4 Ways Needle Felting Can Improve Your Physical and Mental Health

It might be hard to believe, but did you know that needle felting can improve your physical and mental well-being? From reducing stress in your life to tackling chronic insomnia, there are many benefits to using your hands to do a craft like needle felting.

Here are four ways needle felting can improve your physical and mental well-being:

1. Needle felting can reduce stress

Did you know that stress is one of the leading causes of our health issues, especially in America? From causing physical discomforts like migraines to longterm and severe health conditions like heart failure, stress can take a severe toll on your physical health. Taking time out of your day to pick up a craft like needle felting (and turn off the TV, too!) can be viewed as a form of daily meditation, which will help you calm your mind and reduce stress and its harmful side effects on your body.

2. Crafting can reduce the risk of age-related memory loss

Countless studies have linked crafts like needle felting to reduced memory impairment. Not only can crafts provide a calming effect for those already experiencing dementia, but it also evokes memories, provides community, and reduces anxiety, all things that help postpone memory loss.

3. Needle felting provides a sense of community and belonging

Okay, get this — having friends is good for your immune system. We’re not kidding! This study found that having social support in the form of relationships and friendships will positively impact your cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and immune systems. Needle felting is a fantastic way to connect with people around you or make new friends over a shared hobby. Here at Bear Creek Felting, we’re passionate about providing a place and community for fellow felters to connect. If that sounds up your alley, check out our Needle Felting Academy, our online membership program full of resources, classes, and ways to connect with others!

4. Needle felting can help with insomnia and other sleep disorders

It’s time to put your phone away, turn the TV off, and wind down with some needle felting. If you struggle with insomnia, you know how awful it can be to try to fall asleep. Replacing screens with crafting might be worth a shot! This report sites a study by professor Herbert Benson of the Mind/Body Medical Institute, which “found that 100% of insomnia patients reported improved sleep with 90% being able to eliminate medication in a program that included
knitting.”

While needle felting has many incredible benefits for your mental and physical health, we know it can be hard to stop felting once you get started! With that said, we recommend that you also make sure you’re getting up frequently to stretch and move your body!
Interested in learning more about needle felting with Bear Creek Felting? Check out our EweTube channel, where we post special tips, tricks, and updates on our Nome Schoolhouse!