The New Year is traditionally the time when we tackle those DIY jobs that we put off last year and give our homes a seasonal clean. Online retailer ManoMano is encouraging its customers to disconnect from technology and connect with our tool boxes in 2017. DIY can enhance our lives in many ways including:
- It encourages leaving technology alone for a period of time. We spend a substantial amount of time on phones, laptop, computers. Having to focus on a manual task means having to switch off from the madness of emails and social media for a while and taking pleasure in the task ahead. The Italian psychologist, Dr Migliaccio calls this ‘pulling the plug.’ Why not try to pull the plug once a week in 2017 and see what difference it makes?
- A manual DIY task that is completed gives enormous satisfaction, in a way that is unlike achieving a work task. Think of how good you felt when you finally got round to putting up that shelf, figuring out how to build that wardrobe or painting that wall that had been staring at you for months or pruning the garden… really good! The accomplishment factor is key.
- Allowing ourselves time to indulge in ourselves through a practical activity is good for the brain and allows us to create new ideas. Ultimately, focusing on something that brings you joy and distracts from the things causing stress can only be a positive step towards simulating your brain, so that it can blossom with fresh ideas and creativity. Give in to the feel-good factor.
- If you are more inclined to learning a new skill when fixing things (i.e. leaky tap, toilet, chair leg), not only is there a financial benefit by not having to hire someone to do it (it is always nice knowing you have saved some pennies), you increase your self-reliance, making you less likely to panic when things go wrong. This sentiment goes beyond menial tasks at home and applies to how you handle stressful situations at work too. These also become transferable skills that you can pass onto other people and inspire your children with. Giving children the independence to problem solve at a practical level is a great gift, as well as a brilliant bonding exercise.
- It is a fantastic grounding tool for children, and helps remind adults how important is to switch off too. Due to the digital nature of today’s world, children have little familiarity and direct contact with nature and rarely have hands on experience. Nature becomes a non-tangible thing, with the reality being what they see on a screen. Not good. DIY and gardening are two activities that encourage children to properly connect with the world around them giving them a better sense of their surroundings and who they are. DIYers can indeed develop creativity and dexterity, while gardening teaches them how to look after plants and flowers, and that the world is a living breathing thing that needs to be cared for.