Why Having Hobbies Can Be an Aid to Your Mental Health

What are Hobbies?

Think about the last time you got lost in an activity you were indulged in. Perhaps it was a time when you were learning a new instrument, giving it your all in a sports game, or expressing yourself artistically? These moments of joy that you experienced have a crucial impact on your mental health. These activities can be described as hobbies: things we do that we love, that give us a sense of purpose in an ordinary, busy life. Hobbies are a ray of sunshine in the rat race we’re all competing in.

Setting aside some time in your week for your hobbies is a great way to bring yourself relief amidst a stressful schedule. Research has reinforced the many benefits of having hobbies, concluding that people who do something they love on a regular basis, are less likely to suffer from mental health issues. For instance, a study conducted by the Australian Psychological Society, found that hobbies have an 80% effectiveness rate in managing stress. Picking up a book and reading, listening to music, or spending time in physical activities are commonly resorted activities that help people cope with stress.

Discovering Your Hobby

Think about what changes your mood when you’re feeling low. What is that you would do at any time of the day because it’s how you love spending your time? Take that thing that you enjoy doing and transform it into a hobby!

If you’re still finding yourself and you’re not sure what that is then don’t shy away from trying out new things. You could take a cooking class, learn a new type of musical instrument, or express yourself through artistic pursuits like painting or dancing. Learn some new skills and be open-minded in your approach. When you begin to feel passionate about something, it doesn’t matter if it’s something that you’re good at. Explore the activity and understand if it’s something that brings you joy.

Sometimes, having someone accompany you can help you in the discovery process of your hobbies. Learn some new skills and take up the opportunities that come knocking your way. It’s never too late to dive in!

Examples of Hobbies That You Could Try Out

If you’re looking to venture out and try something new, here are some of the activities you could give a go:

Indoor Hobbies

• Reading: There are so many kinds of books and genres that you could read and explore. The world of imagination is endless and you would always feel taken away by it.

• Journaling: Writing things down about your day, your feelings, your goals, or just about anything else is a great way to let it out and express yourself. It could become a memoir that you could look back to in life to witness how things in life change.

• Cooking: Cooking can seem like a necessary chore but if you take an interest in it, it could become a hobby for you. There are tons of cuisines to try out and nothing feels better than being able to cook anything that you desire to eat yourself!

• Painting: Painting art is a beautiful, creative experience that may be just the hobby that gets you fully consumed while you express yourself through your paintings.

• Playing Strategy Games: Chess, Checkers, Scrabble, Cards, etc. are all games that you could immerse yourself into, to try to beat opponents and develop your strategic thinking skills.

• Learning Computer Skills: As technology continues to advance forward, there are tons of new skills that people could acquire to make themselves professionally competent. If you have a knack for technology, you could learn some skills that interest you. They could prove beneficial for you in several ways.

Outdoor Hobbies

• Yoga: There could be nothing that relieves stress more than the exercise that is known for it. Yoga and meditation have long been renowned to be beautiful ways to help control our thoughts, develop a peaceful or ‘Zen’ state of mind, and also tone our body.

• Bicycling: The eco-friendly way to get around is also a great hobby to try out. You could explore parts of your town that you haven’t seen before. It’s a great and convenient way to get around and get some exercise while you’re at it.

• Gardening: For those who love growing their own fruits and vegetables or simply the beauty of nature, gardening may be a great hobby to try out. You could grow your own, organic vegetation and absorb the green and serene plantation around you.

• Photography: Capturing moments of people, animals, places, or things around you could be a great hobby to explore. If you have an eye for good pictures, you might want to try out photography.

• Swimming: Swimming is a great sport that is also super fun. A lot of homes even have pools in their backyards or one could practice at community centers. It’s a great life skill everyone ought to know, too!

Whatever it is that you decide to do, it should be something that excites you. When you feel at ease and happy, then you have the perfect hobby for yourself. You could always have multiple that you love doing!

