It is coming up on the 1 year anniversary of the start of quarantine, and what better way to “celebrate” than to reminisce on the hobbies this year-long prison sentence has brought us. For me, personally, it was knitting. To be fair, I did not start knitting until almost November, but the hobby is still something I claim as a quarantine project.
The idea of just fidgeting with my hands white looking down and having a creation lay before me is something that leaves me in awe every time I knit. Knitting has improved my ability to focus. In the past, when I would sit down to watch a movie, I would not be able to immerse myself into the movie long enough to understand or enjoy it. But when I knit, anything is possible.
I can sit and watch an entire season of Criminal Minds, look down, and there is another 3 inches worth of scarf in my lap. This applies to other tasks in my life as well. Talking, paying attention class, listening to audiobooks, and listening to music are now much more enjoyable while I knit.
The reasoning behind this seems to be because of attention regulation. People with ADHD do better cognitively whilst fidgeting or doing some other form of body activity. The definition of fidgeting can vary among people, but according to the Webster Dictionary, fidgeting is described as, “uneasiness or restlessness as shown by nervous movements —usually used in plural.” This means that people like me who are diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, or any other type of chronic restlessness is prone to fidgeting.
In other words, fidgeting helps my wandering mind by giving my body something to do while my brain focuses on what needs to be heard and processed. My fidget of choice is knitting because it keeps me productive while also being a repetitive motion that I can do subconsciously. I’d recommend taking up the hobby if you are one to wiggle and worm in class or during a movie. It is quiet, does not distract others, and you get a neat little garment out of it.