Yesterday we touched on three hobbies that tend to be shown in the research as promoting our sense of well-being. Today we will explore three more activities we can engage in that can help sustain good emotional health:
- Music. Playing it or listening to it, music helps us to feel connected to our inner self. Nothing gets us feeling nostalgic as a song from our high school days or the songs we recall from our childhood. Music can not only naturally lift our mood, we can use it purposefully to help process feelings. Feeling sad? Listen to something upbeat. Feel like singing along? Create a playlist where you know all the words to the songs you choose.
- Reading. Whether it be for pleasure or to learn something, reading is an activity that can help us to stay aligned to what our interests are. We can totally get lost in a good book (I still believe that hobbits exist thanks to reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” when I was a teenager), or we can resonate with books that validate what we are going through. Setting aside time to read is a habit well worth forming.
- Crafting. Being creative is a wonderful way to pull ourselves out of our worries and focus on the here and now. It allows the planning parts of our brain to map out what we need, what to pick up and when to set time aside to work on a project. Whether it is cute Christmas decoration that you found on Pinterest, or an interest in learning woodworking, being creative is another wonderful way to connect with our inner selves.
Choosing activities that promote emotional health is important. So is self-care. When we set time aside for our hobbies and interests, we combine the two. 🙂
Photo credit:Â https://unsplash.com/@christinhumephoto