Hobbies

I used to get offended when someone told me to "get a hobby." Maybe it was the context of it being said, but what was I doing for someone to say that to me?

At this point, I've written so many stories from mental health, abuse, money, control/toxic people, to how to love yourself. Forgetting the most important thing to humans, hobbies.

What does a hobby have to do with anything? How are hobbies related? Hobbies reduce stress, boost mood by releasing dopamine, helps build self-esteem. It can provide a sense of purpose and help separate your personal life and work life. All leading to you being happier.

You can't live a good life if you are consistently miserable. You can try, but you wouldn't rake in the benefits of "your good life" if you are always miserable. Humans are designed to be consistently productive, but you can't work 24/7. That would drive you crazier than you already are.

With human life expectancy increasing with the assistance of technology and advanced healthcare, there are a few downfalls to humans living longer. What does this mean? Increased health issues. The irony in advancing technology and healthcare. Still wondering how this has anything to do with hobbies?

Increased health issues include: Dementia/ Alzheimer's, parkinson's arthritis. How are hobbies related to these aging diseases? Statistically, hobbies like reading, writing, gardening, and exercise all help reduce the symptoms in each of these.

It's said that a lot of these aging diseases start in your 30's. This is often missed and brushed off. Why? Because your 30s are the prime of your life. So, forgetting your keys, losing your phone, body aches and pains are considered a normal part of life. To what degree are these a normal part of life, or early symptoms of some of the most terrible diseases?

Humans have this nasty habit of getting up, going to work, grabbing something fast to eat and whatever you call "sleep." Rince and repeat for the next 40 years. Meaning humans are living to work instead of working to live. This nasty habit of ours doesn't help with the aging diseases that await us.

Is there a possibility to change that? How can that happen? When humans are trained to be worker bees from the time we are old enough to work to when we are too sick to work.

More often than not, we are too tired after work to do anything more than eat a bag of chips with Netflix on in the background, stalking your ex on Facebook. The amazing thing about the human brain is that it has the ability to help us change more positively. Helping us get out of the slump we are in and getting us to a state that makes us happy and healthy.

How do we do that? Funny you should ask. We call those hobbies. things that bring us joy and happiness. Things that make us feel like there is more to our lives than just work.

The exciting thing about hobbies is that there really isn't anything to them. Switch on a movie, read a book or paint. Anything really that brings you joy, a sense of purpose to your life. Sometimes your hobbies can pay for it's self. Like art. Art is not only a great passtime but it's great for your motor skills and also great for your mental health. Art can be very helpful with your memory.

Not saying you need to run to your nearist book store or art store, but any hobby that keeps your motor skills and your brain working will help you in the long run.