Raise your hand if you’ve ever found yourself doomscrolling until your eyes hurt.
You have lots of company.
To make matters worse, unless you have nothing but cute kittens and puppies in your feed, the content you consume online can leave you feeling anxious, numb, depressed, or up to there in FOMO.
But being online is so accessible, and ditching the internet entirely isn’t exactly realistic. So how can you navigate the digital world in a way that nourishes your mind? What can you do instead to enjoy your spare time and be a little kinder to yourself?
That’s where hobbies come in!
Hobbies and interests allow you to have fun and connect with others, but did you know they also provide you with many health benefits?
Whether you’re looking for friendship, an absorbing interest to fill your spare time, or want to release some stress, hobbies can help!
What qualifies as a hobby?
Anything that you do for fun counts as a hobby. According to WebMD, a hobby is any “activity that you frequently do for pleasure during your leisure time,” regardless of your expertise level. These can include creative, intellectual, and physical pursuits.
Whether it’s something as interactive as gaming or playing basketball, as engaging as painting, playing the guitar, or reading, or more passive, like watching movies or following your favorite baseball team, anything that absorbs and entertains you during your spare time counts as a hobby.
A hobby can relax or challenge you, depending on what you want to achieve. Sometimes it’s the first step to making a dream come true, such as playing bass in a band or seeing your photograph on display in a gallery. But the great thing is, you can decide. If you just want to spend quietly enjoyable personal time on your hobby, that’s fine. If you want to share your interest with others or aim for mastery, that’s fine too!
Mental health benefits of hobbies
If you’ve been struggling with your mental health, hobbies might help you feel better.
According to psychiatrist Svetlana Famina, MD, hobbies can “distract us from negative thoughts, which may generate negative feelings that lead to mental illness.”
She also says, “recreational activities help us avoid boredom and burnout, both of which can lead to depression.”
Research also suggests that actively participating in hobbies helps us reduce stress. In a recent survey conducted by the Australian Psychological Society, four in five participants found that spending time on a hobby was an effective way of managing stress. Another study done in New Zealand found that engaging in creative activities can lead to a long-term, improved sense of wellbeing.
Hobbies can also help you curb loneliness, offering opportunities to seek out a small community of like-minded people. As you share your interests with others, you’re forming
What if I don’t have any hobbies?
Believe it or not, you’re not alone. In a 2016 survey conducted by aytm, 15% of 1000 participants said they “didn’t have hobbies”.
The reasons differ: some say they don’t have the time for it, while others say they are active online and never really cultivated an interest or a hobby. Some people may not consider their preferred activities to be ‘hobbies,’ e.g. walking, working out, or watching a favorite TV series.
If you don’t feel you have specific interests or pastimes, but would like to find one, here are some examples and recommendations:
- Think about things you liked doing in childhood: What were your favorite activities when you were a child? Did you color for hours, enjoy dance lessons, or prefer playing soccer? Think about favorite school subjects, clubs, sports, and activities. What childhood or school interests could turn into personal hobbies?
- Indoors or outdoors? Do you love being out in nature, or do you prefer staying in the cool comfort of A/C, especially given our south Florida summers? It’s important to be honest with yourself: before you take up half-marathon training, be sure you can stand the heat!
- Take a quiz: If you’re really stuck, you can try an online quiz! A great starting point is a personality assessment. The MBTI test can be a good starting point to learn more about yourself and find out what type of activities you might like. If you just want a quiz that suggests hobbies for you to try, this one suggests a variety of options, and explains the reasons why!
- Try an activity with a friend: Ask a friend to do a hobby ‘show and tell’ for you — a great way to try out an activity, find out why your friend enjoys it, pick up some tips, and spend time with your friend as well!
Seven hobby ideas to get you started
- Journaling: A simple but meaningful hobby, journaling allows you to both express and de-stress yourself. According to research from 2018, journaling helps you reduce stress and anxiety, improves your mood, and lowers your blood pressure. Write about your day, your feelings, your goals, or anything else! If you want to get started but aren’t sure how, you can try these prompts aimed at improving your mental health. Or check out this list of 31 additional ideas if you want to write something a little different!
- Cooking: Not only is cooking a fun activity, whether solo or with friends, it’s also a great life skill! Research suggests that cooking improves our mood, self-esteem, and socialization skills. By learning how to prepare your own recipes, you can create a healthy diet that’s richer in ingredients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and protein, which help your overall mood and health.
- Exercising: If you enjoy being active, why not try a new kind of workout? Whether outdoors or indoors, the possibilities are endless. Activities like team sports, pickleball, Pilates, martial arts, biking, climbing, and yoga are great ways to use your free time and meet other enthusiasts, while taking care of your physical and mental health! Exercising lowers anxiety, relieves symptoms of depression, and boosts your motivation.
- Visual arts: Many people often feel intimidated by artsy hobbies like photography, drawing, and painting because they don’t think they have either the skills or the talent, but don’t let that deter you from trying it! Take an art course, visit or follow one of the many free online art instruction videos available. If you want to ease into it, try a “Paint By Numbers Kit”. These numbered canvases let you create wonderful illustrations with a little help!
- Gardening: Nothing rewards your hard work like gardening! This hobby is fun even for apartment dwellers. Creating an indoor, balcony, or outdoor garden can reduce your negative thoughts, boost your self-esteem, and improve your concentration. Start small by buying an easy-to-care-for indoor plant and tending to it, and gradually move on to other plant varieties, flowers, vegetables, and fruits; or you can buy some seeds and grow plants from scratch! If you don’t know where to begin, your library can help, and Better Homes & Gardens has a guide for gardening beginners!
- Fishing: For nature lovers, fishing can be a great way to spend time outdoors and relax with friends or family. This hobby keeps you physically active, helps increase your vitamin D intake by being outside, and can give you a renewed sense of purpose. To get started, check out the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service’s guide to fishing!
- Scrapbooking: Highlight and display memories in a meaningful and creative way through scrapbooking! This hobby offers you many options as it can be done inside or outside, with friends or on your own, and of course, gives your imagination full rein as you decide how you will immortalize those special moments. Scrapbooking provides a sense of accomplishment and a way to channel your emotions and relive your memories. To get started with your scrapbook project, check out these prompts and get inspired!
Though we only listed seven here, there are tons of other hobbies to try! Use your imagination and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and venture into an activity you’ve never done before.
And remember that hobbies are about having fun! Don’t stress over whether you’re good or bad at something. Set goals if you want, but above all, your pastime should be a way to relax, enjoy yourself, make good use of your free time, and create positive memories and feelings.
Need more help?
Here at The Bougainvilla House, we’ll provide you with safe and compassionate care as you learn to cope and lead a healthier life. To start your healing journey, call us at (954)-764-7337.