The importance of encouraging your loved one to take up a new hobby
Trying to balance a full time job with family commitments is something that we all come to face in our adult life. It’s no secret that when combined, these can take up a large proportion of our time, making it hard to maintain a good social life and keep up with hobbies. After you’ve retired, however, you’re suddenly presented with spare time that you didn’t have before, and this provides the perfect opportunity to both pick up old hobbies and develop new ones.
Reduce stress levels
We all experience stress and anxiety at some point, and these can become more prevalent at particularly negative life events. Picking up a new hobby is a great way to distract the mind, alleviating feelings of stress by focusing the mind on a particular task. Whilst you’re learning something new, your mind has less time – and capacity – to deviate towards unnecessary negative thoughts.
Hobbies not only prevent feelings of stress, but they can also provide an effective outlet in which to project anxiety, where the individual is subconsciously encouraged to translate their worries into a form of mental or physical stimulation.
Present a new challenge
Taking on a new challenge makes way for the potential to work towards a feeling of accomplishment, which, when reached, creates a new sense of motivation to develop skills in other areas.
Mentally challenging hobbies also work in reducing cognitive decline, stimulating and exercising the brain. Activities such as puzzles, reading and learning to play a new instrument can all help to keep the mind active.
Mental health benefits
Learning and mastering a new hobby can instil a real sense of accomplishment, which, in turn, promotes feelings of confidence and increased self-esteem. The social interaction opportunities that come with many hobbies also works to reduce negative emotions and feelings of loneliness.
Picking up a new hobby also encourages the mind to be more creative, promoting mental exercise that ultimately, helps to improve the circadian rhythm and sleep patterns.
Promotes spirituality and staying present
Once you’re truly committed to a task, you can really get in the zone and focus on being in the moment – something we often forget to do in today’s fast paced world. Mentally stimulating hobbies are particularly great for this, such as reading, yoga/meditation and arts/crafts.
Amongst our efforts to look after our physical body, we often forget to pay attention to our spiritual self, ensuring that we are living with intention and purpose. Getting involved in an activity that really means something to you can really emphasise the benefits it has on your physical and mental wellness, whilst helping you realise the things that you truly value.
The benefits that hobbies offer make them more than worth your while, and there really is no better time than the present to try something new.
At Huntington and Langham Estate, we like to encourage our people to try new activities whilst taking every opportunity to engage in social interaction with others. To find out more about how we care for our people, please click here.