It is obvious that art is a form of creativity and hobbies or recreation activities can enhance the quality of life. Importance of hobbies relating to art forms is proved by ‘Art Therapy ‘ for the development and enhancement of humans.
For years, medical professionals have suggested hobbies as a way to relieve stress and improve overall mental health. Nothing has changed. In fact, many believe that having a collecting interest–or another pastime– is more important than vessel.
Collecting baseball cards or other sports memorabilia may not improve your physical fitness that much, but it can do wonders for your mental outlook. After a tough day on the job, the ability to lose yourself in something you love is invaluable. Hobbyists are able to free themselves from the constraints of working for someone else and the pressure of expected success and concentrate on their own total enjoyment.
Spare time activities are still important to overall health and well-being. “As a rule they encourage both physical and mental activity to keep the mind and body active and creative,” he stated. “When used to re-activate one’s social life, hobbies can be a valuable prescription for physical and emotional health.”
Collectors can find excitement within the unknown possibilities of a freshly-purchased box of sports cards, losing themselves among the players pictured inside and the statistics on the back while wondering if something valuable and rare might lurk inside. Swapping cards with other collectors can provide the dual benefits of a feeling of charity and personal achievement. Learning about a segment of the hobby can even provide a sense of empowerment. You may not care to learn a new job skill, but you’ll likely be fired up about increasing your hobby knowledge.
Pursuing a passion can provide mental stimulation in addition to relieving stress. “Hobbies sharpen skills, encourage creativity, and bring added joy to life. A recent study in Japan showed that elderly people with hobbies were healthier and happier and other studies investigating long life and successful aging have documented outside interests, involvement with helping others and connection with hobbies and interests all promoted a longer life.”
Those who have jobs in which self-esteem can suffer because of negative supervisors or expectation can find respite by working to complete a valuable set of cards, by sharing their knowledge with others via hobby message boards or successfully completing an eBay transaction that puts money in their pocket. Unlike the working world, the end result of a hobby activity is usually much more fun.
While allowing us to relax and unwind during our off hours, hobbies can boost our work productivity and relationships. A sense of pride and accomplishment in a collection can translate into a better outlook when it comes to achieving other life goals.
- By Aiken Harden
