In this post, I’ll explore how knitting for overthinking can help you calm your thoughts, ground yourself, and find focus again.
What is overthinking?
The most common reason for me to bring knitting into my therapy sessions is when my clients are struggling with overthinking. Overthinking, also known as rumination, is the repetitive, usually negative stream of thoughts that go around and around in your head. These thoughts can sometimes escalate into even bigger worries.
They can take up a huge amount of time and space in our minds, often out of proportion to the issue itself. Worry can sometimes be helpful. For example, if we’re worried we haven’t prepared for a job interview, that worry might spur us into action and encourage us to do the work.
However, overthinking tends to focus on things that have already happened and can’t be changed, or things that may or may not happen and are outside of our control. In these cases, thinking the same thought over and over again only adds to our distress.
How can I stop overthinking?
Once we’ve recognised that our thoughts aren’t helping, the next step is to interrupt the cycle and shift our attention away from them. This is where bringing our attention into the present moment can really help.
As psychologists, we have a range of mindfulness and grounding techniques we can teach to clients. The real challenge, though, is encouraging people to actually try them, or to stick with them long enough to feel the benefit.
This can be especially difficult if we’re well-practised at overthinking. Our brains naturally return to these familiar patterns, and it takes effort to interrupt them. If we only remember to practise grounding exercises when we’re already feeling anxious, it will be even harder to stick with them.
It’s a bit like trying to learn a new language while running late for work. Not exactly ideal conditions for focus! But if you’d been practising your Spanish a few times a week when calm and relaxed, you’d probably recall a few sentences even under stress. The same applies to grounding exercises. They’re most effective when we practise them regularly, not just in moments of distress.
How does knitting help with overthinking?
This is where knitting for overthinking comes in. Most of us don’t learn to knit as a mental health strategy. We start because we want to make something or learn a new skill. Then, along the way, we discover the benefits of the process itself.
Because we’ve already practised knitting, our hands often know what to do when we feel stressed. We’re also far more likely to stick with something that feels enjoyable and purposeful than something we’re “supposed” to do because it’s good for us. So if knitting is something we already love, the mental health benefits are an added bonus.
Many of us also find it easier to bring our focus into the present moment when we’re doing something physical, something that gives our attention a hook. When I’m working with someone who’s struggling with overthinking, I often share how knitting can help. It’s made up of simple, repetitive actions that need just enough mental focus to interrupt overthinking. These actions bring our attention to a neutral or even pleasant activity.
Knitting for overthinking as a simple mindful practice
Many of the knitters I’ve interviewed for my podcast say they’re terrible at mindfulness or meditation. Yet knitting gives them a similar feeling – a quick way to focus on the present and feel calm and grounded.
Marceline of Hey BrownBerry, for example, spoke about having a “busy brain.” She said that when she picks up her knitting needles, she redirects that busy energy into something she enjoys.
However, knitting isn’t the only activity that can help with overthinking. Some of my teenage clients have no interest in knitting. But they can usually find something similar that gives them the same effect: baking, cooking, Lego, or jigsaw puzzles.
The problem is that activities like these, knitting included, are often seen as small or frivolous hobbies. Many people dismiss them as things that couldn’t possibly help with mental health. Even when they notice they feel better afterwards, they often overlook the idea of using these activities intentionally to manage overthinking.
In my work as a psychologist, the goal is usually to find the easiest option to do regularly – the one with the fewest barriers. Sometimes we create a list of simple activities so clients can choose what feels manageable in that moment.
For those of us who already knit, we have a superpower at our fingertips.
Four reasons why knitting can be the perfect antidote to overthinking
1. Knitting is accessible and portable
Most people can learn the basics of knitting in under an hour, which makes it an affordable and accessible activity. Within a few sessions, you can start to notice the benefits of focusing your attention on one stitch after another.
Knitting is also portable, so we can access its rumination-busting powers almost anywhere. That’s something you can’t do with baking a cake or a jigsaw puzzle. Many of my clients notice their anxious thoughts are worst at night, when the distractions of the day are gone. Knitting can be done in bed, without a screen, and without being so stimulating that it keeps you awake.
2. You can match the project to your focus level
Unlike many other activities, knitting is varied. Because projects are small, we can have several on the go at once.
This means that whether we’re tired and need something simple, or want to keep our brain busy with something more complex, there’s always a project that fits. Even experienced knitters can find patterns that demand full concentration. These projects help to pull our busy minds into the present moment.
3. Knitting is a safe place to try things out
If we’re prone to overthinking, we might avoid trying new things because we fear getting them wrong. We may also worry about what others will think. Imagine going to a yoga class and comparing your poses to everyone else’s – it’s easy to start criticising yourself.
Knitting, by contrast, can be done alone in the comfort of your home. It’s a gentle, private activity that requires focus but not performance.
If you make a mistake, it can almost always be unravelled and fixed. Over time, those small mistakes become opportunities to practise self-compassion. Many experienced knitters become experts at handling errors. That ability to forgive ourselves often spreads into other areas of life too.
4. Knitting turns self-criticism into self-efficacy
People who overthink often struggle with self-critical thoughts. These thoughts usually fall into two categories: replaying something that’s already happened (self-criticism) or worrying about something that might happen (anxiety).
Knitting can be a brilliant antidote to both. Each stitch you create is tangible proof of your ability to make something, and a reminder of how knitting can connect us to our values and sense of purpose. Every finished row reinforces a sense of achievement and competence – what psychologists call self-efficacy, the belief that we can succeed.
So knitting doesn’t just distract from overthinking. It helps to build confidence and self-trust, gently shifting our focus from self-criticism to self-efficacy.
A gentle way to quiet the mind
Next time you find yourself caught in overthinking, try picking up your knitting needles for a few minutes. Choose a project that feels right for the moment — something that requires enough focus to engage you, but not so much that it feels frustrating. You can read more about how knitting can give you permission to rest and relax here.
Check in with yourself and notice whether it’s helping. You might find a different project works better next time.
Hopefully, knitting can offer a gentle way to refocus your attention away from your thoughts and into your stitches.
