Everyone is bound to have negative thoughts and some sort of mental health challenges throughout life. However, these struggles and challenges tend to be very prominent in a person’s teen years. In high school, we are all experiencing many life changes, in our minds and in our environments, and regardless of who we are and how we handle these things we all need coping skills, and we all need positive outlets in our lives. Hobbies.

Often it is overlooked, how important hobbies are. Regardless of the time we dedicate to these activities, the positive impact participating in these hobbies has on our mental health and overall well-being is extraordinary. As we expand and explore adulthood and future ambitions, having an enjoyable hobby we can carry with us will bring stability that we may not always have in other aspects of our lives.

Discovering ourselves and our futures can be an overwhelming and complicated process. However, knowing things we genuinely enjoy and actively practicing them helps us build upon parts of ourselves at this young age.

“Spending time on an activity that you enjoy can improve your mental health and wellbeing. In fact, people with hobbies may be less likely to experience stress, low mood, and depression. Activities that get you out and about can make you feel happier and more relaxed.”

There are so many hobbies and activities available to us in this day in age. Regardless of our interests, we are bound to find hobbies that correlate to them. Whether we are interested in art, sports, music, reading, writing, etc. There are endless options we can explore.

“Having a hobby that we enjoy brings us joy and enriches our lives. It gives us something fun to do during our leisure time and affords us the opportunity to learn new skills. We are very fortunate to have so many different options out there today.”

The amazing thing about hobbies is that they enrich our minds and amplify a positive mental state. Some benefits of having and participating in hobbies include: growth in social skills and communication skills, increase in self-esteem, increase in self-growth and self-discovery, increase in productivity, and increase in intelligence and creative thinking.

Actively participating in activities and hobbies we find enjoyable builds us up mentally. Hobbies provide us with a needed outlet that amplifies positive thinking and an overall boost in mood. As we excel in life, it is important to be mindful of what healthy coping skills look like and how learning to engage in activities, that are easily accessible to us, are our building blocks towards a well-rounded and healthy lifestyle.