Health, Hobbies, and a More Full-Filled Life
Having a hobby or participating in a regular activity done purely for enjoyment can provide many benefits. Among the most notable is that hobbies can lead to better health and a more full-filled life. Here are some of the benefits that come from having hobbies:
Hobbies improve physical health. Hobbies do not have to be physically demanding to be beneficial. A study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) found that people who engage in leisure activities have lower blood pressure, total cortisol, waist circumference, and body mass index.
Hobbies reduce stress and improve mental health. Research by psychologists Matthew Zawadzki, Joshua Smyth, and Heather Costigan reveals that participating in hobbies reduces negative moods, anxiety, and lowers heart rate when engaging in leisure than when not. The study also found that leisure-based invention, or starting a hobby, can improve health and well-being compared to before having a hobby.
Hobbies help one perform better at work. A study conducted on employees associates creativity with mastery, control, relaxation, and job performance‐related outcomes. Creative activity was found to, directly and indirectly, affect performance‐related outcomes, but the effects varied by the type of performance‐related outcome. The results indicate that companies may benefit from encouraging their employees to consider creative activities or having a hobby to recover from their work.
Balancing hobbies and work are critical to you and your relationships. During our working years, focusing on family and yourself first and work secondly can help reduce stress. Exercise, work, family time, personal leisure time, and volunteering should be part of your monthly schedule.
Hopefully, you will have the choice to continue to work because you enjoy it and not because you have to. Your retirement work can become a leisure time activity if planned successfully.
Having hobbies can help you be ready for retirement. The choice to retire should be based on your decision and not due to poor physical or mental health. Feeling you have achieved all you want to in your career, looking forward to the next chapter of your life, and having a healthy body is just as important as saving money for retirement.
The benefits of having a hobby can have lasting effects days after participating in a hobby. While some people enjoy doing a hobby on their own, others like to join with others. Regardless of your preference, having a hobby is essential to your health. Together we can plan for your financial future, but it is up to you to maintain a healthy lifestyle to enjoy retirement.
