Dealing with depression and other mental health issues can be a serious challenge, leaving you struggling to feel fulfilled or satisfied with your daily life and activities. However, this doesn’t mean that there’s no hope for you to feel better! There are endless techniques and coping strategies out there to help you counteract the symptoms of depression and improve your mood and mindset, and incorporating a new hobby into your life is often a great way to do that. They provide structure to your life, help you to stay physically and mentally active, and increase your feelings of accomplishment and self-satisfaction.
There are lots of popular hobbies that are easy and inexpensive to take up that can transform your mental health, so if you aren’t feeling your best as we head into the fall this year, consider adding one of these pastimes to your routine! You might be surprised with how much you enjoy it, and how much better it makes you feel.
Walk or Hike
Walking or hiking is one of the easiest hobbies you can start. All you have to do is put on some comfortable shoes and head out your door! If you live in an area with nature preserves, parks, or hiking trails, getting away from the hustle and bustle to walk in nature can be especially good for you, but if you don’t have that option, even just getting out and walking around your neighborhood can have impactful benefits.
The exercise and fresh air of regular walking helps to boost the feel-good chemicals in your body, improving your mood and energy levels, and exposure to nature and the outdoors helps to reduce stress and anxiety as well.
Join a Book Club
Finding ways to distract yourself from anxiety or ruminating thoughts is one of the main benefits of starting a hobby, and reading books is one of the best distractions out there! What’s more, joining a club or group that encourages you to interact and connect with other people can be an incredibly powerful way to beat back the loneliness and isolation of depression, making a book club a fantastic hobby for your mental health.
If you’re able to schedule a regular book club with loved ones and family that you already have, you have a great option for spending more time with people you already know, but joining a book club can also be a great way to meet new people! Your local library most likely has at least one book club that you can join, and you can find book clubs in almost every town and city that read lots of different types of books and even some that meet virtually if travel is tricky for you! Find the group and genre that fits your niche, and enjoy some good reads and good discussions.
Craft
Finding a way to create is one of the most effective antidotes to the numbness and sadness of depression. It’s why so many people cite their crafting hobbies as things that have helped their mental health! From detailed art forms like origami, sewing, and pottery to simpler ones like doodling or photography, tapping into your creative side boosts your self esteem, gets you more in touch with your body, and helps you to feel accomplished instead of depressed.
If you’re up for a challenge, you can learn almost any new hobby like knitting or painting online, or you can work on developing a hobby that you already have or have had in the past! Focus on enjoying yourself and making things that spark a little happiness in you, and you’ll be well on your way to showing depression the door.
Yoga or Meditation
Zen practices like yoga and meditation have been touted for their mental health benefits for years now, but they also make incredibly rewarding hobbies on their own! They help you to connect with your body, get beneficial exercise, and take control of your thoughts to help yourself feel better all around.
Yoga and meditation are also good at beating back depression and being fulfilling hobbies because they are fantastic ways to challenge yourself. No matter who you are or what your ability level is, there’s an entry point for everyone, and everyone has room to grow and get better. You can work on improving your strength and flexibility through yoga, taking on more difficult poses and holding them for longer periods of time, or you can work on how long you’re able to meditate and how focused you’re able to remain on your breathing and maintaining a clear mind. Watching yourself grow and improve at these hobbies over time helps you to feel accomplished and proud of yourself on top of the many other mental health benefits they provide!
While hobbies like these can’t take the place of necessary treatment for an issue like depression, they can be an incredibly powerful way for you to help yourself feel better and take control of your mental health! To learn more about depression and ways that you can fight back against it, keep reading on our website here.