We often find it difficult to insert quality “me time” or alone time for ourselves in our daily routine. Ask yourself this question: When was the last time you picked up a book or a paintbrush and just let time pass by and get your hands busy with something? If it’s been a while, then you deserve a break. Hobbies are more than just boredom busters to keep you busy when you have nothing to do. It’s also important to take a break and do your hobbies even though you have other “important” things that need to be done such as work, school, etc. Hobbies provide stress relief that can improve your mental health and overall well-being. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of hobbies for stress relief. As a bonus, we will also give you a guide on how to find the perfect hobby for you to indulge in.
Taking a break now and then is just as important as working and performing your other responsibilities. If you’re a hard worker, you deserve a break, too, so do something worthwhile that you enjoy. Having a tight schedule is very draining, so indulging in an activity that you find interesting is a great opportunity to recharge and get inspired. Most hobbies are activities that require creativity and in turn, you’re practicing creativity which you can apply later on in real life.
The Benefits of Hobbies for Stress
1. Provides an emotional outlet:
Regardless of what hobby you’ll be doing–arts, crafts, culinary, baking, sports, etc., they’re a good way to release your inhibitions and even frustrations. Oftentimes, hobbies require creativity, and creativity is usually compelled by our emotions. Healthily releasing your emotions can give you happiness and lead to a better mood. Most research that focused on the benefits of hobbies for stress revealed that people who indulge in activities that they enjoy are less likely to suffer from stress, bad moods, depression, and anxiety.
2. It’s a form of gratification:
Think of hobbies as a reward for yourself for all the hard work and effort that you do throughout the day, the week, and the month. When you allow yourself to absorb the present moment and do the things that you like, you enter into a deep, meditative state where you just forget your worries and focus on the current moment. Thus, the outcome of your hobby is also rewarding which gives a sense of meaning towards your well-being as well as life fun.
3. Gives you a good amount of eustress:
Not all types of stress are bad. Have you ever heard of eustress before? If not, eustress is a type of positive stress that keeps life exciting which creates positive feelings of fulfillment, excitement, meaning, and satisfaction. Remember the feelings of anticipation during your first date? Or going to your first day at your new job? Or welcoming a new life experience? All these things mentioned creating a good amount of eustress that keeps you going and excited about your life. Without it, life would feel futile and boring. Studies about the benefits of hobbies for stress show that activities like painting and cooking create this positive stress through the small challenges that you encounter during the process.
4. Anti-burnout:
A stressful job is very overwhelming which can give you chronic stress which is something you want to avoid. Doing “inputs” or allowing yourself to spend time on reading, writing, making art, and so forth is just as important as your “outputs” such as your job. Both of these need to be prioritized to create a balance not just with your schedule but also with your existence. Life is not just about spending your time in an exhausting job, it’s also about having fun so don’t forget to indulge in your hobbies.
Getting Started: How to Find the Perfect Hobby for You
A quest for new hobbies is also a journey of self-discovery: knowing your interests, the interests you didn’t know you’re into, and knowing your personalities. Now that you know the benefits of hobbies for stress, get started and find a new hobby so that you have time to unwind and de-stress from life. Here are some quick tips that can help you in finding your new hobby:
1. Reclaim your childhood:
Remember the lessons that you took as a child? Or did you create a bucket list of the things that you wanted to do during your younger days? Well, try to recall those things and use them as an inspiration to find your hobby. The pursuits you undertook as a child can be a wonderful hobby that you can do as an adult.
2. Try out the things you really want to do but haven’t done:
If you like to be challenged, then try something new. Do you want to try a new sport like volleyball? Want to do arts and crafts? Venture into the world of fashion? Go on a creative quest with writing? All these interesting things can challenge your creativity and imagination while providing great stress relief to you.
3. Get inspired with your interests:
Love reading? Then try writing. Love films? Then try video editing or even script writing. Love fashion? Then try sewing and fashion design. Been spending time watching cooking tutorials? Then go to the kitchen and cook them yourself. These are just some of the examples that you can do to turn your interests into a rewarding hobby that can give you a sense of meaning, fulfillment, and achievement.
Conclusion
The benefits of hobbies for stress do not only include providing relaxation on a very stressful day. Hobbies can save empty hands and make you feel that life is worth living for and exciting. Regardless of the hobby that you’re about to pursue, we hope that you have fun and enjoy every minute of it.