The art of chronic illness (part 2)

This blog continues on from my part one of The art of chronic illness. My second art form that helps chronic illness is sewing. 

Sewing has helped me feel a sense of accomplishment on the days I can't leave my apartment due to illness. As a kid I was taught the basics of sewing and I remember having a second hand sewing machine from the 80's. In 2019 my ex bought me a sewing machine and I was instantly hooked! I love the process of having an image of a garment and going through the process of making the image come to life. 

I didn't know sewing had health benefits. Sewing requires the ability to focus on one creation at a time therefore, exercising the brain cells ability to function better prevents them from dying off. 

Health benefits and the psychology of sewing 

Stress relief: sewing acts as a relaxation tool through the body lowering your blood pressure. When your sewing time ceases to exist you lose focus on how your body feels, and other stressors you have in your life. Sewing can be tactile resulting in a positive sensory experience, by different fabric textures, and the rhythmic motion of the needle and thread movement. Sewing can help balance life by improving mood and overall well-being. 

Improves hand-eye coordination: While sewing you need to make deliberate movements with your hands and eyes, guiding the needle and thread through the fabric or operating a sewing machine with accuracy. You're training your brain and body to work more efficiently together. Sewing helps getting back to normalcy after injuries or illness, such as the effects of a stroke or back pain or injury.

Enhances mental agility. Sewing improves brain involvement because sewing uses the brain through different calculations and thinking critically about the best approach to assembling your project. Sewing also encourages problem solving skills by changing patterns to make them fit either on the person or the dressmaking model, fixing problems with your sewing machine and finding the best ways to join fabrics while working on a project. Overcoming these obstacles requires creativity and resourcefulness making the mind stronger, mastering sewing techniques and skills contributing to an increased mindset.

Encourages mindfulness: mindfulness is defined as the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. Sewing improves focus and makes it easier to deal with difficult emotions. As you become immersed in a sewing project you can feel positive vibes, a sense of happiness, personal satisfaction and overall well-being.

A source of resilience: Problem solving pattern instructions, making adjustments to the garment and fixing problems of the sewing machine improves your patience. That's a part of building resilience. Developing resilience through sewing has a positive impact on other areas of your life and be adaptable through health challenges. While working on a sewing project, you have to make a lot of creative directions. From choosing the right fabrics, colours and patterns to imagining the final design and making changes along the way. Participating in these creative activities can help you find and develop your own style. As you become more comfortable with sewing you start to experiment with different fabrics, repurpose old garments and create entirely new one-of-a-kind pieces. Some projects you can think outside the box and solve problems in innovative ways, developing a more adaptable mindset, which can be beneficial in other areas of life. You can have a positive impact on your overall well-being.

Be proud of your creations can and stand out of the crowd! Sewing allows me a creative expression and does the talking for me!