“Art, be it drawing, painting or even enjoying an adult colouring book is also a great hobby to improve your mental health”
“Another great way to improve your wellbeing is to meet new people interested in the same hobby as you”
“Fancy looking at the stars? Join a nationwide astrological or stargazing club”
“Don’t forget about the many online groups out there, be it fitness classes, art courses or even virtual chess”
Facts/stats
People with hobbies are 85% happier than those without, with 61% of Brits using them to boost their mental health
(Toy World)
Interacting with other people triggers your body to release hormones that create a sense of calm and other positive feelings
(HelpGuide)
In the UK in 2024, the term ‘how to reduce stress’ was searched on Google once every 10 minutes
When you think of wellbeing in the UK you certainly wouldn’t expect that 5.3% of adults 16 years and over report their satisfaction with their life as low. Then there’s the alarming fact that 15.5% of people say their mental health is bad or the worst it’s ever been. Looking to improve your wellbeing – or know someone who is? Consider taking up a new hobby as one small but effective way to start, proven to make you feel good, helping you relax and unwind and even decreasing the risk of developing depression by up to 30%. Here are just a few suggestions of what you could take up – and the reasons behind why they benefit your wellbeing in the process.
ART ATTACK
There are so many ways creativity can play a part when it comes to finding a hobby to boost your wellbeing, increase positivity, reduce depressive symptoms and also improving the function of your immune system. It also helps you focus: considering the average person has 60,000 thoughts a day – 95% of them exactly the same – by being creative you’re instead thinking more on the task you want to achieve. Writing is one such area of creativity – but it doesn’t have to be a best-seller! Instead try journaling, setting a daily amount of time aside to write down your thoughts and feelings. It’s definitely one to consider: a study found those suffering from various medical conditions and anxiety had increased feelings of wellbeing from writing for 15 minutes three times a week. Art, be it drawing, painting or even enjoying an adult colouring book is also a great hobby to improve your mental health, with the latter shown to reduce anxiety and depression by colouring for as little as 10 minutes a day. Then there’s learning to play a musical instrument, with research showing it can boost your mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
JOIN THE SQUAD
Another great way to improve your wellbeing is to meet new people interested in the same hobby as you, with research showing strong relationships lower the risk of anxiety and depression, as well as boosting self-esteem. What’s more, a study also found that those suffering from depression with no group memberships reduced their risk of a relapse by 24% by joining one group – and by 63% if they joined three or more. There’s therefore no better time to think what you like – or would like – to enjoy doing, finding out if there’s a group nearby to sign up for. Fancy improving those moves rather than just swaying from side to side on the dance floor? As well as being a great way to meet new people, a dance programme of at least six weeks has been shown to significantly improve psychological health. Cooking is another group hobby to participate in, improving your skills in the kitchen as well as making you happier and more relaxed. Want to learn to take pictures not just snapped on your phone? Join a class to connect with others, vital for mental wellbeing to combat isolation and loneliness. And don’t forget about helping others as well as yourself by volunteering, with a study revealing 77% of volunteers said it improved their mental health and wellbeing; much more widespread than its physical health benefits.
GO WILD
Who says you have to stick to the mainstream? Niche, away from the regular crowd hobbies can be just as good for your wellbeing if they are something you enjoy, from physical activities reducing both stress as well as your blood pressure, to anything more unconventional promoting mental health by maintaining deep focus, creative expression and purposeful exploration. Historical re-enactments, for one, are ideal for reducing anxiety, stress and increasing your happiness, while bell ringing is known to be meditative and soothing, again reducing feelings of stress while boosting your confidence and self-esteem. Want something totally different? Go for it! Blacksmith artistry; working with different metals to make and repair decorative, industrial and everyday items; provides a unique form of moving meditation that again can release tension – or why not choose soap bubble art; blowing bubbles into paint and then placing the paper over them to create an imprint? The bubbles alone make you focus and in turn improves mindfulness, calming the nervous system and managing anxiety by the process of exhaling slowly said to aid relaxation, compared to more passive mindfulness exercises.
UNITED WE STAND
Want to go all-out when it comes to a hobby? Consider going national! Don’t panic – we’re not suggesting you grab your coat and keys and travel up and down the country. In fact there are many ways you can take up a hobby with people from all around the UK without even leaving your sitting room. For a start there’s historical re-enactment groups (OK, you have to leave your sitting room for this), covering all areas such as maritime, the Vikings, civil wars and more. There’s also geocaching, where you use an app or GPS to navigate to hidden containers – just think of it as being similar to a treasure hunt. It’s hugely popular, too, with over three million active geocaches around the world, and more than 300,000 in the UK alone. There’s also both physical and mental health benefits to this hobby; giving people a form of activity that demands high levels of skill, as well as offering the camaraderie that comes with being part of a group with common interests. Fancy looking at the stars? Join a nationwide astrological or stargazing club: not only is this a way to connect with others but it’s also been proven that people with a greater connection to the night sky felt happier, while environments that have little movement offers better stress reduction. If you want to improve those singing skills consider signing up for a virtual choir, another key stress-reliever that’s known to boost self-esteem, feelings of isolation and promote better mental health. And don’t forget about the many online groups out there, be it fitness classes, art courses or even virtual chess. Then there are the mental health benefits that come from book clubs, both online and in person, working to increase your communication skills, help you to feel less isolated, and letting you express your emotions and opinions in a safe space.
10 NATIONWIDE HOBBY SITES
Created as a resident’s guide to England, Scotland and Wales, here you can locate many types of groups including board games, gardening, knitting, sewing, dancing and more.
2 MEET UP
Find interests you love while connecting with people, with activities including travel, sports, languages and music. At the time of writing there were over 100,000 events happening that week!
https://www.meetup.com
There’s locations all over the UK on this astrological site, with stargazing breaks, astronomy clubs and dark sky calendars. The events map also shows plenty of info on where and when you can meet up with those with the same interest.
Fancy re-enacting a famous battle? This is the site for you! There’s details on the societies and associations in which you can join, sharing in the fun, interest and passion of a specific historic era.
https://www.historic-uk.com/LivingHistory/ReenactorsDirectory/page/4/#bottom
Geocaching – using an app or GPS to navigate to hidden containers – is also a popular hobby. On this site you’re able to find geocaching organizations and groups near you to connect other local explorers.
Those who want to hobby online should head to Eventbrite, which has daily networking and other events to choose from – and lots are free to join. There’s also plenty of events for those with ADHD and autism.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/d/online/hobbies–networking/
This website helps you find local choirs in your area, including weekly events. There’s also a handy star rating to ensure you’re heading to music pros who know how to best fine tune your singing skills.
https://www.joinachoir.com/#google_vignette
On this site find an online book club with ease. It also guides you to new books, have virtual meetings to talk about what you did and didn’t like, and you can further discuss on message boards or chats.
https://bookclubs.com/join-a-book-club/online
This website does exactly what it says on the tin – helps further your skills so you’re more confident with the hobby you love. From fine art and film to photography and illustration, there’s thousands of classes at your fingertips.
https://www.skillshare.com/en/
10 U3A
u3a is a UK-wide collection of over a thousand charities that provide the opportunity for those no longer in work to come together and learn. With over 400,000 members it’s easy to explore new ideas, skills and interests.
https://www.u3a.org.uk