The Link between Hobbies and Mental Health

When you take time out to do what you love, a dance of chemicals takes place in your body. The happy hormones fluctuate and the stressful hormones go into hiding. Hormones like Serotonin, Oxytocin, Dopamine, and Endorphins are responsible for our stress relief, good mood and, pleasure. Our mental health prospers through our hobbies because they are a form of self-care and happiness.

For those who suffer from negative emotions that lead them to feelings of loneliness, depression, or perhaps extreme thoughts such as of suicide, it is crucial for their mental health to have something that offers joy or a sense of hope. Something they are good at such as a hobby that interests them, can be a really great way to transform their thinking to positive, optimistic thoughts.

Our mental health impacts our physical health and even our spiritual well-being. People who find no joy in life and feel no sense of purpose may be inclined towards thoughts that may be self-harming. Having a hobby to do when you’re bored is a great coping mechanism for stress. This is why hobbies are essential for everyone!

Learn more about self-care practices through our Ultimate Self-Care Checklist.

How Hobbies Create a Direct Impact on Health

In our busy lives, we tent to completely neglect anything that’s innately good for us. We forget to take time out to prioritize our own health and wellness. By engaging in hobbies, we can aid our mental wellness because such activities help to reduce stress. If the hobby is a physical activity such as playing tennis, it can have several health benefits. For instance, it can reduce the chances of developing medical conditions like obesity or high blood pressure.

Outdoor activities such as gardening, involve a closeness to nature which can be therapeutic. It can help calm us down and decrease our cortisol levels, which is also responsible for weight gain. Some hobbies may need to be done with a partner or other people, such as strategy games like chess. These can uplift your social skills and relationships with other people. They will also help strengthen your cognitive abilities, reducing the odds of developing health problems such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease with age.

How COVID-19 Impacted Mental Health

Since COVID, a lot of us have had the growing realization of excess time on our hands. Working remotely had the privilege of acquainting us to a slowed-down version of life. Taking a minute to stop and look around, we noticed what we were missing out. Some of us, however, couldn’t comprehend what to do with the excess time. Seeing people around us losing their lives from disease, was a further cause of mental distress. This is why mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and panic attacks all began to surge.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine observed that the COVID-19 pandemic shook the daily routines and work schedules of people all over the world. It blurred the lines between work life and home, leading to prolonged periods of doing office and housework. Issues occurred like not having enough privacy at home. Then, there was the constant interaction with family that people dealt with. Staying indoors all the time also had negative effects on mental health. Other contributing factors included feelings of loneliness as social connections were scarce, sleep disorders from not having a fixed schedule, and weight gain from overeating and a sedentary lifestyle.

How Hobbies Aid Your Mental Health

While feeling stressed, it can become impossible to imagine that there’s a way out of it. Losing ourselves in our busy lives, days, months, and even years pass by without meaning or purpose. This same lack of purpose, as harmless of an idea as it seems, can become a major cause of several mental illnesses and health problems.

Ask yourself this: when was the last time, you immersed yourself in an activity that you love? If you have to think about it, then it has been too long. Having a hobby, something that you like to do, something that you’re passionate about can be the first step in coping with mental health issues. When we’re bored, alone or, we feel complacent, our negative thoughts can get the better of us. It is important for us to take a journey to find what is meant for us. It is a journey of getting to know ourselves, our likes and our interests.

Once you get yourself involved in hobbies you like, always make time for them. They are a form of self-care and well-being. It’s time to let the endorphins sparkle through, baby!

References:

1. Şentürk E, Sağaltıcı E, Geniş B, Günday Toker Ö. “Predictors of depression, anxiety and stress among remote workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.” PMID 2017: 41-51.
2. Stress & wellbeing HOW AUSTRALIANS ARE COPING WITH LIFE. “Stress & wellbeing HOW AUSTRALIANS ARE COPING WITH LIFE.” Australian Psychological Society (2015): 23. <https://psychology.org.au/getmedia/ae32e645-a4f0-4f7c-b3ce-dfd83237c281/stress-wellbeing-survey.pdf>.