Handmade gifts are so special and amazing. As crocheters, as makers/crafters/artists, we put a little piece of our heart and soul into everything we make. It’s only natural we want to share that with our loved ones, and holidays with a special focus on gift-giving are a great opportunity to do that. (We celebrate Christmas so that’s what I’ll be focusing on for this article, but the advice applies to any holiday or event that you feel pressure to crochet for.)
Every year I go through the same process. I start thinking about what to make as Christmas gifts for next year before this year’s Christmas is even over. I want to. So much. But I have an anxiety disorder.
As the year moves on and other projects take precedent, I don’t start anything for Christmas. I feel it creeping up on me. July comes and I know if I start then I can manage it. I don’t. October comes and the pressure begins to set in. If I start then it might be ok. I don’t. November shows up and I actually start to panic for real. I try to pep talk myself. I try to convince myself I’m superwoman (I’m not). But maybe if I just stay up late. Maybe if I just crochet through meals or bath time or play time or… or… or…
This happens pretty much every year. It’s overwhelming and stressful. So I came up with a really simple formula for crocheting for the holidays with an anxiety disorder.
Step 1:
I don’t.
The end.
That’s it. Really. I just don’t crochet gifts for the holidays. For me, personally, the stress is too much. The pressure is overwhelming. And crochet is where I go to get away from stress and pressure and the everyday overwhelm of my anxiety. So, I chose not to taint my crochet time by making it the source of those feelings rather than a respite from them.
A couple years ago I did do some crocheting for Christmas. I made some simple baubles. But they were manageable. Everybody got the same thing. I could crochet them up quickly. And if they weren’t loved by the recipients, I wasn’t worried, because it was just a bauble. And, truthfully… I just barely got them in the mail in time to go on trees. It still ended up being pretty stressful and a reminder of why I don’t do this to myself.
Of course, I know that everyone’s circumstances are different. I happen to be in a position where I don’t need to come up with a lot of gifts this year. That does make it easier for me to say ‘no.’ The point is, don’t be too hard on yourself. And don’t make things harder on yourself than they need to be. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by holiday crocheting, it’s ok to take a step back and reevaluate what really needs to get done and what you really want to do. Free yourself to cut out the crocheting that doesn’t bring you joy.
IT’S OKAY. I repeat… IT’S OKAY!
Do what you can. Do what makes you happy. Do what keeps you healthy.
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