In honor of National Scrapbooking Month, here’s a rerun of one of our favorite scrapbooking blog posts. Enjoy!
It’s common knowledge that vegetables and exercise are the king and queen of the health world. Other prominent, but more exotic, members include chia seeds, acai berries, coconut oil, and yoga. Honestly, we could go on and on about this sort of stuff, but we’re not here to tell you what you already know.
Today we’re here to open your mind to the wondrous health benefits of . . . drumroll . . . scrapbooking! Although it might sound funny and maybe even counterintuitive to those hardcore scrapbooking addicts out there, scrapbooking is, in fact, good for your health.
Here are five reasons why:
1. It will lower your stress levels. Controlling paper and ink is a whole lot easier than navigating relationships with the in-laws. When you feel your blood pressure rising, take a deep breath and settle into your creative process. You’ll find that the stress will leave your body. In fact, engaging in any creative hobby is proven to reduce anxiety. So if anyone ever doubts your coping methods, you’ve got science on your side.
2. It’s a form of meditation. When you sit down to work on creating a scrapbook page, your ever-racing mind is forced to concentrate on the here and now. How will you fit these photos onto one layout? What color of ink would work best with this stamp? How wide should you cut that strip of paper? These are the questions that will distract your mind, giving you welcome reprieve from the everyday demands and worries of life.
3. It will give your brain a workout. Reliving memories and trying to remember details, like how old your son was during that trip to Hawaii or the name of that mysterious relative, is hard work for your brain. But every time you exercise those rusty synapses, you’ll help keep your mind sharp and your memories even sharper.
4. It’s an excellent social mechanism. The wonder of scrapbooking is that it can be done together or alone—it’s entirely up to you. If you’re in desperate need of solitude, give yourself a little “scrapcation,” and lock yourself in your craft room for a few hours. You’ll emerge refreshed and ready to rejoin the ranks of society. On the flip side, if you’re in need of some human interaction, gather up your friends and scrapbook a few memories together. Introverted or extroverted, scrapbooking is what you need.
5. It will keep your heart happy. This is probably the most important benefit of all. Scrapbooking is so much more than paper, ink, and photos. With each memory you preserve on a page, you’re celebrating a relationship. Whether it’s the people you’re scrapbooking with or the people whose faces are in your photos, there’s no denying that scrapbooking brings families and friends closer together. Not only will your level of happiness go through the roof, but you will also inspire generations to come to preserve and share the moments that matter most.
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, doesn’t it? Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to get back to scrapbooking because it’s just what the doctor ordered. *
*Please keep in mind that these statements have not been evaluated by a medical professional and should not be treated as such. They should, however, encourage increased hours of guilt-free scrapbooking. 🙂
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I knew it!
I cannot agree more! Scrapbooking is good when you feel happy but it’s better when you feel sad! It is good when you have little kids, but it’s better when you have an empty nest. It’s good when you’re in a group, but it’s better when you’re alone! I found CTMH when I was going through one of the most difficult stages in my life; having to leave my favorite job ever! It helped me with my stress level, my sadness, and my difficulty to cope with the change! Now, I feel my friends are not as adventurous as I continue being. My daughters are grown up and have their own plans! I’m feeling the empty nest! CTMH, and scrapbooking, is giving me opportunities to continue accomplishing my goals and experiencing the adventures I have on my bucket list! I love scrapbooking and I love Close To My Heart!
I think I need to leave the office and get some scrapbooking on 🙂
Look!!! It’s me and Katie!!! We had so much fun at Convention.
Loved that. Thank you! !
From the day I started scrapbooking, I’ve called it my “therapy”. Maybe it costs me a little more than “real” therapy, but it’s so much more fun !!
I agree with all 5 reasons. Thanks for setting them out.
Scrapbooking is therapeutic. I used this time to help when I first started to get the grieving process. I can now look and talk about a loved one without crying. So totally agree with above.
I completely agree! I love to scrapbook and it’s my way of meditating.
This is awesome!!!!
