Hobbies: Essential for Mental Health… How to Find Them

Various mental illnesses, such as burnout, depression, and panic disorder, continue to plague many modern people. Even without a severe mental illness, we are bound to suffer little by little from minor stresses in our daily lives. One of the solutions commonly suggested by psychiatrists for such people is a 'hobby'.

 

Hobbies are the most effective way to relieve stress, which is considered the "root cause of all illness." A hobby refers to an activity performed for enjoyment rather than as a professional pursuit. While activities such as labor or study are considered "work" aimed at financial gain, a hobby is an activity solely for one's own pleasure, without considering productivity. Dr. Lee Kwang-min, Director of Mind Lab Space Mental Health Clinic, stated, "When one becomes immersed in work and social life, it becomes difficult to easily escape from negative thoughts or stress."

Engaging in a hobby at this time can divert our thoughts elsewhere and help reduce stress. Since we become fully immersed in the activity while doing it, it prevents negative thoughts from arising, even if only for a while. By allowing the brain to rest, it stabilizes the nerves and can even help alleviate stress.

Hobbies provide an opportunity to shift one's perspective, thereby increasing work efficiency. Director Lee Gwang-min stated, "To handle work efficiently, it is important to use time effectively," adding, "If you want to increase work efficiency, it is better to engage in hobbies, even if it means slightly reducing your working hours." Incorporating dedicated time for hobbies into your daily life and doing them regularly is also a good approach. Director Lee remarked, "Hobbies are, to some extent, essential to our lives."

 

Many people start a new hobby but quickly lose interest and give up. Sports such as golf and tennis, which have low accessibility and high entry barriers, are prime examples. Director Lee Gwang-min stated, "Even simple hobbies like reading or watching movies can feel boring when you first start," adding, "It is not only difficult to find enjoyment in high-difficulty hobbies, but if you feel they do not suit you, you may actually end up feeling stressed." The essence of a hobby lies in simply doing it. Therefore, rather than being overly ambitious, it is best to start one step at a time with accessible and low-difficulty hobbies, such as walking or running.

 

Engaging in hobbies simply for enjoyment is beneficial to health, rather than setting goals and obsessing over winning. This is because the moment you become overly immersed in a hobby or set unattainable goals, it turns into work. Director Lee Kwang-min stated, "A typical example is when people worry excessively about muscle loss while weight training or feel stressed when taking a rest," adding, "It is advisable to engage in hobbies lightly, just enough to divert our attention elsewhere." If even hobbies become entangled in competition and performance, our brains can experience yet another form of stress.

 

 

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Do you have a hobby?

Before doing community, at home

I made a rice cake.

 

The red color in my nickname is

This is the rice cake I made for my mom's birthday.