Not all of us take the time to explore and enjoy hobbies. Some play sports to pass their time, while others create new recipes to widen their cooking skill set. Exercise is a straightforward example of a hobby as well as collecting trading cards, stamps, or even clothes! A hobby can be anything, yet some people consider not having one. Psychologists say that this may have an impact on their mental health and well-being.
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Getting a hobby is scientifically proven to reduce the likeliness of suffering from stress, low mood, depression, and anxiety. Having a hobby helps you unwind from a monotonous daily routine. It also serves as a great way to spend your spare time aside from just resting. Having a hobby allows you to improve your skills, discover new things to do, or take away all your worries. Some hobbies can be done alone while others can be with friends or groups of people. Thus, it also helps improve your communication skills and widen your circle of friends.
The Relationship Between Mental Health And Hobbies
The studies between hobbies and mental health have been going on for several years. Indeed some studies were brought up confirming their connection. According to Srini Pillay M.D. “It was found that enjoyable leisure activities are associated with lower blood pressure, smaller waist circumference, and a lower body mass index. People also feel better physically and are less likely to be depressed.”
Here are four reasons why.
- Decreases Negative Stress
A hobby can distract you from all of your worries. Sometimes, all you need is to refocus your mind on something you like doing. Some hobbies include physical activities such as exercise or sports create chemical changes in our body to reduce your stress. These chemical changes can lead to better sleep, higher levels of energy, and improved physical health. While others can give you a break and help you rejuvenate your mind. Dr. Mark Parisi said “Transitioning the focus from the chaos of life to a fun, easy, and enjoyable task can instantly help reduce stress levels. Harness this benefit by opting for more relaxing hobbies. These may include knitting, painting, photographing, journaling, or even bird watching. Whichever hobby you choose, be sure it makes you feel more relaxed.”
- Personal Development
Hobbies can help improve your skill set. You can also learn new skills through this. Doing activities such as drawing, photography, cooking, and writing can help supplement your creativity. Developing one’s creativity can have significant impacts on oneself. It is a highly demanded skill in our world today. You can connect your passion, creativity, and personality through your hobby.
- Control And Confidence
It is gratifying to feel that you are continually improving on something. By having a hobby, you enable yourself to continuously work on the skills you already have and go beyond. This confidence you gain can help you have better control over the changes in your environment. Your hobby is also yours and yours alone, meaning there is no limitation when you want to do what you want to enjoy. You have complete control of it.
- A Sense Of Fulfillment
A hobby can serve as a source of motivation. By being able to have the opportunity to do something you are passionate about, you open the door for a sense of fulfillment. Maybe your writings can touch the lives of others, or perhaps your cooking is someone’s favorite. You can consider some of these things. You can certainly create an impact on someone’s life through your hobbies. “There is something truly beautiful about setting out to do something, following through on it, and then witnessing the final product come together. Its even more beautiful to know that whatever this final product is, it came from a place of genuine, authentic and intrinsic motivation. In my mind, there is nothing more fulfilling than a passion project, because it’s not just the completion that is the accomplishment—it is the whole journey.” says counselor Alissa Lastres.
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How To Discover The Hobby For You
After giving you an idea of what the positive benefits of having a hobby are, maybe you want to start looking for one. However, if you don’t know where to start, try considering these four strategies to help you.
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- Ask Your Friends
By asking your friends, you gain better ideas on the things you can be doing right now. Sometimes you may end up liking their hobbies as well. Try asking them where their interests lie and connecting it to yours.
- Passion
Try looking from within; there goes a saying we know ourselves the best. Maybe you have a passion for writing songs, painting, taking pictures, or socializing. Discover where your passion lies and work from there. For an activity to be a hobby, it should be something we enjoy doing.
- Try Something New
It wouldn’t hurt to go out and explore. There are a lot of things out there for you to try doing. Who knows, maybe you would end up enjoying playing basketball or baking pastries. You wouldn’t say you may like doing these activities if you don’t try.
- Volunteer
When you have the time, try going out and volunteering. It is a very fulfilling activity that allows you to enrich the lives of others. Having to see them grow and develop is not only heartwarming but can also help relieve you of stress. Uplifting people and seeing them happy can be contagious.
If you haven’t considered having a hobby, maybe now is the time. You can always try something new and discover things that may be of interest to you. Try stepping out and exploring outside of your comfort zone and enrich your well-being.