While we might not have been diagnosed with anxiety by a professional, I’m sure we all experienced some of the symptoms. We live in a time where we are constantly overwhelmed by different information. It is easy to feel overstimulated and restless. With the current situation in the world and all the negative news that media is trying to occupy our minds with, the social media that once was a place to escape the world is now trapping us into getting into an even bigger black hole.
We often forget that there are so many more beneficial ways to spend our time. It is in our control to choose the activities that can help us reduce stress and overstimulation. Here are a few hobbies that you can pick up today to relax and unwind from all the things happening around us.
1. Reading Before Bed
If you struggle with insomnia or have trouble waking up in the morning then reading before bed might be one of the ways to cure it. I know that it is easier to pick up your phone and scroll through social media and then when you check your clock it is past your bedtime and you don’t even feel tired.
What we do before we go to sleep has a big impact on our health. Replacing screen time with a book will distract your mind and help it relax. I would especially recommend this if you are an overthinker who has trouble falling asleep as your mind is constantly racing with thoughts and scenarios.
Here are just a few of the benefits:
- Reduces stress
- Increases knowledge
- Improves vocabulary
- Help Maintain cognitive function
2. Watercoloring
When was the last time you did watercoloring? Most people haven’t done it since school days. Well, now is a great time to pick up watercolors, brushes, and a piece of paper. One of the reasons watercoloring can help reduce anxiety is the fact that it requires focused attention on colors, brushstrokes, and overall composition.
This will help you shift your focus away from all the thoughts that have been stressing you out. After just a few minutes you will notice that your body and mind are starting to relax and be present in the moment.
3. Puzzling
This is another fun and engaging hobby you can do by yourself or with friends and family. There are so many different puzzles you can pick up and start completing. I personally really enjoy wooden jigsaw puzzles that have irregularly shaped puzzle pieces. It makes you focus and concentrate on each piece but also the picture as a whole.
There is of course the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that you feel when you complete a puzzle. This is also a great hobby as you don’t have to finish the whole puzzle in one go. You can always come back to it when you feel like your mind needs some positive stimulation.
4. Chess
I know that it might seem like chess is complex to understand let alone play. Well, it is not as hard as you think it is. Once you pick up the rules it can be a fun way to spend your time. The fun part of chess lies in its complexity. It requires you to solve problems and find creative solutions.
This can help to improve problem-solving skills in other areas of life. Regularly playing chess can help to improve memory and concentration as you need to remember the positions of pieces and plan several moves. If you don’t have a physical chess board you can always play online.
5. Hiking or Walking
While this might not even sound like a hobby to some people, there are a lot of those who don’t take time out of their day to purely go on a long walk in nature. One thing is walking because you need to go somewhere and it’s a completely different thing to go on a walk with the intent to spend time in nature and move your body.
Being in nature and focusing on the physical sensations of walking or hiking can help bring your mind into the present moment, which can lead to reducing anxious thoughts and worries that probably make you stressed. If you don’t feel comfortable taking long walks by yourself hiking or walking with friends or family can provide social support and reduce feelings of isolation.
These are just a few of many interesting and mindful hobbies you can start doing today if you want a more relaxed and stress-free life. Feeling overwhelmed is inevitable in today’s world but that doesn’t mean that we can’t take our mental health and pieces into our own hands and do things that are beneficial for both our mind and body.
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