Through the Mind and Hands to Health

I am an Occupational Therapist and the phrase “Through Mind and Hands to Health” has been a slogan for our profession. It is meant to reflect the idea that doing things that have purpose for you and that you enjoy, has healing qualities.

When people are incapacitated in some way and cannot engage in their usual activities, they can start to feel bored and without purpose, which may lead to decreased physical and mental health. It has been known since the 1700s that when the ill and infirmed engage in enjoyable activities, within their mental and physical capacities, they seem to become stronger more quickly and their mood brightens. The focus of Occupational Therapy has been to engage people in purposeful activities and help them return to full and productive lives.

When people were engaged in activities such as leather work, ceramics, or yarn crafts, therapists could make good assessment observations of their strength, coordination and skill as well as their ability to organize their thoughts, plan, problem solve and persist with tasks.

Our modern times have taken many of us away from working with our hands, but I love my crafts! I enjoy cross-stitch, knitting, crochet, and have recently added sewing/quilting to my list.

Some of these activities help to calm me at the end of a long day. Some are my barometer of my frustration tolerance and if I am overwhelmed or anxious.

This helps me balance my anxiety and mood. When I finish any of my projects I have a sense of accomplishment and I am pleased when others admire the work.

Some of the projects also serve as a good brainteaser. Sorting out the math behind a lovely sewing project or figuring out a new pattern can be quite a challenge.

Frustration can be hard, but crafts teach you to use skills to overcome these feelings…. skills that you can use in your daily life too when you feel frustrated. Also, when you solve the puzzle and your project turns out the sense of accomplishment makes you feel empowered.

I know that my hobbies are not for everyone. My husband, who has watched me do my projects and has seen the benefit they offer me, has recently taken up wood-working. He has created some wonderful sculpture! His activity gets him outside, offers a creative outlet for a guy in a desk job and offers him immediate gratification for work that many people admire. Nice balance.

Try picking up a new project and see if you learn something about yourself.

Through Mind and Hands to Health.

This article was written by Paula Frappier B.Sc.O.T. community education coordinator, Homewood Health Centre. The “Open Mind” column is sponsored by community partners who are committed to raising awareness about mental health, reducing stigma and providing information about resources that can help. Contact aheeley@cmhawwd.ca. For local mental health resources / information, visit www.communitytorchlight.com or call 1-844-HERE247.