Learning the skill of pottery can support people with mental health problems

The science behind the mindful benefits of pottery

Taking up pottery can produce wonderful results – both physically and mentally

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. However, it has undeniably negative effects on a person’s mental and physical health. Stress has many effects on the body including raised blood pressure and spiked cortisol levels. It is essential for one’s longevity and wellbeing to combat stress and we all have our own methods, whether it is a yoga class, a Sunday morning jog or a post-work pint.

Pottery is rarely the first activity that springs to mind when discussing mindfulness and stress reduction. However, the cathartic nature of working with clay and the stress-relieving benefits that can be derived from it is extremely beneficial. While meditation is an excellent way to clear your mind and relieve stress pottery allows one to harness their creativity while they declutter their headspace.

The practice of pottery and mindfulness has been shown to:

💭 Reduce anxiety

💭 Lower blood pressure

💭 Increase focus

💭 Enhance mood

In this sense, pottery could even be considered a form of art therapy. In art therapy, people engage with creative activities as a means of reducing stress. An American Art Therapy study found that engaging in artistic activities lowered the cortisol levels of participants.

While many artistic activities provide a reduction in stress the hands-on nature of moulding clay offers specific benefits of its own. Just the action of working the clay with your hands slows your breathing while the malleable feel of the clay increases relaxation. Consider the clay to be your own personal stress ball.

The stresses of life can often feel overwhelming. It is essential to combat the negative emotions that modern life throws at us for our own wellbeing and mental health. Pottery is one of the most relaxing hobbies you could attempt and is an ideal way to destress and improve your mindset.

Mindfulness can be practiced in a variety of different ways. Apps like Headspace offer tips and guided meditation that can be followed at home…

Re-Fire is offering mindful pottery classes to help tackle anxiety, depression and provide stress relief through its therapeutic qualities

*Pottery – just one example of a mindful activity that can benefit your mental health*

Re-fire is a project offering six-week pottery classes to support people struggling with their mental health.

It is a collaborative project, run by Cardiff Pottery Workshops Foundation on Penarth Road, with classes on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 10am.

Classes offer a friendly community, where participants can exercise their creativity, working with the clay to experience its therapeutic qualities and stress relief.

Kelly Campbell, director of Cardiff Pottery Workshops Foundation, who suffers from depression herself, said: “It’s not just about the action of pottery itself, it’s the sense of community.

“When you’re ill, you can often isolate yourself, it’s a hard thing when you’re unwell to leave the house,” she added.

Kelly has observed that the mental health classes have been her most popular and described the course as a “journey”.

She said that for those waiting months for appointments with a counsellor, it gets them out of the house and engaging with something to take thoughts away from what they are actually feeling.

*Re-Fire provides community based support for mental health problems through pottery*

Pottery, among other artistic exercises, is often used as a form of mindful therapy.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommend mindfulness as a way to prevent depression for people who have had more than three bouts of depression in the past year.

The NHS advises that paying attention to the present moment and to the world around you can improve mental wellbeing.

Garthine Walker, integrative therapist and psychotherapeutic counsellor, said that people suffering from anxiety, stress and depression can benefit from these mindful activities.

Speaking about mindful creative therapy, she said: “This can help clients learn to self-regulate, to bring themselves back to the present when their thoughts and feelings have run away with them to the past or future.”

She added that this is something those suffering from poor mental health can practice at home, through creative activities.

Fabricate is a new magazine dedicated to mindful crafting and how taking up an activity can benefit your wellbeing. The first issue is available online now and focuses on exploring the mental health benefits of pottery.

A creative look at how to get involved with mindfulness through crafting