Do Hobbies Relieve Stress?

Despite all of our technological advances, or maybe because of them, many in our society suffer from stress. We often have so much noise, information, and distractions coming at us all at once that it can be overwhelming. It is more important than ever for us to find effectitve ways to relieve some stress. The good news is that there are many ways to relieve stress from your life. If you've asked the question "do hobbies relieve stress?" I have the answer for you.

Using hobbies as a form of stress relief isn't that new of a concept, but it is important for you to choose the right hobby for you. Before you find a hobby to participate in, here are a few things you should think about first:

1. Hobbies work when they are an escape from your other obligations and responsibilities. If you choose a hobby that puts more pressure on you, you aren't going to get the relief you want.

For example,for many people golf is considered a hobby, but if you're an ultra competitive person who won't be happy unless you're golfing at a professional level, you might want to consider another hobby since golf will likely only increase your stress level.

You should also steer clear of any activities that may put a strain on your budget. If you have a hard time paying for your hobby, it's not going to do very much to relieve your stress, quite the opposite in fact.

2. The satisfaction of many hobbies is partly derived from the finished product. For example, the gardener gets to show off their huge tomatoes or their beautiful flowers, the builder gets to admire their new bookshelf, etc.

Finding hobbies that will provide you with a keepsake of your relaxation time can really pay off since you can get a little bit of relaxation every time you admire the end results of your hobby.

So for the biggest stress relievers consider starting a garden, or perhaps setting up your own woodworking shop so you can enjoy the fruits of your labors.

3. Most people will get some relief from stress by simply stepping outside of their everyday routines. Things such as learning a second language or learning how to sew, for example, are a few ideas of new skills that you can do that might turn into wonderfully relaxing hobbies.

Just making yourself a better person will allow you to grow as a human being which will enable you to keep things in perspective when problems arise, thus eliminating a lot of unnecessary stress.

Sometimes this will allow us to 'get over ourselves' which in and of itself can help us releive a lot of stress.

To answer the question, "do hobbies relieve stress?", yes, sort of. Some hobbies will relax you more than others. As with most anything else, you have a lot of choices and to get the maximum stress relief for you it's important to find the right hobby for you and your goals and personality.