When life gets overwhelming, it’s sometimes all too easy to disappear behind your screens, scrolling through social media for hours on end. However, dedicating some time to an enjoyable activity could challenge your mind and provide that much-needed variety. And with variety comes rest, relaxation, and a new perspective.
Having a little hobby is good for you! From arts and crafts to getting stuck in a good book, we’ve outlined five of the best mood-boosting hobbies below.
- Cooking and baking
While culinary experts agree that cooking and baking are two very different disciplines, they offer the same benefits for many novices in the kitchen.
It’s easy to get started at home, following step-by-step recipes and using basic supplies to produce delicious creations. The repetitive, almost mechanical steps like stirring, blending and weighing ingredients can feel therapeutic.
Cooking can help to build skills and focus, and producing something you’re proud of could even boost your self-esteem. And sharing your home-cooked delights with family or friends afterwards can feel incredibly rewarding.
- Arts and crafts
The world of arts and crafts presents so many opportunities for a new hobby. Just a few examples of the niche skills you could learn include:
- Bookbinding
- Embroidery
- Papercraft
- Crocheting
- Painting
- Woodworking
You’ll only need a few supplies and a quiet workshop space in your home, perhaps in your garage or summerhouse. With a few papercraft essentials and an organised storage system, you can take on new projects at your own pace too.
- Reading books
Reading is a fantastic method of escapism. If you’d like to get away from it all, you can discover so many different types of books. Visit your local library or bookshop to find the authors, genres and topics that most appeal to you.
On a rainy afternoon or in the garden on a summer morning, reading a book can complete a truly relaxing scene. Why not create your own cosy corner at home with a plush armchair or bean bag, positioned next to the window, or a soft reading lamp? If you find it easier to listen, you could consider buying audiobooks and rest your eyes.
- Exercise outdoors
The mental health benefits of spending time in nature are well documented. Not only could getting outdoors reduce your chances of suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, but there are a wide range of mood-boosting effects when you go outside.
Green spaces are particularly beneficial for our minds, so when you pair spending time outside with moving your body, you’ll feel better all-round.
Whether you choose a low-impact activity like walking or yoga or challenge yourself to a personal best on the bike, you’ll feel better for getting active. Sport is naturally a great way to mix with friends and new people in your community, too.
- Puzzle games
Sometimes, you might want to take a moment to relax and decompress on your own or with some loved ones over a puzzle. This could be crosswords, jigsaws, or classic games like word searches and sudoku.
Puzzles are also very accessible: you can find some on the last few pages of your weekly newspaper, for example. No matter which one you choose, these problem-solving pastimes could help to improve your memory and brain function, helping you concentrate for longer over time.
