Finding The Perfect Hobby
By guest blogger Natalie Martin
Hobbies offer us a break from the everyday pressures of life. It’s so vital we find something that truly makes us happy, rather than simply just settling for work. Find the right hobby for yourself and you could enhance your general knowledge, improve your fitness and make new friends. After all, what we do outside of work can often attribute to our successes in the professional world.
Music
The majority of us have attempted to learn a musical instrument at least once in our lifetimes, whether it was the reorder in little school or wanting to bash the life out of some drums come the teenage years. I know I struggled to maintain my passion for the recorder, it soon got left under the bed to gather large amounts of dust. If I’m honest, one of my biggest regrets is not putting time into learning a new instrument, such as the piano or guitar. I’m an incredibly musical person who generally can’t do anything without being plugged in, so why was I so lazy when it came to giving it a go a myself? Learning an instrument is a sure way to impress those around you, not to mention the satisfaction you’ll gain yourself if you stick with it. Recent studies suggest that both learning and playing an instrument has several positive effects on your brain. You’ll feel much more relaxed and stress free, something we could all do with in today’s busy modern lifestyle. Other reasons to invest time into learning a new instrument is the positive effects it will have on you IQ levels.
Reading
Another hobby that is sure to keep you mentally stimulated, with signs of slowing and possibly even preventing the side effects of both Alzheimer’s and Dementia, is reading regularly. Keeping your brain active and engaged will inevitably prevent it from losing power, something I’d say my brain is certainly guilty of from time to time. Just like any other muscle in your body, your brain requires exercising; the difference is that this exercise can be done from the comfort of your bed.
Blogging
Once you’ve made reading a regular part of your every day life, your vocabulary is sure to improve, which will also improve your writing skills greatly. Blogging is a fantastic pastime for me and I’d certainly consider it as a hobby by this point. It’s a sure way to offload any stresses, worries or queries and in the process, potentially help another in need. Blogging has fast become a huge business, opening up a whole host of new opportunities to make a living on the internet. I personally find that when I write an article for my blog, I pay a lot more attention to the details of an event or perhaps my opinion on a topic, as opposed to if it just entered my mind. It’s a great way to further understand and acknowledge exactly what you’ve been doing, something that is very important I feel. Use your blog as your diary making entries around 2–3 times a week, gradually writing will become habit and you’ll find it much easier and more natural.
Photography
We all know the benefits of having photographs to document those important and special moments in our lives. It’s common now to see people ditching their professional photography cameras and opting for their smartphone camera instead. I’m not against this movement, I think so long as you’re taking photographs, you are seeing good in the world. However, wouldn’t it be great if this was made into a hobby and you invested time into learning the ropes of a professional-standard camera.
Sport
Without stating the obvious here, sport hobbies will of course help demolish that extra-layer you’ve been working on over the colder months. It’s time to get out of there and burn some calories, make friends and reduce stress. It seems that a running theme here is reducing stress. If you find great comfort and joy in your new hobby, your enjoyment will naturally relive you of any built up tension. Sports activities will encourage you to push yourself to new limits that perhaps before you were not aware you could achieve. Being more active in the day also helps create much more satisfying night’s sleep, so just ensure you leave enough time to wind down before hitting the hay.
Originally posted on Medium.