I recently recorded an episode of ‘The Adversity Psychologist Podcast’ with Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo. Our conversation turned to the concept of mental health microgains, and it dawned on me that knitting is a perfect example and illustration of the power of microgains.
What are mental health microgains?
The concept of microgains originated in the world of professional sport, in which athletes focus on making tiny incremental changes, which all contribute to an improvement in their overall performance. In their book ‘Mental Health Microgains’, Psychologists Dr Emma Cotterill and Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo suggest small manageable steps that you can do every day to make a positive difference to your mental health. I am sure we all have experienced making grand plans to engage in new habits that will be helpful to our mental health: a New Year’s resolution to go running 3 times a week or a plan to journal every day. So often we either feel too overwhelmed to know where to start, or struggle to keep them going after the first flush of enthusiasm wears off. The idea of microgains is to overcome these barriers, by making the actions small, quick and therefore achievable and sustainable.
How knitting is the perfect mental health microgain – the accessibility and portability of knitting
While there are many hobbies that can help us to feel relaxed, creative and give us a sense of achievement, the key feature of a microgain is that it is quick, easy and achievable. One of the unique benefits of knitting is that it is accessible, portable and possible to do in very small increments. The fact that I can bring my knitting project with me in my bag, means that I can access its feel-good benefits while I am on the bus to work, or waiting for a dental appointment. Even if I only have 5 minutes, I can quickly and easily add a few stitches to my project. Betsan Corkhill identifies ‘portability’ as one of the key features described in the research about why knitting is therapeutic.
Even brand new knitters can make progress relatively quickly. Like those who attended the workshops we ran in December – they all left with the ability to master the knit stitch, and with two sticks and some yarn were able to continue their knitting journey.
What is the aim of a mental health microgain?
Cotterill and Quinn-Cirillo have identified 10 different aims of mental health microgains, suggesting a series of actions to meet each of those needs. Of course knitting cannot and should not be relied on to meet all our mental health needs. However, it was striking to me how many of these boxes could be checked by knitting. Knitting is particularly well suited to 7 of these aims:
1. Mindful microgains
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your attention to the present moment without judgement. The mental health benefits of mindfulness are well documented. Nevertheless, many of us find it difficult to do it on a regular basis! Many of the knitters I have interviewed have spoken about struggling to access standard mindfulness or meditation. However, knitting allows them to access a similar sensation of bringing their attention into the present moment, perhaps because the movement anchors their attention more effectively. James McIntosh spoke about coining the term ‘Knititation’ which he uses to describe the meditative feeling he gets when knitting. Even though he has struggled with formal meditation,he intentionally sits and knits mindfully every morning.
Other knitters have spoken about having ‘busy brains’. Knitting something complicated can shift the focus of their busy brain onto a complex knitting pattern. The wonderful thing about knitting is that each knitter can choose a project of the exact complexity that works for them. Just a few minutes of knitting can help to bring focus into the present.
2. Microgains for grounding
Many knitters talk about feeling that knitting grounds them. Many of the grounding exercises we use as psychologists focus on using the senses to anchor us in the present. Knitters have spoken about the tactile nature of their knitting project helping to ground them. As LJ described knitting can be like a ‘security blanket’ that she carries around with her. Others of us enjoy the smell of a really ‘sheepy’ yarn, or observing the subtle colour changes in the fibres we knit with.
I know that when I am apprehensive about something I’m doing, I feel better if I bring my knitting. Recently I was giving a presentation online and knitted a few stitches before the presentation began to help ground me. Having my knitting warming my lap also helped me to feel grounded throughout.
3. Compassionate microgains
It might not seem immediately obvious that knitting is a way to access compassion. However, many knitters have spoken about this as a self-compassionate act. In devoting time to clothing ourselves we are meeting one of our very basic needs. Whitney Swinimer (Why I Knit Podcast S7, E5) spoke about how knitting her own clothes that fit her, in colours that she loves, has allowed her to love the body she has, rather than feel that she is restricted to the plus-size clothes available in shops.
I also feel that being a knitter has allowed me to grow my self-compassion. It gives me a lot of practice at making mistakes! Knitting has provided me with a low-stakes playground for trying things out and getting things wrong. In knitting, unlike many other areas of our lives, you can almost always undo the mistakes and have another go. This experience has allowed me to practice being more accepting of my own mistakes. I have found this has spread to other areas of my life where I have been able to have a more compassionate response when things go wrong.
