I’ve found over the past few months that life has become increasingly busy. There’s always something clamoring for my attention and I will often feel as though I left half of what I wanted to do undone at the end of the day. This leaves me stressed and somewhat unfulfilled. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
Busy-ness has a way of creeping into life and taking away all the pleasure. One way we can combat this (outside of healthy diet and regular physical activity) is through our hobbies. Hobbies can improve our mental and physical health.
Hobbies are an activity that you perform in your leisure time for your own enjoyment. That’s it. Nothing else. They can range from cooking, to gardening, to exercise, to reading or even camping. Whatever the activity is, it should be something that you find enjoyable and may or may not have a specific purpose for doing. Let’s talk about why hobbies can be so beneficial.
The primary reason hobbies are good is because they force you to take time for yourself. Hobbies count as part of the 10 in the 0-5-10-20-30 of the formula for healthy living (0 cigarettes, 5 servings of veggies and fruits a day, 10 minutes of daily mindfulness, 20 minutes of exercise a day, and a body mass index less than 30). Taking time out from our day to care for ourselves helps to establish a sense of worth in ourselves and subtly reminds us that we deserve to be at our best.
Another benefit of hobbies is their ability to create the opportunity for new experiences and friendships. For individuals who take up birding, they quickly find an entire community who are just as excited about birds sightings as them. This community can create a feeling of connectedness and belonging that boosts health. There are numerous studies that show individuals who belong to a community can have better health outcomes because of those bonds that have been formed.
Hobbies can also increase your creativity and enhance your work experience. Activities such as book clubs or creative writing can help develop the mental tools needed to structure your thoughts better and think outside the box to find solutions to problems. Books are another great way to be confronted with new ideas that make you think and reevaluate the world around you. Sometimes all a problem needs is to view it from another perspective.
Finally, hobbies usually cause decreased levels of stress hormone cortisol which also lowers levels of anxiety. Activities such as journaling, painting or music can help provide both a stress relief and creative outlet for your feelings. Exercise is a vital part of an holistic approach to anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that a brisk 20 minute walk a day can have a huge impact on ones physical and emotional health. So, as the weather warms up and with summer just around the corner, pick up a hobby today and see the benefit for yourself.
Dr. Samuel Mathis is an assistant professor in UTMB’s Family Medicine Dept.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.