These are all the reasons why I scrapbook. I will even scrapbook at midnight if I’m stressed before I go to bed. It calms my heart. ❤️
I have clinical depression. Scrapbooking helps me to concentrate and reminds me of how many reasons I have to live. It also entices me out of my house to join my friends and meet new people. Scrapbooking is a lifesaver!!
con razón desde que conoci el scrapbooking cada año estoy más joven en vez de envejecer!! y realmente ayuda mucho en la depresión, y es fascinante tener amigas que aman el mismo arte en todo el mundo.
I love scrapbooking and card making
Being on the road full time traveling around this amazing country Australia
I always try and source out paper craft shops and craft workshop get togethers
It’s a great social outlet
I get to met so many wonderful people.
This is just wonderful and so much more FUNN than running a mile or eating a broccoli pile!
We love Scrapbook Retreats! They are great for the soul and help support a healthy and happy life!
If you are stressed, and you go to your “lair” to scrap, try taking your pulse rate or blood pressure(if you have a device) when you first sit down, and then take it after you have settled in and are “into scrapping mode.” Or just count your respirations. You will have your “scientific” proof!! It beats breathing into a brown paper bag for anxiety!!
I love this blog entry, it explains why I love scrapbooking so much!
LOL! I have a sign in my studio “Scrapbooking is Cheaper than a Therapist!”
Who needs a medical professional? We know what scrapbooking & card making can do for our heart & soul.
Yes!
I’m printing this ‘medical advise’ to go in my scrapbook on scrapbooking. Thanks.
Love every reason given and I know it helps me with my stress.
This has been my motto , Instead of ” Colgon take me away ” it’s ” Paper Crafting take me away ” ALL of my Drs have always encouraged me to do so . Especially to go to crops when able to , just elevate feet as much as possible .
it is great to see an article on this . Thank you for sharing !
I agree with this article. Stamping and scrapbooking is stress-relieving for me and I love it. Shared this on my FB page!
I love scrap booking for all these reasons! Scrapbooking is also good for your stomach – all that great food and new recipes for your collection. 🙂
I love scrapbooking!!! I get so emerged into what i am doing that i lose track of time and end up staying up way too late. It is great to get together with my daughters and spend the day scrapping; spending quality time together doing what we love!!!
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Wow, beautiful website. Thnx ..
We’re so glad you like it! Follow us by entering your email on the right side of the page! You’ll get an email every time we post.
i am a newbie, i cant figure out how to follow Close To My Heart
It looks like you’re already following our blog. Yay! You can also follow our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube accounts. Hope that helps!
I love scrapbooking! I had never heard of it until about 28 years ago when I was invited to a CM party and I have been hooked ever since. It was when I went to a CTMH party when it first came to Canada that I was REALLY hooked!! The kits, stamps and embellishments make it so easy to get my memories into my albums!
We love it too, Janet!
I would love to print this and share with my 4-H girls in scrapbooking. Is there a way I can do this?
Thanks so much.
You can copy and paste it into a Word document, or you can simply right click and select “print.” Hope that helps! 🙂
I have always said that Autism is my son’s escape from the world and that Scrapbooking is my escape from Autism!
Haha! Thanks for the comment, Ester!
Jackie Bluhm is my close to my heart consultant and has been for almost 20 years! When I enter her home I’m so excited because that is my happy place to scrap book 🙂 any spare minute I have I spend Scrapbooking for my grandchildren. It is the Legacy I want to leave them 🙂
That is so wonderful, Judy. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I’ve been doing scraping for years. I always knew there was a benefit to me, now I have proof.
Woohoo! We’re glad we could help, Lynette. 🙂
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My hubby sent me this article and said “THIS PROVES YOU NEED A SCRAPBOOKING ROOM!”.
So reason #6: You make your family happy when you are happy.
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Living far away from my family, scrap booking feels they are close by.
Reliving the moments with my love ones!
Being in my own little world, giving me new energy!
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I haven’t gone to a therapist since I started scrapbooking. The support I need is there from my scrappy friends and who wants to waste that amount of money on a therapist when there is so much scrappy stuff to buy!
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