Our hobbies are some of the simplest pleasures in our lives that keep us happy and away from symptoms of anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Most of the time, these activities become our way of alleviating stress and preventing it from wreaking havoc on our minds. The science behind this involves how our brains regulate neurotransmitters. When we do something that we truly enjoy doing, we are simulating our body and mind, and in turn, our brains produce more dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone, which gives us the motivation to do more things and engage in more activities.
These are some kinds of hobbies that you can try as they may better suit your lifestyle or overall way of thinking.
Hobbies that make you go outside
Going outside can help to keep our minds healthy. As with the pandemic that put many people in isolation inside their homes, the outdoors might help us by seeing a fresh environment to explore and enjoy. Instead of being cooped up inside the bedroom all day, we might find a new perspective just by seeing the sun and the sky and feeling the movement of the air.
Gardening is one of the possible outdoor hobbies that don’t require us to leave the comfort of our home. Handling greenery helps us to practice patience as we do our best to help the plants grow into something beautiful only after giving them some time to develop.
Traveling for leisure may be more expensive, but being in a completely different and foreign place might help to distract the mind from stress. From packing our stuff and driving towards our destination to engaging in other activities once we get there, we are actively de-stressing and while keeping our minds preoccupied with the present instead of our worries.
Fishing out in the sea, hiking up a mountain, or camping in the wild can also help us become one with nature. Being in the great outdoors and experiencing the wilderness let us escape from our stressful urban lives.
Hobbies that keep you active
Keeping ourselves active reduces the risk of falling into depression. Endorphins are released when we exercise, which gives us positive feelings. Regular exercise also helps to improve blood pressure, sleep patterns, and muscle strength, generally boosting our overall health.
Dancing can be a fun hobby no matter if we know how to dance or not. Learning a dance choreography is a good way of keeping ourselves active but simply dancing to our hearts’ content inside our home for at least 30 minutes is already enough exercise for a day.
Swimming is an activity that we can do without seeing it as an exercise. Just being in the water already puts some resistance on our movements. Being active in the water, whether we actually try to swim or just walk around and have fun, can help to relax our body and mind.
Playing sports is also a channel where we can release negative bottled-up emotions. The repetitive movements and our focus on the goal of our chosen sport can help distract, exhaust, and divert our minds from negativity. Many sports also require having a friend or a group to play with, something that many of us will benefit from to alleviate the feeling of isolation.
Hobbies that create masterpieces
The process of creating something beautiful can give us a sense of purpose. The art of drawing, painting, sculpting, and the like are all effective activities that help to express our emotions. These can become therapeutic in a way that all negativity inside us can be released in a peaceful and non-destructive manner.
Writing is another way to release our thoughts and emotions on paper using our words. We can be more literal by simply writing something like a diary or journal that narrates our experiences or more abstract and creative by writing poems and stories.
Cooking and eating good food can change our moods for the better. But the process of cooking itself can help to divert negative thoughts into something that will lead to nourishment and joy for ourselves or other people.
Photography can also be an outlet for many artistic people. The art of taking photos can give us a new perspective by viewing a subject from different angles. We can capture anything under the sun: the mundane, the beautiful, the scary, or even tragedies of life.
Hobbies that let you breathe
Yoga and meditation are good relaxation activities that can help to calm our turbulent thoughts. Slowing down and taking deep breaths during these activities give us the time to evaluate our thoughts and emotions and sort them out carefully.
Making time for the things we love doing should be one of our priorities, as our hobbies can keep us sane in this chaotic world. We must take care of our mental health as it can affect all facets of our lives. Especially now in this pandemic, we should try to reach out to our friends and family because they are our best support system, just like we are to them.
Meta title: Things You Love: Hobbies That Can Help with Mental Health
Meta desc: Doing the things we love doing helps us to relieve stress, distract from negative thoughts, and create good feelings. We must make time for the right activities that suit our lifestyle and way of thinking, especially during this time of the pandemic.