4. Microgains to rest
Many knitters have spoken about how knitting allows them to access rest, even if this is only in small increments. Staci Perry of Very Pink Knits spoke about finding it difficult to sit down and rest. But when she is knitting it “seat belts” her to her chair. Her desire to knit enables her to sit down and rest.
Knitters also frequently speak about knitting allowing their brain to rest in a way that ‘doing nothing’ doesn’t. Nasreen Imrit noticed that sitting and watching TV didn’t allow her brain to switch off. However, focusing her attention on her knitting or crochet allowed her brain to access rest and relaxation. I particularly valued this when working on my first knitting project while studying for exams (see pic below). Switching from my studies which were heavily taxing the verbal and analytical areas of my brain, to instead focusing on the movements of my hands helped me immeasurably to access rest in short bursts throughout the day.
5. Social connection microgains
One of the most common themes to emerge in research about how knitting can benefit our mental health is in connecting us to others. This can happen through enabling us to access new communities in person and online, but also in allowing us to connect to our friends and family by knitting for them, or sharing these skills with them.
How do we make these into micrograins? One of my top tips that I give new knitters is to ‘show and tell’ about their adventures in knitting. Most of us can think of someone to whom we could text a quick ‘in progress’ picture to for some positive feedback. And if we can’t, this is a way in which Instagram really can be used for good! There will always be enthusiastic knitters to cheer you on your journey, or who also get excited about finding exactly the ‘right’ shade of blue yarn for your next project. Some of my young therapy clients have spoken about taking their new knitting project home and showing their grandparents who are also knitters and sharing this new skill with them.
Even if all we are doing is adding a few stitches to a project, if this is a gift for a loved one, we can feel connected to them merely through the love and care we are knitting into each stitch. I particularly identified with this during Covid 19 when my friends and I were unable to have our annual weekend away, and I was missing them. I channelled these feelings into knitting each of them a hat (or some mittens for Heather who doesn’t do hats).
6. Purposeful action microgains
Giving us a sense of achievement is a key way in which knitting benefits our mental health. The brilliant thing about knitting is that you can get that in teeny tiny increments. Many other creative pursuits require a bit more set-up. I get my sewing machine out a lot less often than my knitting needles for this reason! However. knitting can be done with just a few minutes, with all stitches making progress towards a bigger goal.
Unlike many other aspects of modern life, knitting results in a visible and tangible demonstration of our progress. Even if it is made a few stitches at a time, we can see them contributing to the bigger goal. In addition, knitting can result in a useful end product. Many of the knitters I have interviewed have spoken about the importance of knitting allowing them to feel useful by creating items of clothing for themselves and others.
7. Microgains about you
One of the main reasons I continue to knit on a daily basis is because I love to have a creative outlet, and to have a project where the sole purpose is for ‘play’. It’s an endeavour that isn’t related to my work and allows me to express myself in a different way. In just a few minutes of knitting, I can reconnect with a more creative part of my identity, by choosing the next colour in my knitting project, or selecting the next pattern.
One of the things that most surprised me when I began to knit garments and not just accessories was that it gave me a new outlet for self-expression. Wearing clothes I had made myself made me feel more ‘me’. The jumper could be the exact colour, pattern, length and fit that I have chosen. And there won’t be another one exactly the same anywhere in the world. And when I wear my handknit sweater, sometimes people give me compliments on how clever, patient or creative I am. So my knitting-related microgain could also be putting on a sweater that I have made myself. This reminds me of being skillful enough to make an item of clothing from two sticks and a ball of wool.
Knitting is also the perfect metaphor for mental health microgains
Knitting is also a brilliant metaphor for the power of small incremental gains and how they contribute to the whole. All knitted items are made up of tens, hundreds and often thousands of tiny stitches. All of them quick and simple and none of them are more important than the other. A series of tiny building blocks that come together to make something that could keep you warm for decades.
Being someone who knits on a daily basis is a constant reminder of the power of small actions. Every time I have a few minutes to myself and choose to pick up my knitting needles (rather than scrolling my phone) I am reminded of the power of microgains. Each one of those tiny stitches gets me closer to my goal. If that can be true of knitting, it can also be true for mental health. Even small actions can add up to make important changes.
References
Betsan Corkhill’s Knitting Equation
James McIntosh on the Why I Knit podcast
LJ of Rusty Ferret Yarn on the Why I Knit podcast
Dr Nasreen Imrit on the Why I Knit podcast