Hobbies Stress Me Out!

The modern world is an amazing place to live. I mean, we have 24-hour reruns of Murder She Wrote, Microwave popcorn, and deodorant for our feet! Today’s world is filled with all kinds of technological advances that promise to make our lives easier, yet far too many of us succumb to stress and illnesses associated with that stress. Perhaps it's because all of this technology is constantly bombarding and distracting us so we never get a chance to truly relax, and end up feeling overwhelmed instead. Or, perhaps we are just 12-year-old kids in an aged body who forgot that they can’t play Call of Duty 8 hours a day. But worrying about stress only makes the problem worse, but the good news is that there are several ways to relieve stress. (and no…none of them involve Xanax)

Some people want to know if hobbies relieve stress. The short answer is yes unless your hobby is running a Meth lab in Tacoma. The truth is that choosing the wrong hobby can only make you more stressed than if you didn't have one in the first place. Here are some things you should consider before deciding on a hobby that's a good match for you: 1. The best hobbies are those that will help you not think about the obligations and responsibilities you have in your life, at least for a while. In other words, veg out!  After all, picking a hobby that only makes you more tense isn't going to be all that effective. For example, a lot of people like to golf as their hobby. Now, this may be fine for some, but if you're too competitive, then what would be a leisurely game of golf for others will turn into a stressful situation for you if you are down by a few strokes. Also, if you tend to have anger management problems, you may consider avoiding sand traps. Furthermore, golf tends to be a bit expensive, (especially if you only play Trump courses) so if money problems are causing stress in your life, then an expensive hobby doesn't make a lot of sense. 2. Find a hobby that you can enjoy from beginning to end. Going back to golf for a moment, it has the advantage of being pleasurable from the first hole until the last (assuming you don’t lose all your balls on the lake hole). Something like gardening can be a good choice, too. It gets you outside just about every day, and you can enjoy your hobby, then when it comes time to harvest, you can also enjoy all of the fruits of your labor.  Remember, in the right state, there is a lot of money to be made in marijuana. 3. Moving beyond the norm is a great stress reliever for a lot of people. The very act of learning something new forces you to focus on it, and that means your focus is not on the things that are causing you stress. There is also the added benefit of enriching your life in some way, which can actually help you cope with stress even when you're not engaged in your hobby. For example, if you are a nurse, you might consider learning about collecting gnomes instead of collecting bedpans. So, the answer to the question "do hobbies relieve stress?" is "yes, so long as you choose the right ones." The cool thing is that there are so many different hobbies out there, that there is sure to be a few that are a good match for you.