Can Hobbies Reduce Stress?

Do you have one or more hobbies? How often do you take the time to devote to them? In today´s fast-paced world, it seems that there is never enough time to do obligatory tasks much less, activities that you enjoy. What if I told you that science indicates that people who actively participate in their hobbies regularly have lower stress levels?

Whatever your hobby may be, schedule some time for it to find your Zen. I understand that you may have a busy schedule, but where there is a will, there is a way. Making time for fun-loving activities can increase your productivity level and have many other health benefits.

Does having a hobby reduce stress? Let´s find out the details.

What are hobbies?

Hobbies are activities you love and enjoy doing. Any activity that excites you is fun, calms you down, and puts you in your best mood is worthy of your time. Hobbies are activities that your heart chooses; they are not other obligations.

A good hobby is any activity that touches your heart and makes you smile.

There are over 300 hobbies in the world and four main categories to choose from:

• physical (active)
• creative (artistic, writing)
• cerebral (anything that stimulates the brain, like puzzles)
• community-oriented (charities, churches, and local organizations may offer projects such as quilt-making)

What are the benefits of having a hobby?

How do you feel doing something you love? Content? Peaceful? Happy? Alongside these emotions, there are many other benefits, including health benefits that hobbies reward you with, for example;

• lowers blood pressure
• lowers cortisol level
• reduces stress
• gives an outlet to destress
• increases your sense of worth
• may increase feelings of gratitude
• prevents burnout
• increases focus
• increases problem-managing skills
• may provide an opportunity to discover hidden talents and skills
• excellent form of eustress (especially in learning new skills)

Types of hobbies

Many kinds of hobbies fall under four main categories (physical, creative, cerebral, and community-oriented). The sky is the limit when it comes to hobby choices. You can choose a hobby based on your interests, talents, and personality.

If you are quiet and enjoy peaceful/restful tasks, perhaps reading, scrapbooking, golfing, learning to play a musical instrument, or going for long walks may be appealing to you. Or perhaps, you can´t sit still and enjoy any action-based activity like;

• exercise
• jogging
• running
• kickboxing
• snowshoeing (snow shoes keep you afloat)
• martial arts

Perhaps, these may be right up your alley.

It doesn´t hurt to experiment with different hobbies to see what works best for you. Experiment further to raise your happiness level, reduce stress, and improve your overall health and well-being.

What hobbies can I do if I´m disabled?

Being disabled does not disqualify you from having a hobby. There are many opportunities to engage in fun activities through your local community/organization, which sponsors such activities.

If you are in a wheelchair and can use your upper body functions, you can consider sewing, cross-stitching, embroidery, weaving, bird watching, art/painting, and knitting (clothes/blankets).

What are some unique hobbies to have?

With the vast array of hobby choices available, there are certainly some unique activities within the mix. Some unique hobbies may seem strange, gross, or cringe-worthy, but remember that these very hobbies fascinate other people. Here are some examples of unique hobbies:

• Taxidermy (stuffing and preserving animals)
• Collecting fingernails (no explanation needed)
• Dog grooming (the styling aspect alone pushes your creativity)
• Dumpster diving (the concept of one man´s trash is another man´s treasure taken literally here)
• Soap carving (transforming plain bars of soap into beautiful shapes and forming fascinating works of art)

Conclusion

Hobbies can be any activity that you love doing in your spare time that brings you immense joy. A hobby can be an excellent source of good stress (eustress) as it offers you the platform to develop and fine-tune your natural talents and skills.

There are many hobbies to choose from; it is best to experiment with some hobbies to see if they are a good fit for you. You may have some hidden talent that comes to light by engaging in a new hobby.

Science indicates that hobbies can significantly decrease your stress levels and help keep diseases at bay. Anyone can have a hobby, from kids, teenagers, adults, senior citizens, and the disabled. Increase your level of happiness by doing what you love.

Schedule periods for your hobby/hobbies regularly.

What about you? We would love to hear from you, tell us what you do in your spare time.

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