How Hobbies Can Improve Your Mental Health!
Hey There! Welcome to the blog.
QUOTE
“A friend is like an owl, both beautiful and wise. Or perhaps a friend is like a ghost, whose spirit never dies.” — Unknown
Hello friends, it’s a beautiful day to have a beautiful day. Friends, I hope you are doing well, staying hydrated, taking care of your body and mind, as well as checking in with friends and family. Summer can be lonely too.
My Hobby Life
I’ve had several hobbies over the years. Most are the ones that my parents tolerated and gave me the freedom to try and succeed or fail. I didn’t realize then, [as most teenagers do], that any of these meant anything, so nothing really stuck.
I’ve tried [and was pretty good] at drawing. I’d done a few product piece images in junior high that were good [13-year-old-good], but this hobby took a lot of focus, and really …[teenager here]. I tried writing, but I couldn’t concentrate long enough for that either.
Photography
I liked taking pictures, but at that tender age, it wasn’t anything more than taking candids of my friends [I still have boxes of these now]. Fast forward to my adult years, and as a single Mom, there wasn’t any time, and my focus was taking care of my family.
What I didn’t realize is that a hobby at that juncture would have been helpful in my back-and-forth battle with depression. A productive hobby, project, or collecting things helps your focus because it works both sides of your brain. You gain confidence as you experiment, and if you’re ever having a crappy day, dive into your hobby and decompress for a while.
Having a hobby leads to improved mental health. If your hobby involves physical activity, it’ll lead to reduced stress and lower blood pressure and heart rate. A study that measured both positive and negative psychological stress found that those who took time frequently to do leisure activities that they enjoyed had lower blood pressure, waist circumference, and BMI. [See the full article on WebMD]
It was the love of a past hobby that moved me to enroll in Community College. Through photography came design, and many doors opened to what I could do. Everything that I previously thought was impossible was made possible. For a short time, I restored photos and did some graphic design, but my love of photography stayed with me and has always been that hobby that pulls me up and makes me feel better.
My Lovely Intermissions
[I styled, lighted, shot, and edited these photos, then set them into this mock design. If you want to see more, check out my old website]
There’s no right or wrong, no good or bad it’s just me taking pictures. The doll photography started when I decided to photograph my daughter’s dolls for my final portfolio for a course.
When I became concerned about copyright, I researched and found some ball-jointed dolls. Although not affordable at the time. I started with one through a payment plan and, from there, purchased two more. In college, I did an independent study project exclusively photographing dolls. It was called “Almost Human.”
Ball-Jointed Dolls
Photographing the dolls segwayed into building a house and furnishings, which has now switched to miniatures and the IKEA dollhouse.
So what’s your hobby? What’s that thing you do that makes you feel good? Or are you still looking for something to pass the time? Here are a few simple hobby suggestions to get you started.
- Photography [manual/digital]
- Darkroom Film Processing
- Drawing/Sketching/Coloring
- Cooking/Baking
- Painting
- Writing
- Dance
- Sewing
- Crochet/Knitting
- Woodworking
- Volunteering
- Styling/Design
- Gardening
- Start a collection
- Create a website or blog… to name a few
I have several hobbies all going on at the same time, which is probably a tell-tell sign that maybe I should stop one …but why? When I want to write, I’m on my blog. When I want to create, I’ll work in my dollhouse, and when I want to shoot some film, my environment provides.
Oh, and I can’t forget I’ve tried knitting, but I couldn’t figure that out. Crochet was easier for me, and I’ve made scarves, hats, and dolly blankets. I’ve tried sewing and making curtains, but that was another hobby that I didn’t have the space for. I was also using a kiddy sewing machine, not realizing how expensive sewing machines are.
A few of my current hobbies are shooting film photography; I collect vintage cameras [pictured above]. The fun part is actually searching for the cameras, and not getting any repeat models. Lastly, remodeling and designing dollhouses. If you want to see, my dollhouse progress, check out dollplaceproject.wordpress.com.
What is your beautiful distraction [or hobby]? What do you like doing in your spare time? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you’re looking for a hobby, check out some of the suggestions above, or check your local craft store for ideas.
Thank you for spending a little time with me here today. Don’t forget to subscribe and follow, until next time, beautiful people. — Peace
and start creating your next project
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