The Most Popular Stress-Reducing Hobbies
We all know that stress can harm our health. It leads to anxiety, depression, and anger, and this unpleasant feeling upsets our bodily systems both mentally and physically. While most activities cannot entirely rid the stressor from our lives, they can distract us for a while—and, sometimes, that distraction provides exactly what we need. Practice a little self-care with the most popular stress-reducing hobbies.
Knitting
When knitting, we repeat a pattern over and over. Amazingly, besides simply being a relaxing motion, our brains enjoy that steady, repetitive flow. It’s a great way to calm fidgety hands.
As a bonus, knitting creates beautiful gifts for friends and family; plus, this generational art form can help us get in touch with the past.
Gardening
Science has taught us that “touching the earth” is a stress reliever, and that is just one of the many benefits of gardening.
Not only are healthy vegetables enjoyable when harvested, but the entire process from beginning to end will reduce your stress.
In late winter, you can peruse the seed catalog while deciding what to grow. Then, before gardening season starts, indoor sowing can begin, which gives us hope for the warmer weather and sunshine. Finally, we can plant and enjoy the rich soil and fresh air.
Jewelry Making
Like knitting, creating jewelry for friends and family is a wonderful gift. This is especially true when using gems and crystals, which are considered to each have their own meaning; with that extra layer of thoughtfulness, you can create something truly unique.
The process itself, with its intricate details, calms your demeanor and improves your mental and emotional health.
Puzzles
Nothing can cause one to become lost for hours quite like a puzzle waiting to be solved. Jigsaw puzzles give us the perfect way to get our minds off other things in life and get lost for a while.
Puzzles are wonderful because they can be done alone or with others. Plus, you can easily leave them on a table for as long as needed if you don’t finish in a day.
Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is the art of collecting memories into photo books filled with written words and pictures. Not only does this hobby take you down memory lane while reducing stress, but it also gives you a chance to create beautiful photo heirlooms for those you love.
Photography
Photography can take us to many places, whether in our own home or the great outdoors.
There’s something special about walking alone in the woods or around a lake while shooting pictures of wildlife and flowers. Stress disappears as you capture this beauty on a camera.
Even shots at home of the kids will bring smiles as you upload them on the computer.
In conclusion, the most popular stress-reducing habits only work when we give ourselves the time to do so. Creativity allows for the natural release of dopamine in our brains, which relieves anxiety and stress. Not only is the right hobby fun, but it will also improve your mood and health for years to come.
Authored by Inspire Your Journey
