One of the most effective ways to improve your mental health or stay healthy is by finding a hobby, or at least making time for the ones you already have. To make things easier, there are hobbies that you can do in the comfort of your home, and I am about to tell you five of the best. If you are interested in reading more on this, stay awhile. Also, after every point (hobby), I will share resources whereby you can access the items.
1. Painting
Remember when you were in kindergarten and your teacher would give you paint and paint brushes to color inside a number or letter? Well, who said you couldn’t do that as an adult?
Painting as a hobby is known to increase attention, boost creativity, and calm the mind, leading to better mental health. Next time you shop, get a simple watercolor set, paintbrushes, and plain paper. It may be the hobby that will sometimes calm the chaos in your mind. To paint, you could paint whatever comes to mind, watch and follow YouTube tutorials, or look up inspiring images on Pinterest you’d like to replicate.
For art supplies, check out the book and stationary section in your local supermarket or check out these ones from Text Book Centre;
2. Coloring
Similar to painting but less messy is coloring. Coloring is known to help reduce stress, improve sleep, and also enhance creativity. When you are coloring, your mind focuses on the activity and you won’t hyperfocus on the racing thoughts in your head. There are adult coloring books available in the market, I saw some at Text Book Center a while back. Do this for better mental health and you could create masterpieces along the way.
Check out these adult coloring books that you can order online or in a Text Book Centre store;
3. Reading
Reading helps with mental health as it can provide a form of escapism. Whether it’s a book on self-help or business-related things or just a fictional story, reading helps you to take your mind off of yourself and what may be going on in your life and focus on what the book has to say instead. I at times find reading ‘serious’ books like business, leadership, and finance books a bit overwhelming, because my objective at that point is gaining and applying that knowledge, which reminds me of school work hehe. For the sake of my mental health, and yours too, don’t feel bad for reading simply for pleasure. Read a story once in a while, immerse yourself in it, see yourself in the characters, and pick some life lessons along the way. It’s great for your mental health.
For affordable books, check out this page;
Also, if you live in Nairobi and frequent the CBD, there's a place where you can get affordable books, both self-help and novels. It's located right outside the Quickmart supermarket as you walk towards Bus Station. Currently, there's an offer for three books at Ksh.1000!
4. Board games
If you prefer to have a little bit more fun, more so with your friends, try some games that you can play indoors. A great example of this is board games. Get yourself a pack of cards, a Monopoly or Scrabble board, or even snakes and ladders! They usually say that all work and no play makes Jack/Jane a dull boy/girl. Playing games is not only fun but also heals your inner child, reduces stress, and increases your critical thinking skills, as you come up with various strategies to be a winner. However, your goal when playing a game should be to have as much fun as possible, whether you win or not.
If you are looking for affordable board games, check this page out;
5. Dancing
One of the most effective ways to improve your mental health is incorporating physical activity into your life. If going to the gym or taking a walk and running outside isn’t your thing, then home workouts may be for you. I would suggest doing dance workouts to your favorite music and just letting the music move you. Dancing is considered a somatic exercise. What is a somatic exercise, you ask? Let’s begin by defining the word somatic. 'Soma' is a Latin word that means ‘body’. Thus, somatic means ‘of the body’, more so the brain. A somatic exercise therefore is a physical activity that incorporates some form of body movement. Somatic exercises help to engage the brain and cause a deeper connection to one’s body. They include dancing, meditation, and breathing exercises. Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma are stored in the body. It needs to be released and dancing is a somatic exercise that can help to facilitate this process.
I recommend these fitness YouTubers who make fun, amazing, and effective dance workouts;
If you are keen on improving your mental health, these hobbies can help you in that process. Do note that these are not treatments or solutions to crucial mental health issues, they are hobbies and activities that can assist in managing mental health issues. These will help, but I would encourage you to seek professional help from a therapist or counselor to manage any mental health issue you may be facing.
I hope this post has helped and inspired you, and I will see you in the next post!
xoxo,
Miss Kambe.
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