The Joy of Hobbies: How Pursuing Passions Enhance Well-Being

With the demands of daily life, finding time for ourselves can slip away. Amid work, family, and other requirements of living a full life, often there’s not much room left for creativity or even to do the other things we love. Hobbies are usually the first things that slip through the cracks when our life gets busy. No matter the activity, we all deserve to do something just for us. Whether it’s getting back into an old hobby or start pursuing something new, partaking in an activity that brightens our mood is a vital step in easily pursuing a more positive well-being.

Promote Mental Health and Mindfulness

It's a simple message: do what you love. Regularly engaging in activities that genuinely make us happy can have a positive impact on our overall well-being. According to wellness writer Anna Borges, the benefits of hobbies extend beyond the physical participation in the hobby itself but can be more effective in ways that positively affect you psychologically and emotionally. Borges writes for SELF, “a lot of the reasons hobbies are so great for us have less to do with a specific activity, and more to do with the act of having one at all. For starters, doing something for pleasure engages your brain’s trusty reward system. You do something you enjoy, feel-good chemicals are released, and boom, there’s your prize in and of itself.”

How exactly does that work?

When we take part in activities that bring us pleasure and enjoyment, it signals our brain to release endorphins. Endorphins make-up our body’s feel-good chemicals that generate a natural sensation of happiness triggered by positive stimuli. No matter the hobby, doing activities that relate to our personal interests will, in turn, result in a mood-boosting response that can expand our positive mental health practices. Engaging in a hobby, or even several, allows us to dedicate focused time to the activity, which in turn helps us practice mindfulness. While it can be difficult to find time every day for hobbies, committing either weekly or monthly to something one enjoys can help the mind concentrate better. It’s a great way to start finding moments that encourage a healthy work-life balance and benefit our mental health.

Benefit Our Cognitive Function

Certain hobbies are both beneficial to our mental health and can also assist in improving our cognitive functions as well. Hobbies such as playing an instrument, completing puzzles, even doing daily Wordles. These types of activities are a great way to integrate critical thinking skills into completing a personal practice one enjoys. Certain hobbies can improve our vital cognitive functions such as memory, motor skills and our attention span. The best part about these types of hobbies is they can either be minimally time consuming or extended to long-term, depending to one’s preference. For example, a quick activity to start engaging our brain can be doing a daily crossword or downloading a problem-solving game on our phones. In addition to this, we can also choose to have a hobby surrounding adopting a new personal skill, like learning a new language or learning to sew by ourselves. By expanding our brain’s intelligibility and neuroplasticity – reorganization of our brain’s connection response – through interactive hobbies, it can overall lessen the levels of brain fog and provide more mental clarity to the other tasks we need to complete throughout the rest of our day.

If that’s something of interest, take advantage of some of Venngo’s favourite offers for learning a new skill including Rosetta Stone, Spanish in Durham Language School, Expressive Language Center, and Harmonic Melodies Music.

Gain New Social Circles

 Hobbies don’t always have to be a solo activity! Many people choose to engage in hobbies amongst the company of others. This can be within a range of pastimes; for instance, for board game enthusiasts try joining in on a group game at Snakes and Lattes or, book a seat at a crafting class at DIY Craftery & Lounge, or get supplies for your community center’s group painting programs at DeSerres. Our personal interests can help us bond with like-minded people. So, why not take advantage of not just expanding your skill set but expanding your social circle?

If you are looking for hobbies that take you outdoors, signing up for team events within your community is a great way to incorporate a new personal activity with opportunities to engage in new relationships. Check out perks such as Wacky Walks and Crazy Dash that host scavenger hunt events that encourage collaboration, teamwork and fun challenges, thus facilitating meeting new people and strengthening friendships.

Stimulate Your Creativity

 Creative expression can often get lost throughout our everyday mundane tasks. Hobbies, however, are a fantastic way to reclaim some of our self-expression and explore new creative practices. The best thing about finding a creative hobby is the chance to make it our own! Creativity knows no boundaries and there are tons of offers that can assist you in finding your next artistic venture. Don’t know where to start? Here are some potential ideas to get your creativity flowing:

• For those who love fashion try out some classes at Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy.
• If you want to pursue your love of photography, check out Venngo’s perks for Canon, Apple and Samsung for some new equipment. With technological advancement, you don’t need to invest in the latest photography paraphernalia as a beginner. Take it step by step, a smartphone can produce really great quality photography and videos.
• If you are thinking of starting a new home improvement project, look at Home Hardware for discounts on supplies.

Physical Health Improvements

It’s a known fact that taking the time to get our body moving is essential to our daily physical health however, it can feel boring for some. If you are someone who enjoys working out but find it boring or repetitive. Combining movement passions such as dance, or cycling, into your regular exercise routines is a great way to get your daily exercise without feeling bored. For example, consider taking regular dance tutorials with YouDance, going on an at-home bike ride with offers on a NordicTrack, or participate in a drop-in session at Toprock Climbing.

Fun with the Family

While it is important to take time for yourself to do the things you love, it is always nice to incorporate spending time with the family whenever you can. One great way to try out different hobbies with your family is taking advantage of Tiqets to book new adventures at different museums, theme parks, and community activities around the world. If you want something just for the kids to explore, look into these perks including Synergy Music Academy and My Music Centre that offer exclusive classes to youth centered around discovering hobbies for themselves.

Hoping this blog helped you ignite your inner hobbyist! As we’ve seen, hobbies play a crucial role in enhancing our well-being by providing a creative outlet, reducing stress, and enriching our personal growth. Engaging in activities we enjoy outside of work or daily responsibilities allows us to recharge, improve our skills, and foster a sense of accomplishment. Whether it's a solo pursuit or a social activity, hobbies help us strike a balance between productivity and relaxation, ultimately supporting a healthier, more fulfilling life.

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