The Benefits of Arts and Crafts for Mental Health and Stress Relief:

Reduces Stress:

Getting out of the house and doing something creative helps reduce stress. Whether you’re painting with numbers, wood crafting, or diamond painting, it is a great way to get your mind off of things that are bothering you and allow yourself time to relax and unwind.

Art therapy can be an excellent alternative to more formal treatment and can be useful for a wide range of patients. Psychiatric patients who suffer from memory issues can use scrapbooking and collage-making as an activity to reaffirm their identity and remember things that were important to them.

Increases Creativity:

Art is a creative outlet that helps people positively express their feelings. It can also help to decrease anxiety, depression, and stress.

Research has shown that creativity can increase self-esteem and build confidence in both kids and adults. It can also improve problem-solving skills and encourage flexible thinking.

In addition, creative activities like painting and drawing help to release difficult emotions in a meaningful way. They can even be a great way to process trauma and difficult life experiences.

Increases Self-Esteem:

Arts and crafts can boost self-esteem because they provide a boost in the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is known for its ability to reduce feelings of depression. Additionally, completing a craft project gives kids a sense of accomplishment, which is another way that art can increase self-esteem.

In one study, participants who spent 45 minutes creating art showed lower levels of cortisol — the hormone that's associated with stress — in their saliva. That may be because crafting allows the mind to focus on a task and forget about concerns, which is how we lower our stress.

For psychiatric patients, scrapbooking and collage-making can help them form moments that are important to them while reaffirming their identity. Performing these activities also helps them feel less alone as their illness blurs their sense of self.