6 Hobbies That Don't Feel Like Therapy But Honestly Could Be
GaudiLab | Shutterstock Prioritizing mental health is, thankfully, becoming as common as prioritizing physical health. That doesn't mean every treatment is right for every person. Therapy, for example, is an incredible resource, but not everyone takes to it.
Some people choose to boost their mental health and overall wellness through hobbies that feel nothing like a therapy session, but can offer similar results if practiced intentionally. From nurturing feelings of safety and security to bringing one's mind to the present moment, hobbies can be extremely helpful for regulating one's nervous system.
6 hobbies that don't feel like therapy but offer similar benefits to mental health:
1. Reading physical books
Reading is a hobby that often gets overlooked, but it shouldn't, given its beneficial impact on the nervous system. Yes, it helps you become smarter and more empathetic, but it goes much deeper than that.
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According to Neuroscientist Anne-Laurie Le Cunff, because reading requires sustained focus on a single stream of information, the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for resting and relaxing, is activated. When this happens, "you experience measurable physiological changes: your heart rate slows, your breathing deepens and becomes more regular, and your muscle tension decreases."
Reading literally helps shut out unnecessary stress and anxiety, allowing you to focus on the pages right in front of you. When the body knows it's not in danger, it will relax into the book as well, helping to quell the physical symptoms of anxiety that so often go unnoticed.
2. Doing yoga
Yoga has been around for thousands of years for good reason. Originating in India, yoga is an exercise that integrates the body and mind into a unified whole. Intricate body movements, muscle control, coordinated breathing, and stamina are necessary to really reap the benefits of this timeless practice.
According to yoga practitioner and writer Katherine Latham, "yoga has also been found to change the makeup of your brain. Studies show practicing yoga positively impacts both the structure and function of parts of the brain," including regions involved in emotion regulation, stress processing, and introspection.
3. Singing and dancing
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Besides reading, this is one of my personal favorite hobbies. Singing and dancing along to your favorite songs is one of the best ways to live in the moment and celebrate. Whether it's R&B, soul, pop, rock, hip-hop, country, whatever suits your fancy, dancing and singing feel incredibly therapeutic, and there's science to back it up.
Studies have shown that music can actually help with serious mental health disorders as well as substance abuse. An article published by the American Psychiatric Association reported that when historically marginalized groups, in particular, engage in music, they are better able to cultivate a sense of community and build resilience.
Music is truly at the core of what makes life feel magical in any given moment. Even if you feel silly dancing or you don't consider yourself to be a good singer, have at it. The positive effects are lasting, and you can choose to bring joy to your day if you let it.
4. Swimming
This one might be surprising, especially for people who seldom go in the water. Swimming is a highly therapeutic hobby with numerous mental health benefits. It's again one of those activities that brings you to the present moment, as it literally means sink or swim.
Swimming has benefits that are multi-faceted. Being in water can promote healthy blood flow to the brain, and swimming in cooler temperatures is being studied for its potential to reduce stress and anxiety.
It's all-around a hobby that really does a lot for mental health and well-being. Even spas are starting to incorporate time underwater as part of their treatment offerings to promote relaxation. It might be time to get that gym membership or take a dip in the lake sometime in the near future.
5. Journaling
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Journaling can be a great way to really unleash all of your pent-up thoughts and emotions. The best part? The only person that would get to see that is you and only you. It's private, but it's also a fantastic way to engage in dialogue with yourself in a healthy, genuinely productive way.
Psychologist Jeremy Sutton, PhD, explained, "It can promote acceptance — and mindful acceptance in particular — which is a valuable and effective way of getting unstuck." This is because the more we can accept our thoughts and experiences through journaling, the better we can cope with them.
Thoughts and emotions will always be there (we're human after all). But how we cope and how we choose to respond to them are what matter. That's where journaling can provide meaningful clarity.
6. Weight lifting
Last but certainly not least, weight lifting is an excellent way to improve mental health and well-being. It's a hobby that can be intense, but the rewards are plenty. There's nothing like pouring all of your rage and disappointment of the day into lifting heavy weights. Yes, I am speaking from experience, but there's science to it.
According to an article published by Penn Medicine, across all studies and analyses, weight training has been shown to improve mood. It's also not necessarily enough to just do cardio in one's workout routine. While the brain does release feel-good chemicals after a run, lifting weights helps build muscle and improve bone density, preventing injury and helping prevent feeling down from physical pain in the long run.
It can be intimidating to start lifting weights if you've never done it before. But many gyms offer complimentary personal training and have staff on hand to help. Not to mention the countless videos online that show different weight training exercises.
Luke Aliga is a writer with a degree in Technical Writing and Communication who covers relationships, culture, astrology, and human interest topics.
