Annnnnd breathe…In these crazy times, now more than ever, we need some help to take our mind off things. To give you a hand, we are rounding up five of the best at-home hobbies that will not only help you to explore a new side to yourself, but also help to beat anxiety in the process.
Whether you are a crafter, a creative, a linguist or a performer, these hobbies will help you to make the most of lockdown and let that stress go!
Colour Me Happy
Colouring books for adults have soared in popularity over the past few years and it is down to their impressive ability to help cull modern-day stress and anxiety. By focusing on the moment and concentrating solely on what is in front of you, colouring-in allows us to switch off from other worries. Not to mention it allows you to express your creativity in a simple way that will take you back to those early days when play was a priority and those adulting niggles were nowhere to be seen.
Put Pen To Paper
Now we are not saying you need to write your debut novel during lockdown – the pressure of having to write anything others will read can have the opposite effect we are after! Rather, give ‘freewriting’ a go. Freewriting is the practice of continuously penning your thoughts for a set period, without paying attention to spelling, grammar, or even a topic. There is no need to structure paragraphs, it’s all about letting it flow through and allowing your inner monolog to be released onto the page. Whether you’re feeling anxious, hurt, sad, lonely or worried about what a post lockdown life with entail, allow your hand to reveal all and you’ll see a strong improvement in your mental wellbeing as you release those negative thoughts onto the paper. Try it for 15 minutes every day and you’ll feel lighter.
Green Fingers
If you are lucky enough to have a garden (a true saviour in these times of lockdown) then make the most of it and use that green space as a form of meditation. Studies have found that light gardening can mimic the effects of exercise, including lowering blood pressure and boosting both your mood and self-esteem. Regular gardeners are less prone to depression and have more energy. Get out there, connect with nature and see the fruits of your labour bloom as the weeks go by.
Vocab It Out
Research has found that learning something new significantly contributes to our wellbeing. Whilst you can of course choose to learn a new skill or take a course, it could be as simple as learning a new word every day. There are over 47,000 words in English and we usually only use 5,000-10,000 of them. With that in mind, grab a dictionary and every day pick a word you are not familiar with to discover its origin and meaning. Not only will you come out of lockdown feeling refreshed and revitalised, your chat will be on fire!
Let It Lego
You might think Lego is for kids, but just like colouring, it’s the perfect nostalgia infused pastime to help you regress to your carefree younger self. Not only does it give you a chance to focus on the task at hand and forget those ongoing worries for a moment, it helps to encourage that feeling of play whilst the colours can spark your imagination. Get creative and you’ll be surprised at where your building takes you!
With five tasks to get you going, we hope you all feel inspired to get involved and lighten the load for yourself this week. Remember, we are all in this together and we will emerge stronger!