Modelling as a mental health aid...

 Recently I was reading an article on how modelling can be a aid to mental health. 

It got me thinking too.

How time at the bench let's me just focus on 1 activity at a time,  in front of me. 

Sanding parts, working out fit as I do a dry assembly... glue up, painting....

Rather than trying to track multiple tasks, people, inputs and outputs,  requests....

Modelling is far from unique in this aspect... woodworking,  fishing, sewing, gardening,  collecting sets of items (stamps, coins, fishing lures, crockery sets, what have you)

My thoughts are that a hobby gives the hobbyist a part of their life they have more control and influence over, plus a sense of hope that is often a lacking feeling in life....

However..... just like life, it can slide over into over indulgence and then addiction....

Creating a whole new issue of clutter and chaos...

Now is about the time where I talk about trusted friends,  medical health professionals,  and lifestyle checks....

But what if you're just coping, and this is your "normal" ? 

Why yes, this is how we get this done; stand on 1 leg, poke the blue button with this stick that has a rubber chicken attached,  while wearing a straw basket on your head, you must have a fresh salad in your left sock only, otherwise it doesn't work right....

There's a gradual change in how life goes, and it's subtle,  until you have a situation that forces a fresh look...

"Fish discover water last..." is a phrase that means that your environment you live in, is invisible to you,  until the environment has a drastic moment...or a critical moment. 

The simplest way to calibrate your environment is to get an outside point of view, or just take that time to try and have that point of view. 

Take a video of your hobby space, 360 view and walk through,  then play it back and watch it in a mirror.  

Your perception will see it 'fresh' and your voice-over will be your external voice,  not the one you normally hear... then assess from that fresh perspective. 

The key part is about balance,  boundaries and limits. 

And for enjoyment of the hobby,  your hobby, it's about setting those boundaries so enjoyment doesn't become lost under acquisition.

Post script; recently I've acquired some more hobby kits, more (definitely) impulse buying than planned...

Because of some background life unhappiness,  'Hey, here's a known mechanism for a sense of control'.  Which a few days later,  is now regarded as a regretful purchase. 

But..... future me, when I start clipping and glueing,  well,  I'll be happy I've got this purchase. 

Now, time to do more of the fun assembly and paint stuff,  so my happiness isn't buried under layers of acquisition....