In our modern life, it is easy to forget to take some time out while juggling family commitments with a 9-5 job. As research shows, having a healthy mind is linked to having a healthy body.
Hobbies aren’t just about fun and games, they range from discussing your latest book to baking the perfect brioche. Regardless of your hobby, it can have great benefits for your mind, body, social life and even your career.
Hobbies force you to take some time for yourself
Hobbies force you to take a break from your day-to-day stresses and carve out time to devote to yourself. Not all hobbies are play though – some hobbies like reading, writing, designing or learning a new language can keep you productive and instil you with a sense of purpose while having fun. And the more time you devote to become immersed in your hobby, the more satisfaction and sense of achievement you can get out of it.
Hobbies provide a way to declutter your mind
Hobbies can keep you in the moment, taking your mind away from stressful thoughts and focusing on an activity you enjoy. While not all hobbies offer the same level of mental or physical engagement, hobbies help you practice mindfulness techniques without even realising it. Some of the more popular hobbies for decluttering your mind include meditation, knitting, sewing, painting, drawing and cooking.
Hobbies keep you in better physical health
Physical hobbies can be a great way to keep in shape. Hobbies such as gardening, hiking, dancing, yoga, sports or fitness can keep us active without the feeling of an obligatory trip to the gym. Turning exercise into a hobby will also have flow-on effects from increased confidence, increased energy levels and an overall increase in your physical health.
Hobbies can open up your world
Hobbies can encourage you to stretch the limits of your imagination, see the world in a new way or provide you with the mental space to come up with great ideas. When you devote yourself to a hobby, you take on new challenges that motivate you to learn new ways to improve. Hobbies not only satisfy a curious mind, but can also put you in touch with a completely new community of people, allowing you to broaden your experiences and your social life.
Hobbies can boost your career
Hobbies can also help you boost your career. Facebook founder and hobby advocate Mark Zuckerberg makes a point to ask any prospective employees about their hobbies. Zuckerberg claims that hobbies and side projects are one of the best ways for people to show passion and leadership in their professional lives. Hobbies don’t just enable you to be multi-skilled, they can also help you better manage stress and to think creatively at work. Certain hobbies can also help you bring in additional income, maybe even turn into a full-time job or new business enterprise – remember, Facebook started out as a hobby!
The benefits for each hobby will differ depending on what devote your time to and how much passion you put into it. But one thing is for certain, hobbies can have several benefits that will help you in the short and long term. If you’re after some inspiration for your next hobby, why not browse our full range of short courses?