There never seems to be enough time in the day to pick up a new hobby. When you think of work, family, chores, and just life in general, taking the time to learn a new skill seems out of reach. But what if picking up a new hobby not only gave you some alone time to focus on yourself, but also improved your overall happiness and quality of life? Check out these 5 hobbies that can help bring happiness into your life!
Yoga
The practice of yoga epitomizes relaxation and oneness with yourself. There are countless benefits of yoga, but one that stands out is a study conducted at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). This study concluded that after an hour of yoga your brain GABA levels spike. Higher GABA levels show reduced depression and anxiety. These factors, as well as the incorporation of breathing and relaxation, has been shown to improve overall happiness. Not to mention yoga improves flexibility and physical strength as well. If you are looking for a hobby to get you in touch with yourself, yoga is the way to go.
Gardening
If you have a green thumb gardening is a great way to get some alone time and reduce stress. A study was conducted by Wageningen University and Research Center on the stress relieving effects of gardening. The study compared groups of people gardening vs. reading and measured cortisol levels. Cortisol, which is also known as the “stress hormone” influences many things including memory, lower immune function, and cholesterol. The study concluded that the group of people who were gardening showed much better cortisol levels than the group who was reading. That is not to say that reading is a bad but gardening is definitely an awesome hobby if you want to reduce stress and improve happiness!
Bowling
There are surprisingly quite a few fitness benefits of bowling. If you enjoy having a bit of a competitive edge when you are picking up a hobby bowling could be the best fit for you. An additional benefit of picking up bowling as a hobby is you are able to bowl both by yourself and with a group of people. If you are in the mood to socialize you can sign up for a league, but if you are wanting some alone time, you can always play a couple rounds by yourself. Bowling not only has physical benefits, but it also exercises your mental toughness as well. This hobby will provide stress relief, improve hand eye coordination and will cater to your competitive spirit. All of those factors are ingredients that can improve your happiness.
Swimming
When you pair the soothing quality of water along with the additional endorphin’s that come with working out, swimming can be an awesome hobby to improve happiness. A study by British Gas SwimBritain conducted by Mindlab International shows taking a periodic swim can increase positive attitudes, sleep quality as well as energy level. These are all factors that play into happiness and quality of life. An added benefit of swimming is that you can ease muscle pain and arthritis with easy pool exercises. If you have access to a pool and can spare an extra moment to take a couple laps, swimming could be the hobby for you.
Photography and Film
Becoming a photographer is an awesome way to get in touch with your surrounding and consider the elements around you. The fine details that go into photographing different scenes can be an awesome platform for fostering creativity. Photography and film can give people an appreciation for their immediate surroundings, which sets photography apart from any other hobby. If you have an appreciation for aerial footage you can also incorporate drones into your photography and film and get a new perspective on this art form. You not only get to immerse yourself in the niche of photography that you enjoy the most, but you acquire beautiful footage and photos to appreciate and reflect on after.
Overall
No matter what hobby you choose, happiness comes from doing things that fulfill you. Whether you are more inclined to meditate and reflect in yoga, or tap into your competitive side with bowling, learning about yourself and trying new things can be the key to your happiness and overall love for life. These are just a few of the many hobbies that can bring your joy, what other hobbies bring you happiness? Let me know in the comments!
