Which Hobbies are Good for Proper Brain Function and Relieving Stress?
We often think of hobbies as merely a distraction that helps keep us busy during our free time, but a hobby is much more than that. Agreed, hobbies are a good way to use your leisure time but the advantages of hobbies extend much more than that. By keeping your hands or mind busy by doing some creative tasks, you’re exercising your brain and improving your cognitive functions. This is especially important as we get older because we tend to become a bit lazy and we don’t challenge our brains enough. It’s never too late to learn something new and it can be something as easy as learning a new recipe for chicken soup.
Staying physically healthy and in shape is important, but making sure your mind is just as healthy is equally important. And hobbies are the best way to ensure you get regular brain exercise. By engaging in stimulative activities, you’re challenging your brain to absorb new information and find creative solutions to the problem in front of you. Plus, hobbies also keep us disciplined and remind us that we have to dedicate a certain amount of time during the week in order to nurture that hobby.
If you’re looking for an activity to keep you busy, but don’t really want to spend your free time sitting in front of your TV, then we got you covered.
Learn a New Language
The more languages you know the better, right? There is a widespread misconception that language learning is reserved only for your childhood and early teen years. And although it is true that we absorb new words and terms easier and quicker when we’re younger, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try your hand at learning a new language as you get older. Just because you’re no longer in school, it doesn’t mean you should completely give up on learning new things.
Nowadays, with online platforms such as Duolingo, learning a new language can become your new favorite hobby and you won’t even have to dedicate a lot of time to it. You can set your pace and study 10 minutes a day if that’s the only free time you have. You can learn the basics of a language and practice the sentences with a friend or just by talking to yourself and repeating the words aloud. Plus, a study has shown that people who know more than one language find it easy to multitask and switch between different tasks, so that’s another reason that makes language learning a truly effective hobby.
Play Card Games
Card games such as poker, blackjack, rummy and even Uno can improve your focus and brain activity and make your reflexes much better. Whenever you play a card game, especially one as complex as poker where you have to think not only about your card but those of your opponents as well, you force your brain to take into consideration the entire environment and you need to think several steps ahead. Not only do you have to keep the rules of poker in mind, but you have to be able to read the facial expressions of your opponents to see whether they’re just bluffing or they actually have a good hand.
Playing card games doesn’t mean you have to visit casinos if that’s not really your scene. You can organize a game with your friends and make it a regular get-together where you share the latest news over a game of rummy. Plus, you can always turn to online casinos if you’re tech-savvy. No matter which option you opt for, card games are a great exercise for your brain and it’s a hobby that activates several brain functions at the same time.
Gardening
Gardening is an excellent and effective stress reliever and not only is it a hobby good for the mind and body, but it’s also great for the environment. Planting a seed and watching it transform into a beautiful and succulent flower will overwhelm you with a sense of self-accomplishment and it will boost your self-confidence. Gardening helps put you in a good mood and it prompts you to be disciplined and take care of your plants regularly.
In addition, it’s a hobby that benefits your body as well since you get to move and keep your hands busy as you trim your plants or water your yard.
Education
