EILEEN ADLER

It may be the day to find our flow. “Flow,” it turns out, is a natural anti-depressant—care partners need self-care and so do our veterans.

“Flow,” Csikszentmihalyi says, “is the secret to happiness” – a statement he supports with decades of research. This “flow,” it turns out, is a natural anti-depressant.

I’m a knitter, learning to knit at my mother’s knee when I was a wee child of six. I remember the experience exquitely, never dreaming that those few compassionate moments would last a life time.  

“Knitting is confidence building,” Ms. Herring, a London knitwear designer and pattern author said. “Starting with two sticks and a bit of string or a crochet hook, you can create something beautiful.” Slowing down and watching a project grow stitch by stitch — however imperfectly — is the deeply satisfying part.

With fall upon us, it might be the perfect time to move our hobbies indoor and I cannot think of anything more satisfying than yarn crafts as they untangle my life’s challenges. Research is delving into the attributes of yarn crafts and hobbies as direct solutions to counterbalancing our busy and hectic lives.

From the comfort of your home*, you can order supplies, yarn, books, patterns, and craft your way through your storms. Studies covering other cognitive activities reflect similar positivity.

 *Please support your local craft stores.