s similar to deep breathing or meditation, but instead of sitting still with your thoughts (which can feel impossible when you’re anxious), you’re doing something with your hands.
You’re moving.
You’re creating.
You’re calming yourself without even realizing it.
2. It Grounds You in the Present Moment
Anxiety pulls you into the “what ifs.”
What if something goes wrong?
What if someone is upset?
What if I fail?
What if I embarrass myself?
Crochet forces you into the now.
If you’re working on a granny square, you can’t be five years in the future. You’re counting stitches. You’re focusing on tension. You’re watching the pattern grow.
You are here.
And being present is powerful.
3. It Gives You Control in a World That Feels Out of Control
Growing up in chaos teaches you that things can shift at any moment. That stability isn’t guaranteed.
Crochet is stable.
If you follow the pattern, the stitches behave. If you mess up, you can undo it. You can fix it.
That alone is healing.
It teaches your brain: mistakes aren’t permanent. They can be corrected. You are capable.
For someone who grew up feeling powerless, that lesson matters deeply.
4. It Creates “No Responsibility” Time
One of the biggest things crochet gave me as an adult was something I didn’t realize I was starving for:
Time that belonged to me.
No kids asking for snacks.
No husband needing something.
No dishes.
No laundry.
No expectations.
Just me, my hook, my yarn, and maybe a 30-minute show or a crime documentary playing in the background (I’m a huge sucker for crime documentaries).
Those 30 minutes? They’re sacred.
They’re my unwind time. My reset time. My “no responsibility” time.
And when you’re constantly in caretaker mode, that kind of time is essential for mental health.
The Magic of Mindless Projects
When my anxiety is high, I don’t choose complicated patterns.
I choose mindless.
Granny squares.
Simple blankets.
Repetitive stitches.
Things I don’t have to think about.
Because sometimes, anxiety is caused by thinking too much.
Overanalyzing.
Overplanning.
Overworrying.
Crochet lets me not think.
It lets me just do.
And in that space of “just doing,” my body relaxes in ways it doesn’t during any other activity.
Creativity as Emotional Release
Something beautiful started happening the more I crocheted again.
My creativity woke up.
Ideas would randomly pop into my head — stitch combinations, color changes, new designs. When I’m in the zone and creativity starts pouring out of me, that’s when I feel most like myself.
That’s when I feel expressed.
That’s when I feel free.
Crochet didn’t just calm my anxiety — it reconnected me to the creative side of myself that had been buried under stress and survival mode.
Anxiety can shrink you.
Creativity expands you.
And crochet gave me expansion.
The Pride That Comes With Finishing Something
There’s something incredibly powerful about finishing a crochet project.
You start with nothing but yarn.
And then suddenly — there’s a blanket.
A hat.
A granny square.
A finished piece.
And you made it.
For someone who grew up in instability, that sense of completion matters. It builds confidence in small, quiet ways.
It says:
You can start something.
You can stick with it.
You can finish it.
You can create beauty.
I am always proud of myself when I finish something. And that’s something everyone should feel.
Everyone deserves to feel proud of themselves.
The Physical Shift I Noticed
Since I began crocheting again consistently, I’ve noticed something that feels almost unbelievable:
My body relaxes.
I don’t stay wound up all day.
My mind doesn’t race as much.
I can slow down.
I can breathe.
That constant overwhelm — the kind that feels like you’re about to explode or shut down — softened.
Not overnight.
But gradually.
Because I started taking time out of the day just for me.
And rooting down into myself — focusing on me — changed everything.
Anxiety Is Exhausting
Nobody wants to feel the way anxiety makes you feel.
The pounding heart.
The shallow breathing.
The tension.
The fear that doesn’t always make sense.
The avoidance.
The mistrust.
The mental noise.
Anxiety is exhausting.
It steals joy.
It steals presence.
It steals connection.
But healing doesn’t always have to come in huge dramatic breakthroughs.
Sometimes it comes in quiet stitches.
If You Struggle With Anxiety, Here’s What I Want You to Know
If you need something to do with your hands…
If you need a hobby to help you relax…
If your mind won’t slow down…
If confrontation makes your chest tight…
If crowds overwhelm you…
If you just want peace…
Try crochet.
Not because it’s trendy.
Not because it’s productive.
Not because you need to sell anything.
But because it can be yours.
It can be your quiet.
Your reset.
Your creative outlet.
Your breathing exercise.
Your grounding practice.
You don’t have to make anything complicated.
Start with a simple square.
Start with a small swatch.
Start with a chain.
It’s not about perfection.
It’s about presence.
You Deserve Peace
Crochet has helped me in ways I can’t fully put into words.
It gave me calm.
It gave me control.
It gave me creativity.
It gave me pride.
It gave me space.
It gave me me.
When I’m crocheting, fully in the zone, that’s when I feel most like myself. That’s when I feel expressed through my art. That’s when my nervous system isn’t screaming.
That feeling? It’s amazing.
And you deserve that too.
Everyone deserves calm.
Everyone deserves peace.
Everyone deserves to feel proud of themselves.
If anxiety has been running your life, maybe it’s time to pick up a hook and see what happens.
One stitch at a time.
You might be surprised at how something so simple can help you finally breathe again. 🖤
please note that I am not a doctor. this is just my personal story and what has helped me. if you are struggling with anxiety or any form of mental health, please speak to a doctor to get the help you may need.
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment