Need some new hobbies this year to occupy your time and invigorate your self-care repertoire? According to recent research this a host of crafty and culinary hobbies that will help boost your creativity and your mental health. In a social media world where perfectionist Instagram and Pinterest photos fuel the Do-It-Yourself drive, crafting and baking, in addition to other hobbies, bring people a lot of joy. That healthy joy is improving their mental health, as the research reveals. 658 students were surveyed for the study and found that the next day after crafting or creating in some way students had more energy, felt happier, and had a greater sense of calm the next day. Of the crafts and hobbies, these are some of the other activities included by the researchers in the study:
- Knitting
- Baking
- Crocheting
- Jam-Making
- Cooking
- Performing Music
- Painting
- Drawing
- Sketching
- Digital Design
- Creative Writing
Creativity is good for the mind. Crafts are beneficial for people who learn in different ways like kinetic learning (physical activity) and visual learning (looking at something). The brain is boosted by the creative activity. What the researchers found the most interesting is that the creative activity wasn’t just temporary. In fact, it might be cyclical. A boost in mental wellness usually encourages the brain to seek that activity again. Feeling good after a creative activity it likely to inspire someone to continue crafting or doing the creative activity they enjoy.
For individuals in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, or from mental health disorders, this is a familiar cycle in the mind. The brain responds to the production of the neurochemical dopamine, which is a communicator of pleasure. When the brain receives pleasure from something, it is likely to seek it out again. However, benefitting from wellness is different from experiencing euphoria which is why the mind takes to rewarding crafts and hobbies. Dopamine is still produced but in a subtle way which enhances the mind rather than inundates it.
Avalon By The Sea is a certified mental health treatment center and dual diagnosis treatment center located on the beautiful Malibu Coastline. Avalon offers private residential treatment for a successful recovery. For more information, call 1 888-958-7511.
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