Building Peace: How LEGO Bricks are Helping Adults Manage Stress and PTSD

LEGO BricksPhoto byOmar FloresonUnsplash

In a world where stress and trauma are increasingly prevalent, an unexpected tool has emerged to aid in healing: LEGO bricks. According to HG, an author at Canary Media, these colorful toys are being used by many to manage stress, anxiety, and PTSD.

The therapeutic benefits of LEGO lie in their ability to help individuals focus and zone out. For those with challenging jobs, financial stress, or traumatic experiences, the act of snapping together LEGO bricks and following precise instructions provides a mental escape. This process allows the brain to refocus on something entirely different, offering relief from daily pressures. HG writes:

All the pieces of your life do, or will, fit together, no matter how many are scattered across the floor. Much like LEGO bricks.

Several trauma victims, including veterans with PTSD, have shared their positive experiences with LEGO. Dr. Jay Watts, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist, told Canary Media:

Psychology has begun to recognize that play is as important to healing from trauma as processing trauma memories and establishing good-enough relationships. We’re reawakening an inner child that’s been too scared, too damaged, or too paralyzed to move, and freeing them historically helps free us a little in the now.

One such veteran, retired Army Medic Robin Krauth, shared with Military Times how building a 1,000-piece LEGO set of the Hogwarts Castle significantly calmed her. Deployed in Iraq, Krauth endured daily mortar fire and a distressing murder-suicide incident. She said:

I was surprised—I really didn’t play LEGOS as a child. But when I’m doing it now, I’m focused. All the other fears fall away.

Another trauma victim, AJ, explained to Canary Media how LEGO helps him find mental relief, saying:

LEGO allows me to switch my mind off and gives me a break. Sometimes I use it to help me distract myself. If my brain is too full to think I will just follow the instructions of a set. Other times I feel more creative and will just build and see what comes from it.

LEGO has also recognized the therapeutic potential of their products. In recent years they've sent over 600 toy sets to create magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) laboratories, easing anxiety in children undergoing scans. Additionally, LEGO targets adult fans with sets based on 80s and 90s nostalgia, aesthetically pleasing models like bonsai trees, and other decorations.

According to the Washington Post, LEGO hired Abbie Headon, a 44-year-old English author, to write a book on how adults can use LEGO to reduce stress strategically.