The Impact of Hobbies on Our Wellbeing
Time is a scarce commodity these days. If you feel that your day doesn’t have enough hours to do everything, you’re not alone. In fact, you share the feelings and thoughts of millions of burned-out professionals and students who just can’t find time to relax. Although we’re constantly pushed to treat ourselves like machines, our very human condition has limits. Or, keeping the machines in mind, your mind and body also require maintenance.
So, we invite you to quit the prejudice of hobby-equals-waste-of-time for a moment. Instead, consider it a worthwhile investment in yourself and, above all, your wellbeing. In this article, we’ll talk about how a hobby can do wonders for your body and mind and even make you more productive. Check it out!
Balance Is Gold
Keeping a work-life balance is extremely important in our fast-paced life. So, finding a hobby that would add relaxation time to the usual working routine would most benefit your mental state. If you are considering trying out something like gambling, make sure to play it safe. Here is a quick guide how to stay on the safe side while gambling online.
Picking a hobby decreases levels of depression and can also act as depression prevention. One of the main symptoms of depression, anhedonia, is defined by the lack of joy and interest in activities that once were enjoyable. Anti-depression drugs aren’t very efficient against these symptoms, as they focus on other aspects. Including a hobby in the treatment of depression can do wonders for the patient.
For Nothing?
There was a time – most of you might still recall it – we could do things for pleasure and nothing more. We were kids and youngsters, full of free time in our hands and a curious mind to explore the world. The duties and obligations of adulthood insisted on getting in the way of something that many ancient civilizations valued: creative idleness. Our professional lives tend to suck up all our waking hours if we let them.
Finding space and time to do things just because is scientifically proven to improve several parts of our lives. Apart from reducing depression by about 30%, a hobby can take our minds from the arrow-on-target mindset our jobs usually impose. Instead of trying to achieve something, a hobby invites us to explore our own learning processes and interests. It results in a better predisposition towards our daily chores and more creativity to solve problems.
Here are some of the most popular subjects for hobbies, although the list is endless.
- Music
- Painting
- Knitting
- Gardening
- Exercising
- Reading
- Fishing
Getting Social
Hobbies that involve social activities are excellent for kicking loneliness away. Dance, games, or outdoor activities are perfect for this purpose. A study in Australia showed that people involved in social activities, like a weekly football match, are less likely to suffer from depression, stress, or anxiety. Music, acting classes, and other artistic activities also help people deal better with their feelings and impulses.
There’s even a medical term for this recommendation: social prescribing. Social prescribing is a non-medical intervention that can prevent the use of antidepressants. It’s because hobbies can release dopamine in patients via our reward system: we like it; we feel good; we do it again.
Physical hobbies have the double benefit of keeping your brain and body in shape. However, more intellectual options, like music or board games, go miles in preventing dementia and other signs of ageing.
Your Time
The obstacles keeping us from doing things we enjoy are often sizable. Profession, family obligations, lack of energy, since we’re constantly tired. Still, finding that corner of your schedule to do the things you truly want can impact your quality of life. Hobbies are anything but a waste of time.
