What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? While this isn’t an interview question, your answer could reveal a lot about you — and your health.  

The activities you choose to fill your life do much to influence your mental and physical well-being. If you’re thinking of adopting a pastime this year, find out more info about how you how your new hobbies can help to boost your focus and attention and improve your health.

1. They Replace Negative Habits  

If you ever smoked, you know that one of the challenges of quitting is the instinct to have something to do with your mouth and hands. Folks trying to curb the urge to overeat after kicking the butts often turn to habits like chewing gum or even toothpicks to satisfy this impulse.  

The right hobby can play an integral role in helping you recover from addictions, improving both your mental and physical health. By redirecting your focus back to your treatment goals, they can help you manage situational triggers that previously prompted you to participate in maladaptive behaviors. When that one uncle goes on an offensive rant at your holiday party, you can take a walk or lose yourself in that knitting project you brought with you instead of taking a drink to cope.  

Hobbies can also help you address habits like overeating. If your nemesis is late-night snacks in front of the television, try a pastime that keeps your hands busy. You can’t work on a cross-stitch while eating Doritos unless you want orange stains on your pattern.

2. They Get Your Body Moving 

The right hobbies can help you increase your fitness quotient. If you’re a reluctant exerciser, they can give you the incentive you need to get off the couch.  

Try using the buddy system at the gym. It’s a lot harder to cede to the couch’s siren song when you know your BFF is waiting for you at the elliptical machines.  

You also get an added mental health benefit. A recent study published in the International Journal of Stress Management indicated that those who worked out with a buddy felt calmer after a 30-minute bike ride than those who rode solo.  

If you are extremely workout-resistant, you might have to trick yourself into exercising. Why not investigate the seasonal offerings of your local parks and recreation department? You might never get into walking on a treadmill, but playing shortstop for a coed softball league gets you up and moving.  

However, all this talk of teamwork need not make you shy away from physical hobbies if you are among the introvert set. Sometimes, few things clear your mind better than a long run or hike after a challenging day of dealing with ornery customers. With so many apps to choose from these days, it’s a snap to get a great workout in the privacy of your living room.

3. They Engage Your Mind  

If dementia runs in your family, the right hobbies can help you preserve your mental fitness. Researchers investigated nursing home residents. They determined that completing a daily puzzle helped to slow the cognitive decline of those patients who developed the disorder.  

You don’t have to go for crosswords or Sudoku puzzles. Other activities, such as singing a hymn or discussing the meaning of happiness, have similar protective effects. Joining a book group or a prayer circle could likewise prevent cognitive decline as you age. Creating art crafts using materials from a hobby site like Free Time Hobbies is also one of the best ways to engage your mind and improve your artistic side.

4. They Help You Meet New Friends  

Loneliness is a significant health problem among older adults, but it doesn’t discriminate based on age. More than half of those aged 18 through 25 reported severe levels of loneliness within the past four weeks. 

Hobbies open multiple doors to meeting new people. If you are active on social media, you can find groups devoted to your favorite pastime. You can also join clubs and organizations near you to meet others and hone your skills at anything from chess to speaking a foreign language.

5. They Benefit Yourself and Others  

Finally, some hobbies help to make the world a better place. If you have an altruistic streak, you may find your ideal pastime in volunteering. You have a wide variety of activities to choose from to suit nearly any interest.  

If you love all things fins and fur, but your landlord says “no pets allowed,” why not sign up for a volunteer shift at a local animal shelter? You could help walk dogs or socialize kitties, getting you exercise and plenty of time with your furry friends who await new homes.  

If you feel passionate about protecting the environment, you can sign up with an Adopt-a-Highway group or an annual beach cleanup. If you enjoy working with the less fortunate, homeless outreach organizations need individuals to do anything from working in soup kitchens to serving as volunteer vocational counselors.

New Hobbies Can Improve Your Health in Several Ways

If you want to improve your mental and physical well-being, the right pastime can help. Now that you understand the health benefits of hobbies, how will you choose to spend your spare time?