Happiness and Hobbies

​By Kenzie

A hobby is defined in the dictionary as 'an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.' Many people have a lot of different hobbies depending on their interests and what they enjoy doing in their spare time. It could be singing or painting, or it could even be something like cooking or gardening.  

Something that is also widely discussed is whether having a hobby is beneficial and productive. Hobbies can sometimes be seen as a waste of time where, unless there is an end product that can be shown off or displayed, there is no point. Hobbies take up time where someone could be doing their homework, getting extra credit at school, studying, or helping with the housework. While this is true, this doesn't mean that hobbies are useless or a waste of time. They can actually be really beneficial to mental health and a person's mental state. Let me explain why. 

One of my favourite hobbies is amateur dramatics. I love to act and particularly enjoy musical theatre where I get to sing and dance as well as act. When I am on stage, I get the opportunity to forget everything else that I am dealing with in my real life and fully engage with and understand the character I am playing. I feel like as long as I am on that stage, whatever is going on outside can't touch me and is irrelevant. Being on stage makes me happy and sometimes, that time away from focusing on my problems even helps me to see it through a clearer pair of eyes and find a solution.

One way in which having a hobby helps your mental health is by providing a break from thinking about your issues. If you are focusing on something else other than your problems or your feelings, it means you are fully engaged in something else which can take up your time. This can be really helpful for those who struggle with a busy school life as  it means that you can have some 'you' time where you don't have to think about your issues. It's always good to take your mind off things for a little while and then come back to your problems with a clear head and a fresh view. For example, when I was stressed about my exams, I would stop revising and instead watch some YouTube videos. Those videos would relax me, make me laugh and sometimes even give me new ideas on how to revise more effectively.

A second way in which a hobby can be beneficial is that it can be used as a stress reliever. Every human being has what I call a stress container. Everyone's stress container is different sizes and shapes and with this stress container comes a little tap where we can let our stress out if our container is getting full. If our container overflows then that can cause us to feel really overwhelmed and lead to mental health disorders such as anxiety, PTSD or depression. Hobbies are one of the things which we can use to activate our little tap and let some of our stress out so that our container doesn't spill out. Hobbies are a way to unwind and feel more relaxed and better equipped to deal with the stress and problems of everyday life.

A third reason why hobbies are amazing and can make a real difference to our emotional health is that they can help us form connections with other people. Hobbies don’t always have to be something that you do alone. For me, my acting is something I do with a lot of other people who I wouldn’t have met had I not started acting. It's helpful to have a common interest that you can bond over and make a strong connection with. Friends are important and having a hobby can sometimes be one of the best ways to make new friends. Having friends gives you a support system that you can turn to when you are struggling with your mental health and that can be really helpful and beneficial. There are also statistics from a study that found people participating in team sports and team activities were less likely to experience stress, anxiety and depression. If that’s not a great reason to have a hobby, then I don’t know what is! 

These are just three of the benefits of having a hobby but there are so many more. Doing something you enjoy can be both an escape and benefit your mental health. That escape can be the perfect time for you  to take a step back and breathe. So make sure you think about what you enjoy and what hobbies are important to you. You never know, looking at it from a new perspective could help you come up with the perfect solution.​