As a person who is often bored, I love learning new skills and this includes a variety of hobbies. Sometimes it is hard to get into certain hobbies like archery or my personal hobby aerial arts, but there are a number of ways to find out about anything you’d like. My first introduction to aerial silks began with an introductory course to pole fitness. I had ordered a Groupon to a pole studio nearby and gathered a couple of friends to join me. I was pretty much the worst one of the three of us and now I am the only one keeping up with the hobby. I still maintain a semi-weekly schedule indulging in this activity and I find it exciting and new every time. The community is also super supportive even though I have a condition in which my palms, feet and armpits sweat excessively. If you are a pole athlete you would know that this handicap is extremely crippling in the sport.
At any rate, I believe trying new hobbies is always great since there are so many benefits. Specifically, physical activity improves mental health as well as physical health. Some studies have shown that physical activity lowers levels of anxiety and depression (check out this study here). For me hobbies fill time and often help me learn a new skill that might be useful. My craft hobbies have been great for making personalized gifts for friends and family. Musical hobbies are also a great way to add skills to ones’ repertoire and improve psychological function. My family has always emphasized the importance of keeping the mind busy and as I read studies I realize that it definitely helped. I became more social through activities like band and I felt self-confident when I could play something beautiful on my flute. Adolescent development is greatly benefited by the introduction of music, so I strongly advocate learning a musical instrument as a hobby as well. (Study about improved psychological function here). Not only are you more social by doing something new, but you will find that you have a lot more to talk about since your knowledge of various tasks has expanded. I learned some rock climbing terminology when I started that as well as photography lingo. It feels great to be able to speak with others in more detail about their interests and it makes socializing very fun.
I hope you will be inspired to start a new hobby or just try something new. I know that I have really loved some of the things I have tried and they bring me so much joy. I would have never discovered that happiness if I was not bold and just decided to try something new.
Again, I highly recommend Groupon when trying new things or even having a nice meal out at a new restaurant. Groupon often has discounted rates for places and helps me discover places I have never been. If you are bored there is often discounts for museums, zoos and my personal favorite–escape rooms. If you click Groupon anywhere on this post and purchase a deal, I will get a small percentage. Thank you for reading I hope you start your adventure towards a great new hobby.