Several
weeks ago, I spoke with a woman who was caring for her elderly Mom who had
memory issues, was reluctant to leave the house and most likely was depressed.
Consequently, Emily (not her name) was beside herself trying to figure out what
to do with her Mom.
Among
the things I suggested was creating a "take a break" area for Mom,
where she could do some simple arts and crafts projects, puzzles etc. but still
be with the family. While I made other recommendations to help Mom, the one
that Emily was able to easily implement was creating a craft area for her Mom
in the family room. The results were dramatic. Not only did memory improve, but
Mom was now staying up longer, engaging with the family and spending many happy
hours drawing, working on puzzles etc. She was so inspired she even managed to
make dinner for the family one night.
Taking
a break and using your hands is very healing Having an area where things are
organized just makes it more likely that you will take a break and make
something.
My
husband became tired of my stuff being spread out all over the place, and my
constantly saying, “Have you seen my scissors (substitute just about
anything).” He made me an area, with lots of shelves, to store all my “take a
break” stuff.
I
find that it’s not only very helpful to have everything in one place, but other
members of my family can be found there periodically working on their own
projects.
Not
only is a “take a break” area suitable for home, but think about it for your
office, waiting room, hospital, staff lounge, health center or business.
Location: Who uses the “take a break”
area will determine its location and how you equip it. If you are making it for
an elder living with you, or for kids, create it in a corner of an area where
the family naturally gathers. If you want privacy, pick a place with little or
no foot traffic, such as your bedroom, attic or basement. However, try to place
it near a window for natural lighting.
Organizing
the area: You
will want a flat surface to work on, a chair, lighting, electrical outlet,
electric strip and storage. While shelves are great, a desk with drawers
underneath, or even an old door laid on two saw horses, with boxes on the floor
and peg board on the wall are also fine. Work with what you have. Mason jars;
tins and even yogurt containers are great for stashing paintbrushes, colored
pencils etc. for both storage and easy access.
Stocking
it: While
you’ll want the basics of things like colored pencils, markers, paper, tape and
scissors, depending on what interests you, stock it with what the person likes
to do. While I do a lot with fabric, I tend to keep my fiber and sewing area
separate from my general supplies of paints, glues, beads and other things that
don’t necessarily mix well.
If you
are creating a “take a break” area for someone else, things to consider
include:
• Different
types of paper, colored pencils, markers, paints (tempera, water colors,
acrylics, fabric) scissors, brushes and tape. I have a shelf dedicated to
different colors of Duct Tape.
•
Clay-Model Magic is terrific for creating items that can air dry. For finer
detailed work, such as jewelry, use polymer clay. This will require baking.
•
Ribbons, colored string, wire
• Glues
of various sorts including a glue gun
• Punches
• Puzzles
• Mandalas
to color or paint
•
Check out Archives 8/09-10/12 for hundreds of “Take a Break” ideas.
Looking
for a different “take a break?” I was exploring Indian head and neck massage
and came across Wings of Knowledge website. Lots of free videos and instruction
on massage techniques, including self-massage, yoga, meditation etc.
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