Introduction
When life becomes too overwhelming, your hobbies can help you relax. Doing something you enjoy outside of work and life stressors can be beneficial for your mental health. Having hobbies can; lower anxiety, decrease stress levels and act as a coping mechanism for depression.
Life can be manic!
It goes without saying that COVID-19 bought millions of people to a standstill. As a result of this, people had more downtime than ever, but the real question is, how do you divide that downtime into something meaningful? Those people that are used to working full shifts, at a busy workplace might have found the transition to nothing very hard. And this is okay, it’s what we do with this ‘newfound normal’ that is important!
Balance
It is SO important to have a work-life balance, so that you are not working too much/little or having too much/little leisure time. All work and no play can be detrimental to our lives. Hobbies are a great way to decompress after a long day at work or to be done on your day off. When life becomes too overwhelming, your hobbies can help you compartmentalise and find a path through all the madness. They help to create a life outside of work. You are doing something you enjoy without any of the pressures of the outside world. It can be less structured and formal than work or school and it is these aspects that mean hobbies have such a positive outcome on our lives.
Why find a hobby?
In addition, hobbies can also increase your interaction with other people and the value you can bring to each other. This is particularly important if you live/work alone and are seeking human interaction- which is completely normal and justified. Also, when you find a new hobby, you can sometimes share this with your friends or family which promotes more shared time with loved ones. Lastly, hobbies can often teach you things that can have a positive impact on your life. The knowledge you could gain from a hobby will stay with you for a lifetime, meaning you can utilise these new found attributes or pass them onto other people wanting to learn and are trying find something they enjoy.
Finding the right hobby for you
Not every hobby will be a good fit for you. Choosing one that is all about your interest outside of work is fundamental in finding something to enhance your life. If you’re deskbound for work but love being active & outdoors choosing something that meets those criteria is hugely advantageous. Maybe you work by yourself and crave the interaction of other people, a hobby that includes a group of people can be perfect for you. On the other hand, if you are constantly interacting with people and want some YOU time a singular hobby could benefit you. Or if your job means you’re running at 100mph all day every day and quieter, more laid back hobby could be ideal!
Thank you for reading this week’s blog, if you’d like to talk about finding you a hobby that works with your life & needs then do feel free to have a chat with me! Remember, time for yourself in crucial in creating a better version of yourself so ensure there is balance in your life and that YOU are controlling the controllables.
Liv
BSc Hons Sports Therapy MSST
MSc Strength and Conditioning
07761887778
@injuryrecoverycentre
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