HOW HAVING MORE HOBBIES CAN HELP YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

A hobby is considered a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, especially during one’s leisure time. Hobbies take us out of our daily routine and give us a chance to do something we are passionate about. But, this is not the only reason why you should have a hobby, studies show that having a hobby also improves your mental health. I am not the only person saying this, even Harvard Medical Journal posted an article on this.

How do hobbies improve your mental health?

Hobbies are enjoyable activities and doing any enjoyable activity activates the brain's reward system. This is a do work-enjoy pleasure system in our brain. When you engage in a hobby and experience a positive outcome like learning a new skill and completing something you initially thought was hard, your brain releases dopamine. Dopamine is the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter which gives you pleasure. Dopamine reinforces the activity, which makes you want to repeat it and makes you motivated to pursue your hobby. This is a cycle of dopamine release and increased motivation, creating a positive feedback loop. Hobbies help in the following ways:

1. Stress Reduction- By the release of more dopamine, which is the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter.

2. Cognitive benefits- When you do something you enjoy consistently, especially new hobbies, you create new neural connections. This can replace negative patterns in your life with new positive patterns.

3. Emotional Benefits- Different hobbies allow adaptability which helps in emotional resilience. 

4. Identity Formation- Individuals develop a more complex sense of self by having hobbies

5. Social connectivity with community hobbies

Why should you have more hobbies?

Hobbies give you a purpose outside of your everyday life. Life is not just about completing your assignments and studying for tests, having a life outside school is important too. Research shows that every person should have at least three hobbies. The first one should improve your physical health, the second one should make you more creative and the third one should improve your intellect. Having three hobbies that target different parts of your life can help you become a well-rounded person.

Some examples of hobbies:

1. Creative hobbies:

2. Art and craft projects like embroidery, painting or digital art

3. Writing projects like journaling, blogging or poetry

4. Music projects like playing an instrument or songwriting

5. Fashion projects like sketching clothes or styling looks

6. Hobbies for your physical health

7. Sports like soccer, football or tennis

8. Fitness activities like yoga, pilates or running

9. Wellness practices like tai chi or stretch routines

10. Intellectual hobbies

11. STEM projects like robotics or coding

12. Language learning from Duolingo, sign language practice or reading manuscripts from a different languages

13. Model UN, science fairs or olympiads

14. Hobbies for socializing

15. Volunteering in hospitals, animal shelters or food banks

16. Creating a Youtube channel

17. Organizing events

Hobbies are crucial for our well-being and should not be considered a waste of time. After all, how we perform at school or work depends on our physical health and our physical health is dependent on our mental health.  Encouraging children to have multiple hobbies from a very young age, not only helps them have a sense of self, but also helps them cope from emotional stress and trauma.

Works Cited

1. Solan, Matthew. “10 Habits for Good Health.” Harvard Health, 1 May 2024,www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/10-habits-for-good-health.

2. 2. Pressman, Sarah D., et al. “Association of Enjoyable Leisure Activities with Psychological and Physical Well-Being.” Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 71, no. 7, 10 July 2009, pp. 725–732, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863117/,https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0b013e3181ad7978.

3. Zulyniak, Sara, et al. “The Association of Recreational and Non-Recreational Physical Activity with Mental Health: A Canadian Cross-Sectional Analysis.” Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, vol. 1, Dec. 2020, p. 100021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2020.100021.