The singer, Brad Paisley, has a song called “Time Well Wasted,” and that song comes to mind as I think about the topic for today’s blog. The content doesn’t fully match because, in the song, he’s referring to spending time with the people he loves as opposed to crossing things off his to-do list. He calls this time well wasted because he didn’t accomplish anything besides making memories. I mention this because a common response I hear when I bring up the topic of hobbies is, “I don’t have time for that.” This response is totally understandable. Many of us lead very busy lives, and the idea of squeezing in something that counts as self care is easy to discount as unimportant and not worthy of our time. I’m here to make the case, however, that making time for enjoyment is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and the other people in our lives.

I’ve started a variety of hobbies throughout my life. Some of them have stuck for the long-haul, like hunting and woodworking. There were also plenty that I tried out for a while but didn’t continue, like martial arts, beer making, cheese making, and bowling. That’s the great thing about hobbies, though. There is nothing wrong with trying something out for a little while to see if you’re really interested, and there is no real loss if we discover that we aren’t interested in continuing a hobby. It might be a case for not investing too much money in something at the beginning of a new hobby, but it isn’t a reason to not try things.

According to an article from Neuroscience News*, people with hobbies have lower rates of depression. A common symptom of depression is anhedonia, or the loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. Having a hobby can help avoid this symptom of depression, and it has the potential to help prevent depressive episodes. In addition, taking the time to do enjoyable things, like hobbies, can help alleviate depression symptoms that are already in place. Doing things that we enjoy releases neurotransmitters like dopamine, which reward us for the activity and help us to feel like doing it again.

So what counts as a hobby? According to an article from Utah State University**, a hobby is an activity that we do during free time for pleasure. That definition is very broad, but maybe that’s the point. I would like to add that hobbies can be anything that you find meaningful and enjoyable. Scrolling through social media is something that people do during their free time; however, most people don’t find this to be fulfilling or meaningful. In fact, people often report feeling icky and regretful afterward, which isn’t the case after spending time doing an enjoyable hobby.

Benefits of hobbies** include:

Reduced stress–hobbies are associated with reduced levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in the bloodstream.
Improved mood or sense of well-being.
Improved social connection and (again) lower levels of depression and anxiety.
Improved physical health through lower blood pressure and heart rate, which is improved upon even further through more physically active hobbies.
Improved mental health through improved mood and increased focus.

How do we find the time for our hobbies, though? Don’t think of your hobbies** as something that you need to do every day. Take a look at your schedule and figure out how you’re using the downtime that you do have. Consider scheduling convenient times throughout the week for enjoyable activities. Don’t have any time at all? It’s probably time to delegate some tasks. Having an attitude that you’re the only one who can get things done is probably both incorrect and completely draining. Mini breaks throughout the day can be helpful too. Remember, a hobby is anything enjoyable and fulfilling. It doesn’t have to be an act of creation. Going for a walk or a regular lunch with a friend fit the definition, especially because it leaves you feeling good afterward.

Different types of hobbies* also carry other rewards. Physical hobbies improve brain functioning and lead to better physical health. (Remember, our brain is a physical part of our bodies). Musical hobbies can improve memory, and artistic hobbies are associated with decreased likelihood of dementia later in life. Follow your interests. The things that you find naturally interesting are potential hobbies to develop. Even if you lose interest later on, it is doubtful that you will regret taking a chance on something new, and it might just lead you to something that you really enjoy.

*https://neurosciencenews.com/hobby-mental-health-17765/

**https://extension.usu.edu/mentalhealth/articles/how-hobbies-improve-mental-health

Today I wanted to revisit a topic that I reference frequently in these blogs: mindfulness. I think that most people have heard of mindfulness, but many others look at me strangely when I bring it up. Mindfulness is definitely associated with meditation, and for good reason; some of the practices are exactly that. However, when people hear meditation, some think of a religious practice or hippies. Mindfulness is simply a specific focus on something happening in the present, and I promise it can be done regardless of your beliefs or the length of your hair.

Mindfulness is not new. In fact, it is a very old practice. However, modern research shows that there are a lot of benefits to practicing mindfulness. It has been shown to help people with ADHD to improve concentration and reduce the frequency and intensity of their emotional reactions. It has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in our blood stream. For people who have experienced trauma and have an easily reactive fight or flight response, mindfulness is shown to help strengthen their ability to regulate themselves and calm their bodies. According to the Mayo Clinic, mindfulness** can lower:

Stress
Anxiety
Pain
Depression
Insomnia
High blood pressure
Symptoms of asthma and fibromyalgia
Feelings of burnout

It can improve**:

Attention
Sleep
(Interestingly) Control of diabetes

Mindfulness practice teaches us how to notice what is going on inside of us without judging whether it is good or bad. I’ve stated frequently that our emotions are neither good nor bad, they just are. Attempting to fight or suppress our feelings isn’t effective, and it tends to create all kinds of problems. When we practice mindfulness, we can learn to sit with our feelings and emotions, which can lead to acceptance. Counterintuitively, leaning into the emotions that one is trying to avoid is actually what helps relieve the distress that they feel.

I often describe mindfulness as an exercise for your brain. Though it is calming, the best effects of mindfulness come from regular practice, not just the temporary benefits of regulating oneself when we feel out of control. Just like strength training works over time with regular, repetitive actions, mindfulness is most helpful when done this way too.

Here’s the thing, it doesn’t have to be something that takes up a large portion of your day. In an article from the Cleveland Clinic, it is recommended* to start with daily 1-minute mindfulness practices. They suggest taking 5 slow deep breaths, while placing your attention on the movement of the breath (the air going in and out of your nose, the rise and fall of your shoulders, the expansion and contraction of your chest, or the movement of your belly). After you’ve done this 5 times, pause and then do 5 more breaths. That should take approximately a minute. The article also recommends a lot of different activities that can be done mindfully, but as I looked at the list, it was a series of hobbies. Whatever you do for enjoyment, just be present.

Other recommendations** for mindfulness practices:

Pay attention, using your senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste)
Bring yourself fully into the present moment
Make an effort to accept yourself without judgment of good or bad
Scan your body slowly and methodically from head to toe or vice versa
Sit with your eyes closed and take note of what you feel in your body
Go for a walk while noticing the sensations you feel (the sun on your face, the smell of the air, the things you see, the feel of your feet touching and leaving the pavement, etc)

One last thing: you’re going to get distracted while you practice mindfulness. This is normal, and it happens. When you notice that your focus has drifted to a distracting noise or thought, just gently pull your attention back to what you want to focus on. I once heard that the people who are bad at mindfulness get the best impact from mindfulness. The act of bringing your attention back from the distraction, to the thing you have decided to focus on, is where we really flex our mindful muscles. The Cleveland Clinic article* put it perfectly, saying that sometimes you may feel like you’ve been so distracted that you weren’t actually being mindful. That’s ok–it’s all about the practice.

*https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-mindfulness/

**https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356