A guest blog by Cheryl Conklin.
Having a hobby comes with numerous benefits. According to one study, enjoying leisurely activities can boost both your physical and psychological well-being. In fact, people with hobbies report lower depression, greater life satisfaction and even had lower levels of blood pressure than people who did not have a hobby. The best part? Learning a new skill is a great way to exercise your brain and engage in personal development. By setting small and realistic goals, you can also increase your confidence. So, pick a hobby and get started today.
Learn to play a musical instrument
Did you know that playing music with others is a great way to strengthen social bonds? It encourages us to cooperate with other people and practice empathy. Although many people learn to play music from a young age, Huffington Post claims that learning an instrument as an adult can be even easier. A lifetime spent listening to music gives you a solid foundation for understanding its structure. You also have better self-discipline, focus and the advanced understanding necessary to take on abstract concepts.
Online lessons are a flexible way to learn music at your own leisure. You’re able to practice music at your own pace but still receive direction and structure from a professional. When it comes to buying an instrument, you don’t have to go with the common guitar or piano. Many adults enjoy learning the cello, tuba, or flute. Head to your local music store and ask them about their beginner instruments. For example, beginner flutes are made to minimize the reach required by your fingers.
Get into DIY crafts and home improvement
Becoming a DIY (do it yourself) enthusiast is easy. Once you experience the pride of creating something with your own two hands instead of paying someone else to do it, you won’t be able to stop. Eventually, you’ll have a wide set of DIY skills that will allow you to tackle home repairs or create quick handmade presents for friends on the fly. To get started, look for YouTube tutorials on the types of décor or crafts you want to create. You may be lucky enough to find DIY classes at your local DIY store where you can learn from painting techniques to how to install windows.
Get your hands dirty
Gardening is loved around the world by people of all ages. According to Eartheasy, it’s a highly therapeutic and rewarding way to spend your time, making it the perfect hobby. And, the Internet is full of amazing resources to help you learn about soil types, watering schedules, what plants to grow together, or how to design an efficient garden.
Living in an apartment? You don’t even need a backyard to garden. Engage in container gardening on your patio, or rent a lot in your community garden. Some of the easiest plants to grow for beginners include peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. If you’re worried about raising plants from seed, head to your local garden center and pick up some seedlings to transplant.
Learn how to cook amazing meals with simple ingredients
If you’re bored with your usual staple meals, learning to cook can widen your culinary horizons immensely. For example, simply knowing how to build flavour in a dish with garlic and onion can add new dimensions to your food. The next time you have a free evening, get together with friends and sign up for a cooking class. This allows you to have tons of fun while learning how to make a couple of new, unique dishes that you can replicate at home. If you want to get your kids involved, check out this guide by BBC Good Food for advice on teaching cooking skills to kids of various ages.
Having a hobby comes with numerous benefits
Having a hobby comes with numerous benefits – it’s a great way to spend your free time feeling productive. Even if none of these sounds appealing to you, there’s bound to be something you enjoy. For example, more leisurely activities including reading, writing and photography. Try some different things until you find a hobby you feel passionate about and start feeling the benefits. Over at Lucidity we took up improv and check out what we learned here.
Cheryl Conklin is a freelance writer and tutor by trade and a blogger, adventurer, traveler, and creator of Wellness Central in her free time. She created Wellness Central because she believes one can’t have physical health without mental health and vice versa.