Idle Hands Make Work for the Devil

I was enjoying mending and upcycling clothes yesterday evening. After a couple of hours with needle and thread in my hand and a few ideas, I ended up with a darned sock, a refitted top with embellishments, and a re-attached button. For a long time afterwards I felt uplifted and buoyant. I noticed how satisfying it had been to use my hands to put back into use clothes that have lain discarded for a few weeks. It gave me the same feeling of achievement I get when I’ve been needlefelting, baking, chopping wood or gardening.

One of my young clients comes to mind. We are having an ongoing dialogue about the possibility she may have ADHD, with one of the possible symptoms being her constant fidgeting in class – with pens, her finger nails, her hair band. This young lady is generally well behaved and wants to do well in school but her drive to fiddle appears to be so strong that not even the disapproval of her teachers can stop her. She has other symptoms which may indicate that she has ADHD and she is due to have an assessment but it’s made me think. I don’t have ADHD but I often doodle and fiddle with whatever is to hand if my mind is busy but my hands aren’t, e.g. listening to a webinar or watching a TV programme. Fidgeting can be indicative of anxiety or stress or a need for sensory input, but is a craving to put our hands to some kind of use not normal and healthy human behaviour?

The value of hands-on work and play

It strikes me that as human beings we don’t realise or value how important it is for our mental health to engage our hands in work and play. The multi-functional hands we human beings have rather than the much less dextrous paws, claws or hooves of other creatures have played a major part in how we and society have evolved and developed. Our hands have been busy over millenia – making and mending tools and equipment, sowing seeds and tilling the land, producing art and crafts, building, fashioning and decorating our homes and gardens, and devising an array of sports and games. Often these activities were and are done in community with others which brings additional mental health benefits.

But what do many of us do these days……? Now I don’t want to assert that electronic devices are the work of the Devil – although some of my friends and colleagues would say that I often do! I recognise that these devices are now an integral part of our lives and have many benefits; we are able to learn with access to levels of resources we could never have dreamed of in past generations, create and run businesses, communicate across distances with many people, and be entertained and inspired by films, documentaries, podcasts, etc. But how many hours in the day do we spend on our mobiles, laptops, ipads, games consoles – mindlessly scrolling on social media, shopping for things we may not even need, watching endless videos and memes?

The contribution of our hands (and in fact our whole bodies) in these digital activities is minimal, it’s limited to the movement of our fingers or even just our thumbs.  Many of the healthy activities for our bodies, hearts and minds that we have engaged in for centuries, e.g. being physically active outside, cultivating hobbies and following passions, spending joyful time with others are being displaced by these devices. Is it a wonder that our mental wellbeing is being negatively impacted? Of course, there are many reasons why mental health is getting worse in these hard times but finding delight in developing and following our passions such as crafting, DIY, model-making, playing games, engaging in sports, etc can be a huge protective factor against feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety.

Happiness is in your hands

A recent UK Government research study found that people who engaged with creating arts and crafting had greater ratings for happiness, life satisfaction and feeling that life was worthwhile than those who did not, even after taking into account other factors known to have an impact – including age, gender, deprivation, poor health, and employment status.

And what about children’s experiences of using their hands? These days it’s often limited to pushing buttons on a computer/laptop keypad, mobile or gaming console – both at home and school. That’s not what I would call fulfilling, varied or skilled engagement for the hands. Previous generations of children were able to enjoy art, crafts, DT, music-making, cookery, woodwork activities in school and model and den making, playing all sorts of board games and play activities (clapping, skipping, marbles, tiddlywinks, etc) and crafting at home. Many children learnt from their parents and grandparents to knit, sew or crochet clothes for their dolls or themselves, knock up a bird house or a pinball game, and plant and grow vegetables in the garden or on the allotment. They gained not only practical skills but also passions and interests for life which engaged their bodies, hearts and minds.

Life these days for our children is very different: the time given to the teaching of the creative arts and practical skills in schools is much reduced; laptops and ipads are used in a child’s learning in most schools from the very early years and the availability and proliferation of devices in all areas of their lives is enormous; changes in the economic environment mean that parents are often exhausted by working long hours and less available to their children; and electronic devices deliver quick ‘dopamine’ hits to the brain making them an attractive option for children to spend their free time on. So that often a child can spend hours and hours in the digital world that not only fails to bring them genuine satisfaction, joy and pride but can also introduce less savoury and even dangerous influences into their lives.

The time spent by children today engaging in activities that can bring pride, enjoyment, connection with others and long-lasting satisfaction is markedly reduced from previous generations. And so is it surprising that the mental wellbeing of our children and young people is declining? A study published by NHS England in 2023 found that 20.3% of eight to 16-year-olds had a probable mental disorder in 2023. Among 17 to 19-year-olds, the proportion was 23.3%, while in 20 to 25-year-olds it was 21.7%. Those are horrifying statistics.

Hands up if you want better mental health

How often do you come off an electronic device regretting the time (sometimes hours) you have ‘wasted’ scrolling and looking at things that haven’t brought you one iota of genuine pleasure or fulfilment? Would we not do better to question our devotion to the digital world and seek out more beneficial and useful work and play opportunities for our hands, which allow us to gain a sense of achievement and longer lasting feelings of joy and delight?

I encourage you to think about how and when you (and any children in your life) use your hands meaningfully, and the pleasure and fulfilment you (and they) get from those activities. Then reflect on the activities you did as a child that you loved but that you no longer do; maybe you could introduce them back into your life? Perhaps there are skills that you have always wanted to learn (e.g. mending a bike tyre puncture or trying a new sport)?  Do you have a skill or passion that you would like to share with your child/ren or grandchild/ren?

Next time you are inclined to pick up your mobile, laptop or games console, take a moment to think about other activities that you can get your hands stuck into that will bring you greater emotional joy and fulfilment. Your mental health will thank you for it.