As a clinical psychologist who specialises in working with teenagers, I support many young people and their parents through revision and exams at this time of year. While it is tempting to press pause on life and focus only on study, my advice is not to give up your hobbies at exam time! Exams are a marathon, not a sprint. This is exactly when hobbies matter most, and knitting for exam stress can be a simple and effective strategy that might make navigating revision and exams a little bit easier.
I returned to knitting as an adult during my doctoral exams. After a visit to my mum, I went home with yarn, needles and a simple triangular shawl pattern in garter stitch. I quickly found that knitting was an ideal revision break. At the time, my revision involved writing analytical essays and grappling with complex statistics. In contrast, knitting drew my focus into small, steady hand movements. It engaged a different mental process and gave my tired mind a rest. This, in turn, helped me consolidate my learning and focus better.
The shawl was a helpful first project. It began with five stitches and grew gradually with increases on alternate rows. As the project expanded, so did my confidence. At the same time, knitting became a reliable source of calm. My attention was brought into the present moment by focusing on repetitive movements. As a result, I was less likely to get caught up in worry about my upcoming exams.
What makes knitting such a great exam-time hobby?
Knitting fits perfectly into short revision breaks
While many hobbies involve a commitment of several hours at a time, knitting is easy to pick up and put down in very small increments of time. This makes it perfect to fit into short revision breaks, when we might otherwise be tempted to pick up our phones and scroll. However unlike mobile phones, knitting doesn’t open up the possibility of seeing how much revision everyone else is doing, or all the fun our friends are having while we are cooped up revising.
Social media apps are designed to keep us hooked on the platform and lose track of time. But knitting is made up of frequent milestones that can give us a sense of achievement as well as the punctuation we need to prompt us to return to our studies. We can decide to knit one row, or to the end of a stripe before getting back to the books.
Knitting creates calm
Research tells us that knitters report feeling calmer and less anxious. We know that rhythmical repetitive movements can help to activate our autonomic nervous systems which helps us to feel calmer. In addition, research has found that knitting can reduce anxious thoughts which is a particularly helpful quality when we are preparing for exams. We know that bringing our attention to the present moment is an effective protection from being overwhelmed with anxious thoughts. This is particularly important when we are anticipating important exams. Getting overwhelmed with worry can paralyse us and prevent us from being able to prepare or perform to the best of our ability.
Knitting gives us a sense of achievement
When we are preparing for important exams, it can feel like they are all that matters. Having a simple knitting project to work on alongside our exam preparation can give us a sense of achievement completely unrelated to our academic performance. This reminds us that there is a life outside of the exams. If we are having a bad day of revision, or an exam goes badly, doing a few rows of knitting can give us the opportunity to remind ourselves of something that we are successful at.
Knitting can support attention and focus
Whilst knitting can help us cope with the stress around exams, it can also help us study better. Knitting can support studying in a range of ways, such as priming our attention, and activating the default mode network, which is important for consolidation of learning. There have been some fascinating research studies showing how 15-20 minute bursts of knitting or crochet can improve attention. You can find out more about how knitting can support attention and focus here. For a deep dive into this check out our webinar Knitting for Attention & Focus.
What if I am not a knitter?
If you aren’t a knitter and don’t think this is the right time to start, then don’t worry! Think about what activities you have enjoyed in the past. Is there something you did as a younger child that you could pick up again? The key features are simple. Choose something accessible, easy to pause, and absorbing enough to hold your attention. If it can also give you a sense of achievement, then that’s even better. This could be colouring, baking, cross-stitch or even playing a musical instrument.
Hobbies can help you survive exam season
Hobbies such as knitting can support you in numerous ways during exam season. Having dedicated time to rest is more important than ever during exam time. This prevents burnout and anxiety overwhelm, but also supports your brain to focus and consolidate your learning. So the next time you have an exam to prepare for, don’t forget to have your knitting needles nearby!
