This week, people are busy whispering that Great Britain’s Tom Daley was caught knitting alone while watching the Olympic women's diving final on Sunday. British diver, who won his first Olympic gold in the synchronized 10m platform event last Monday, has called knitting ‘his secret weapon.’

Earlier, he showed off "a little cozy," which he had knitted for his gold medal "to stop it getting scratched." The pouch is emblazoned with the Union Jack on one side and the Japanese flag on the other.

"The one thing that has kept me sane throughout this whole process is my love for knitting and crochet and all things stitching," he told followers on his Instagram knitting page madewithlovebytomdaley.

Is knitting really help in relieving stress?

According to Mental Health America, knitting is proven to help with anxiety. Many knitters already know in their hearts, knitting has a measurable effect on calming anxiety and relieving stress. In one international survey, a strong connection was revealed between knitting and feelings of calm and happiness.

In addition to the activity itself, many knitters find benefits in the social nature of knitting, whether they belong to a local knitting group or an online community. In a clinical setting, one study of individuals who have eating disorders showed that knitting had a significant effect on reducing anxiety and calming obsessive thoughts or preoccupations.

Knitting helps overcome addiction

The irony is that knitting itself is addictive, but the key is swapping a truly self-destructive addiction for the relatively tame addiction of knitting. Knitting support groups, like in Massachusetts, and Australia’s Knit to Quit group for smokers have been life-changing, largely because of the community support and knitting’s inherently soothing quality. For these knitters, the health benefit of knitting is truly transformative.

Knitting helps with chronic pain

Chronic pain attacks many people around the world, of all different age groups and backgrounds. Finding a way to alleviate chronic pain can sometimes take people to unexpected solutions, and for many, knitting has become an integral part of managing pain. In one study, knitting offered both physical relief and social support, which significantly helped reduce feelings and effects of chronic pain.

Knitting is a relaxing hobby and has the same benefits as meditation

As knitting stimulates the whole brain at once and can help to improve motor functions in people suffering from diseases like Parkinson’s. The process of turning a ball of wool into something wearable allows you to feel like you have achieved something. These reasons are enough to motivate you to pick up a new pattern and starting knitting today.