If you’ve experienced depression, anxiety, or PTSD this scenario may be one you’ve experienced: exhausted, you find yourself laying in your bed scrolling on your phone unable to get up to complete any chores or tasks you may need to. You may tell yourself to get up, but find it too overwhelming, leading to thinking poorly of yourself, pulling you back to the comfort of your phone and restarting the cycle. If you relate to this, picking up a hobby can help you break out of this cycle, by providing you with dopamine in a healthier way and can help improve your mental health.
Ways hobbies can improve your mental health
Stress reduction
Having a hobby can reduce your stress by giving you a low-stakes task to focus on outside of more stressful tasks such as work or chores. Allowing you to focus on something voluntary that you enjoy can help you wind down from the stress of the day.
Sense of accomplishment
If you struggle with your mental health and are working on building your confidence, picking up a hobby can help you feel a sense of accomplishment. Being able to set goals and completing them connected to your hobby can make you feel in control and improve your mental health.
Increase concentration and focus
Participating in a hobby can improve your concentration by voluntarily focusing on a task. Frequently practicing and honing in your focus will help your concentration in the long run.
Community
Being involved in a hobby opens the door to a new community and people that you may not be exposed to otherwise. No matter the hobby, there are people online and possibly in your local area who participate in the same hobby.
While you may recognize all the benefits of including a hobby in your life, finding a hobby that fits your lifestyle and can help you feel accomplished, may be overwhelming. Depending on your interests there are a variety of hobbies you can explore, here are some hobbies and how they can help improve your mental health.
Hobbies and how they can help your mental health
Music
Learning how to play a new instrument, how to sing, or break down lyrics there are different ways you can interact with music as a hobby. Music has been proven to increase dopamine levels, so implementing it into your routine as a hobby can help your dopamine production. This is also a hobby you don’t have to spend a lot of money on, getting a second-hand instrument or focusing on singing can cut down the money you might spend compared to other hobbies.
Hiking
Physical activity increases your endorphin production which leads to a decrease of stress, so if you’re looking for a hobby that gets you out of the house taking up walking or hiking is a perfect way to do it. You can add pictures of your walk to help you log the different areas you might explore. Also walking can help you connect with a new community, looking into a walking club around you or meeting people organically on your walks.
Reading
If you prefer a hobby that can be done alone or connect with others reading is a great choice. Only 6 minutes of reading can help your stress levels, and completing a book can help you feel a sense of accomplishment. Reading also allows you to process emotions safely, by having a sense of detachment from the situation and emotions that you might find upsetting in real life. If you want to connect with others, reading can help you find people with similar interests who can recommend other books you might enjoy. Searching for a book club online or in person in your area can also help you find and create a community of people with similar interests.
Crocheting
Learning how to crochet can help promote creativity by creating pieces and trying to problem-solve outside of intense environments like work or school. Completing your pieces can give you a sense of accomplishment, giving you a positive feeling connected to your hobby. Also, crocheting can help you focus as you tune into what you’re making and the details that go into making your pieces.
Other hobbies to think about exploring are gardening, board games, and painting. Of course, there is a plethora of hobbies you can explore, and there are many that will fit your interests and lifestyle. It’s important to keep an open mind and try any hobbies you want, you may be surprised which ones intrigue you and which ones aren’t for you.
While hobbies can help you improve your mental health, if you have anxiety, depression, or PTSD that is interfering with your personal and professional life, the best way to improve your mental state is to attend therapy. Routinely going to therapy will help you learn coping mechanisms and techniques to improve your mental health. A therapist can also help guide you in possibly combining your hobby with your coping mechanisms, to get the most out of your therapy sessions. Lifecare Wellness Counseling has empathetic and kind therapists who can help you understand your mental state and how to work towards improving your mental health and starting your healing journey today.
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