Daily responsibilities, chores, and stressors can be overwhelming sometimes. It’s important to have a positive outlet that allows you to set your mind free. Mental breaks can help with relaxing, limiting stress, and facilitating self-growth.
Picking a Hobby
If you don’t have a hobby or are wanting to pick up a new one, it’s important to choose one that suits your lifestyle. A hobby should be challenging, but not stressful. The hobby should be based on challenging interests/strengths that you already possess. Evaluating the stress level of a potential hobby is key because you don’t want to find yourself procrastinating or feeling burdened by an activity. Remember, a hobby is supposed to set your mind free. It should be something that you’re interested in and something that makes you feel accomplished. Another thing to keep in mind is the financial commitment of a hobby. Some can be more expensive than others. For example, journaling would be less expensive than painting based on supplies needed.
Benefits of Having a Hobby
Having a hobby can benefit overall wellbeing.
- Better creativity and flow: Hobbies are enjoyable and engaging. Because they help you relax, your mind can open up to thinking or solving problems from different angles. Developing new ways to think about things can improve performance at work, in social settings, and in relationships.
- Help structure time: Sometimes a hobby can become part of your daily routine. It can become something you plan to do or get excited to do. By adopting a hobby into your daily routine, time will be more structured and there will be less time to engage in activities that may be less beneficial.
- Reduces stress and boredom: Hobbies can take your mind off of daily stressors, chores, and responsibilities. Because you’re participating in something that you’re actually interested in, you can relax and find pleasure through a positive outlet.
- Increase in personal growth: Participating in a hobby can improve things like patience, knowledge, self-esteem, and confidence. A hobby takes time to learn and master. It can make you feel accomplished and give you a sense of pride.
- Facilitates socialization/bonding: Whether your hobby of choice is individual or social, it still can give you something to talk about. It can also be a platform to relate to others with similar interests.
Some Ideas
There’s endless hobbies or activities to participate in, but here’s a list of some.
Outdoor: hiking, camping, fishing, biking, walking, running, gardening, kayaking
Collections: shell/sea glass collecting, record collecting, memorabilia collecting
Indoor: cooking, baking, mixology, reading, expressive writing, puzzles
Arts: painting, dancing, photography, scrapbooking, drawing, jewelry making
Other: playing an instrument, learning a new language, working on cars, thrifting, home improvement
Written by GUADS staff member Toni with contributions from www.mental-health-matters.com
Food for Fuel