Happiful June 2020

mental health, and building Lego
ticks all the boxes for this kind of
pastime.
“Enthusiasts are likely to be
focused in the present when
they’re making a structure, and
therefore less prone to becoming
lost in negative or anxious
thoughts, which might otherwise
lead to, or worsen, low mood and
stress,” Sarah explains. “They
may get into the psychological
state known as ‘flow’, in which
they would become completely
absorbed in the task before them,
and lose all sense of self and time.”
Of course, picking up an activity
like this at any time can be
beneficial, and it’s no stretch to say
that we should all try our best to
make time for enjoyable, mindful
projects. But switching off our
worried minds and tuning into
sensations has been particularly
important through lockdown,
something that Lego quickly
identified before beginning to
offer free inspiration on their
website and social media pages,
as part of their #letsbuildtogether
initiative.
“Our hope was to alleviate
some of the strain and stress for
families, while keeping people
engaged and curious,” says Lise
from the AFOL engagement
team. And from the mindfulness
prompts, to the way it can
facilitate creativity, it makes sense.
New kid on the block
So often, comfort can be found
in taking things back to basics.
Our minds can get carried away,
our worries can intrude into the
rest of our lives, and things that
might be minor in reality can
quickly balloon into something
all-consuming.
Picking up a block, finding its
place, and piecing it together, may
sound like an absurdly simple
solution, but it’s so effective
because of just that – it’s simple.
From a dabble in nostalgia to
problem-solving and creativity, it’s
really no surprise that adults are
turning to Lego. Mindful activities
are a way to ground ourselves in
the moment, gently refusing to
allow external stress to work its
way in – and there’s no age limit
on that.
Find out more and connect with
others in the community at
brickish.org
June 2020 • happiful.com • 53