Eight Hobbies and Habits to Improve Your Mental Health

While mental health issues sometimes require professional treatment, it’s also possible to improve your outlook and maintain a positive state of mind by making lifestyle changes. New practices or activities can work on their own or when combined with counseling, especially if you’re dealing with stress and anxiety. Here are eight unique ways to improve your mental health, courtesy of Tahoe Boho.

Get a Pet

Pets are social creatures and can help reduce feelings of loneliness while providing physical contact. Research cited by the American Heart Association also shows that pets reduce stress and anxiety and can help alleviate chronic depression. If you have a dog, you’ll have to walk him, which will encourage you to exercise, too. 

Practice Yoga

Yoga combines breathing exercises, meditation, and physical poses. The American Psychological Association notes that the practice improves your physical fitness and mental health simultaneously. You can practice yoga at home or in a group setting, whichever is better for your current state of mind.

Learn a New Skill

Learning a new skill often involves meeting new people who teach you new things. The process of learning also improves your memory and gives you feelings of accomplishment and confidence. Neurologists’ research has found that learning something new even changes your brain structure.

In fact, if there’s a particular career goal you’ve always wanted to try, like being a teacher, this may be a good option and the perfect way to help you reach your full potential. By learning how to help others learn, you can take charge of your life and really make a difference in the lives around you. Also, thanks to the flexibility of online learning, you can proceed at your own pace, thus reducing the stress that may have been holding you back before.

Attend Sporting Events

The excitement of spectator sports can produce dopamine in your brain, enhancing your mood and making you feel like part of the larger crowd. If you’d like to watch a baseball game, you can easily search for tickets online.

Declutter Your Home

Messy homes can increase stress hormone levels. Decluttering can reduce this unwanted anxiety and give your surroundings a sense of calm. It can also make your environment healthier. It’s best to deal with issues early before clutter becomes a problem.

Work From Home

Many life difficulties are brought about by workplace issues. Remote work can help by:

• Reducing stress. Remote work can improve your outlook by diminishing interpersonal friction.

• Saving time. Commuting or tight schedules impact your social life and can cause mental stress.

• Allowing for hobbies. Working from home can give you time for what you enjoy, such as exercise and cooking.

You can also enjoy these advantages with a hybrid home-office arrangement. 

Exercise More

You’ve probably already heard about the many physical benefits of exercise, but perhaps it never occurred to you that exercise can do wonders for your mental health, as well. Specifically, exercise can help by:

• Reducing depression. Exercising regularly reduces the effects of depression.

• Aiding mental health recovery. Being fit can help you recover faster from a depressive episode.

• Producing mood-enhancing hormones. Physical movement improves mood by releasing endorphins.

Workouts also give you a sense of accomplishment when you’re done.

Cook Your Own Meals

Cooking impacts your body, both nutritionally and mentally. Meals made from scratch tend to be healthier than processed foods. Cooking requires mental effort, but it produces a quick reward for you to enjoy. 

Lifestyle Changes Can Bring Positive Mental Health Results

Making lifestyle changes like exercising, working from home, going back to school, and decluttering can improve mental health and help you maintain a positive outlook, even if you’re not currently experiencing depression or anxiety.

WRITTEN BY: Emma Grace Brown

PHOTO: Pexels