Have Time on Your Hands? Renew or Start a Hobby

If you have more time on our hands than you planned, rather than resort to watching too much TV, consider it an opportunity to renew an old hobby abandoned earlier in life due to time constraints.  If your hobby cannot be done from home, maybe it is time to start a new one.  How about something you have always wanted to try but never got around to?     

Even if you do not know how to do the activity, the Internet offers lots of self-help videos to get you started.  For example if you want to learn to “knit,” find videos that walk you through the steps.  You can even join a knitting club for inspiration, which also offers the benefit of connecting to a whole new group of people.  If that’s not your thing, how about starting that novel or poetry book you have always wanted to write?  For feedback and encouragement, connect with a virtual writers’ group that routinely meets to review members’ work.  

Other suggestions for creative things to do at home include forming an online book club with your friends, challenging yourself with a large multi-pieced puzzle, trying your hand at baking, or taking an online dance, martial arts, or aerobics class.  While you are having fun, it is nice to know that regardless of what direction you take, studies show having hobbies can improve our mental health and wellbeing. 

People with hobbies are less likely to suffer from stress, low mood, and depression as these pleasurable activities allow us space to decompress and relax.  Moreover researchers say it doesn’t seem to matter “whether your hobby is creative, academic, athletic, or something personal, the important thing is that you find it meaningful and enjoyable.”

MorningStar of Santa Fe offers the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents.  We invite you to visit our website for more details on the finest senior living in Santa Fe, NM.

Source: https://www.psychreg.org/hobby-mental-health/