We live in a changed world. Many people suffer from mental health issues since the start of the pandemic. Stress caused by either fear of the virus, or the mental strain of the restrictions on our lives, have led many people to be anxious, lonely and depressed. There are several ways to get you through this though. One great way is a hobby. So today we will talk about how a hobby can improve your health and why you should definitely engage in a hobby if you haven’t already!
Let’s be honest: we have been bombarded with news about the pandemic through every single outlet. Most of the news wasn’t sunshine and rainbows. It is no wonder that this takes its toll on the mental state of many people. Especially the social distancing rules make a lot of people lonely and desperate for a bit of distraction. Even the WHO states that taking care of your mental health is super important during these times. Having a hobby is one of the best ways to boost your mental wellbeing and thus help stimulate your health in general. So finding something you like is a priority if you haven’t done so already. It will bring back fun and pleasure in your life and give you some feeling of purpose. Let’s look into all the cool ways a hobby can improve your health and help you shield yourself from disease.
The Health Benefits of Having a Hobby
A hobby is a great way to take your mind off stressful things and reduce the risk of depression. It is the perfect way to reduce stress after work. Research shows that a hobby can lower the risk of depression or even prevent it. Think about it: getting home and into your great garden and seeing your precious flowers flourish after a day at the office. This will have a great boost on your mind and make you feel more relaxed straight away. The same goes for any hobby. Just set your mind to the thing you love and forget about all the stressful things that surround us.
A hobby offers pleasure and motivation in life. Doing something you really like is always a good idea as it will make you happier and bring back the joy in your life! Being happy is a pillar of general health. Getting pleasure from something releases dopamine, endorphins and serotonins, which are the “happy hormones”. So you are basically rewarding you brain by doing stuff you like!
Physical hobbies can increase your general fitness. If you like working out, running or just walking the dog, you will increase your fitness tremendously. This in turn will boost your immune system and health in general. Extra benefits of physical hobbies is the chance to be outside, or with other people for a bit of socializing where possible.
Having a hobby is rewarding. In many hobbies, you are building towards something. For example when you have working out as a hobby, you probably have set some goals in terms of strength gain or fitness. Reaching that goal is very rewarding and opens up the door to even bigger targets. When you are building model airplanes, it can be super rewarding when you finally finish that one big model. If you love gardening, seeing all the flowers blossom is very rewarding. Basically, getting some result from your hobby is a great mental booster and gives you a sense of achievement. Obviously it is important to get realistic goals, so that you won’t be disappointing yourself if you can’t reach it.
Having pets as a hobby is another great way to make you happier and healthier. We discuss this in our article here.
Final Words
All these reasons should be ample reason to get you a hobby. Even doctors ask patients to take up a hobby as it is beneficial for their health and wellbeing. Great examples of these are gardening and fishing to relax a little.
So if you are feeling low, stressed or depressed, make sure to think about the things you really like and engage in a hobby. Sure, every start can be difficult, but give it a go and feel the amazing results!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. If you feel lonely, let us know and we will see how we can help you!
