Stress Relief Activities
Fun Hobbies As Stress Relief 

Stress relief activities such as hobbies and socialising may seem like a rather passive way to cope with stress but it is in fact a very positive and effective one.

There have been studies made into what makes people happy and there has been conclusive evidence that serious leisure is a guarantee for long term happiness. It doesn’t seem to matter what the stress relief activities are as long as the person doing them is enjoying them and gets what is known as “flow”.

Flow is achieved when you become so totally absorbed in what you are doing that all else disappears, so things like worry and stress disappears.

What are the best hobbies for flow?

picture by yqor flickr.com

Although any hobby will help to banish stress there are some which are better for achieving flow.

Dancing – this activity came out top for making people happy. This could be because it combines three important factors, exercise, music and social contact.

Team sports – This again ranked highly due to exercise and social contact being main factors

Other activities which have shown to be important for continued happiness.

Caring for pets – stroking of pets can help to reduce blood pressure and the feeling of feeling wanted.

Developing new interests – This provides a level of danger or coming out of your comfort zone. It can be all engrossing at first and this will provide flow which is a great stress buster.

Stress can actually cause us to become depressed and depression can cause us to no less and less. The less we do the more depressed we become and so the importance of finding stress relief activities and hobbies should become a priority for all of us.

Plan Your Hobbies And Activities

Make a list of:

• 10 activities or hobbies you have enjoyed in the past such as
  
  
• Socialising with friend
• Hill walking
• Cooking
• Playing an instrument etc
  
  
• List 10 activities that you would like to do but have never done
  
  
• Now make yourself a promise that during the next month you will do one activity from each list.
  
  
• Write down how and when you will make time to do these activities.