How Hobbies Help Your Health!
Want to stay physically and mentally active as you get on in years? Need to find some relief from the stress of everyday life? Looking for a way to “get away from it all” by doing something you feel passionate about? Then what are you waiting for – get a hobby!
“A hobby,” you ask? Oh, so you don’t think you have any time for that but you have plenty of time to sit passively in front of the TV for hours on end after working all day. Just what is that doing for you? Nothing, nothing at all.
The truth is having a hobby gives you something to get excited about, something to do that sparks your interest and makes you feel good about yourself.
Picking up a craft, such as scrapbooking, knitting or building model airplanes is therapeutic because it diverts your thinking from any stress or problems you may be experiencing. Hobbies, craft projects and the like also give you a sense of accomplishment when you complete something that shows off your creativity or showcases a particular talent.
And what’s better than making something of beauty and then giving it away, like a soft new baby blanket or an original work of art that appeals to someone special in your life?
Most hobbies require some level of mental activity – this helps to keep the mind active – especially important if you are approaching those “golden years.” But another benefit is social – connecting with like-minded people who enjoy the same things that you do, whether it’s a good game of golf, playing bridge, scrapbooking, bird watching, or taking a brisk walk.
The best type of hobby? One that engages you mentally, physically and socially, so that you achieve multiple levels of fulfillment at the same time, a hobby such as playing tennis or another sport, photography that takes you to different locales, or travelling – these types of activities engage you on all three levels.
Hobbies not only reduce stress, they keep you mentally alert and socially involved with others, in an activity that you are passionate about, enjoy and derive a sense of accomplishment from.
So…what could possibly be bad about that?
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