All the pieces of your life, no matter how many are scattered on the floor, will fit together, just like Lego blocks.
That’s according to HG, a writer for Canary Media, who’s compiled a series of quotes and interviews with people who have used one of the world’s most popular toys to heal trauma or reduce stress and anxiety.
The source of Lego’s enormous and proven mental health benefits lies in its ability to help people sit still while playing with Lego. For stressed adults with difficult jobs, too many bills to pay, or adults who have experienced trauma, the act of bouncing bricks together while carefully following precise instructions can help refocus the brain on something completely different.
HG has heard from many trauma survivors, including veterans with PTSD, that LEGOs helped them enter a meditative state, and others who said they allowed them to revisit childhood emotions in a safe and expressive way.
“Psychology is starting to recognise that play is as important to healing from trauma as processing traumatic memories and building good enough relationships,” consultant clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Dr Jay Watts told Canary Media. “We’re reawakening an inner child that was too scared, too damaged or too paralysed to move, and historically, releasing them can help us feel a little bit freer now.”
Retired Army medic Robin Krauth told Military Times after receiving more than 1,000 LEGO sets of the Hogwarts castle: Harry Potter After starting the franchise, she was surprised to find that it helped her calm down considerably.
“I was shocked. I didn’t play with Legos as a kid. But now when I play with Legos, I’m focused. All the other fears go away,” she said. Kraus was deployed to Iraq during the final days of the Sunni insurgency, and her base was under mortar fire every day. Her deployment included a murder-suicide by another U.S. Marine, which she said was very distressing.
Another trauma survivor, AJ, told Canary Media that he found relief in following directions and having fun.
“LEGO allows me to turn off my mind and relax. Sometimes it helps me to distract myself. When my brain is too busy to think, I just follow the instructions on the set. Other times, I’m more creative and just build something and see what comes out of it.”
Creatively assembling bricks to see what happens allows people to use their imagination. This can be incredibly difficult and even distressing for trauma survivors, but it is a safe, controlled, and rewarding way to help people regain control over what their thoughts can bring to fruition.
Recognizing the positive potential of toys, LEGO sent over 600 toy sets to MRI labs to help ease anxiety in children undergoing MRI scans.
LEGO has previously targeted AFOLs, or “Adult LEGO Fans,” directly by releasing sets based on ’90s and ’80s nostalgia, such as sets from TV shows. friend, Or there are sets for millennials with aesthetic sensibilities like bonsai trees and other decorative items. Throughout its history, Lego has survived periods of slow sales for adult fans, in part because there is a kind of “art of zen and brickwork” that helps overcome the burnout caused by adult responsibilities.
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GNN reported that this is especially true for office workers who often receive complex instructions from multiple sources. On the other hand, Type A or low-ranking workers who are stressed out may simply turn it off if they only have one book to follow.
According to the Washington Post, Lego hired 44-year-old British author Abby Heddon, who hadn’t touched the iconic bricks in 20 years, to write a book about how adults concerned about their mental well-being can use Legos strategically to de-stress their lives.
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Headon is 160 pages long. Make yourself happy: The joy of playing with LegoIt was released in the United States in 2022.
This is the perfect reason to purchase the latest edition of the classic LEGO Medieval Castle set.
Share this inspiring use for a classic toy with your stressed-out friends…
