Mental Elf event helps to alleviate holiday season sadness with crafts

The event was held by Doncaster Mind earlier this week.

Jenni Hall is a Wellbeing Worker at Doncaster Mind, said: “The Mental Elf idea came from working with the Frenchgate Centre on their Happiness Revolution.

“We know that Christmas can be a difficult time for people with added pressure – to buy the perfect gift, the have enough money, to make memories and during a time when the presumption is that we are supposed to be happy.”

Doncaster Mind provides the community with a range of services all year round, including wellbeing and counselling.

Jenni said: “At Doncaster Mind, we’re having a season of kindfulness to celebrate 40 years of supporting the Doncaster community.

“As part of that, we’re encouraging people to be mindfully kind – wishing the best for others and themselves.”

Arts and crafts are a proven stress reliever which is why Mind decided to host the Mental Elf event.

“Crochet is a great way of being mindful,” she continued.

“You spend time creating something and the activity has been proven to support good mental wellbeing.

“The Mental Elf is a crocheted keepsake that you can make and be mindful during that process and then hide in the Frenchgate Centre to remind others to look after their ‘mental elf’ this season.”

Patterns and labels for the elves can be collected from the Frenchgate Centre Guest Services for anyone to partake.

Jenni said: “Learning new skills and connecting with others are two of the five ways of wellbeing – how we keep ourselves well.

“We worked with beginner and intermediate crocheters and everyone left the session feeling that they have achieved something.

“It was so lovely seeing people go from saying, ‘I can’t do this’ to ‘I just made a whole row!’ “That is why this session was important.

“Empowering people to feel good, that they have achieved something and showing them that they can achieve things in a relatively short space of time.”

You can see their full timetable on their website or call 01302 812190.