Hobbies/Fun
When we're taking care of others it can be so consuming that we lose touch with what we like to do for fun and relaxation. Some of the most emotional conversations I've had with caregivers have been about this. They tell me they're stressed, tired, and need a break. I ask them what they like to do, and they open their mouths to speak, but nothing comes out. It's been so long since they've done something for themselves that they forget! Letting your responsibilities separate you from what makes life fun for you isn't healthy for anyone.
Hobbies for Health? Yes!
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Hobbies are fun---and also beneficial to your health and wellbeing! Escaping for even a little while in gardening, doing a crossword puzzle, or working on a sewing project helps to relieve stress, and increase self-esteem.
Hobbies are great distractions from everyday worries. Allowing yourself to get lost from time to time in something you really enjoy doing makes you a healthier, happier person. If you're not sure what you'd like to do, think back to when you were a child. What did you like to do then? Bake? Build things? Draw? Do puzzles? Chances are good if it made you smile then, it will now, too. Studies show a link between hobbies that stimulate the brain, like reading, playing cards and games, and doing puzzles---and a decreased risk of memory loss. Researchers go as far as saying that mind-building hobbies may actually prevent Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia! |
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Top Stress-Busting Hobbies
1. Hand-Made Crafts: painting, embroidery, scrapbooking, anything that makes you feel happy and relaxed. Projects like these require your thought and attention. One medical study of heart patients found that heart rate, blood pressure, and perspiration rate went down while participants worked on crafts.
2. Gardening: Being outside working with growing living things is a wonderful form of self-expression. Many people report feeling at peace while designing and planting a garden---even outdoor chores like weeding and raking leaves have been shown to provide stress-relief.
3. Playing with a Pet: Research shows pets provide wonderful social support. You've probably heard about the benefits of the "unconditional love"-kind of relationship that comes with caring for a pet. Health care centers and Hospices are paying attention to this research, and many offer Pet Therapy sessions. If you don't feel you have time to keep a pet yourself, many animal shelters welcome volunteer dog-walkers, etc.
4. Photography: You don't need a big, fancy, expensive camera to experience the positive feelings that can come when you shut out everything else around you and look at the big world through a tiny lens for a few minutes. Focusing in on something in that way allows you to more fully see and appreciate the beauty in life around you.
5. Physical Activity/Sports: If you're able to bowl, or ski, or walk with a friend or two, you're getting multi-health benefits. The activity itself, of course, will strengthen your body and brain, as well as trigger hormones in the brain that will help to relieve stress. Doing the activity with others helps self-esteem and confidence by allowing you to feel part of a healthy, positive group.
1. Hand-Made Crafts: painting, embroidery, scrapbooking, anything that makes you feel happy and relaxed. Projects like these require your thought and attention. One medical study of heart patients found that heart rate, blood pressure, and perspiration rate went down while participants worked on crafts.
2. Gardening: Being outside working with growing living things is a wonderful form of self-expression. Many people report feeling at peace while designing and planting a garden---even outdoor chores like weeding and raking leaves have been shown to provide stress-relief.
3. Playing with a Pet: Research shows pets provide wonderful social support. You've probably heard about the benefits of the "unconditional love"-kind of relationship that comes with caring for a pet. Health care centers and Hospices are paying attention to this research, and many offer Pet Therapy sessions. If you don't feel you have time to keep a pet yourself, many animal shelters welcome volunteer dog-walkers, etc.
4. Photography: You don't need a big, fancy, expensive camera to experience the positive feelings that can come when you shut out everything else around you and look at the big world through a tiny lens for a few minutes. Focusing in on something in that way allows you to more fully see and appreciate the beauty in life around you.
5. Physical Activity/Sports: If you're able to bowl, or ski, or walk with a friend or two, you're getting multi-health benefits. The activity itself, of course, will strengthen your body and brain, as well as trigger hormones in the brain that will help to relieve stress. Doing the activity with others helps self-esteem and confidence by allowing you to feel part of a healthy, positive group.
