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Individual activities can be just as beneficial as hobbies done in a group.
The best hobbies to prevent depression

The best hobbies to prevent depression

A lack of interest in recreational or creative activities is a warning sign for psychologists

R. ALCOLEA

Friday, 13 October 2017, 12:16

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When we think about hobbies we normally think of specific activities, which take up rather a lot of our time and cost us money. The idea of having several hobbies at once seems impractical, not because we don't want to do different things but because our finances and our lifestyle aren't compatible with idea of learning something new, with all that it involves.

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  • Make your home look better

  • Disconnect One activity which is very effective in calming the mind and getting away from obligations is to make your living space look better, but not just in the normal sense of cleaning and tidying up to make the rooms more habitable.

  • Throw away Collect up a few boxes and spend time throwing out things you no longer need, or which bring negative memories or which you feel need to be replaced. Throw them away. It feels really good to get rid of things you no longer want.

  • Reorganise You can also organise parts of your home which are normally part of your cleaning routine, such as shelves and cupboards. With the space you create, you are reorganising your surroundings and giving them a different feel. Introduce simple changes, such as the fragrances of things you normally buy. In this way, you will feel that the effort you have made has relaxed you and left your home looking better as a reward.

  • Cook for an army

  • No controls One of the most difficult challenges when you are independent is learning to control the amount of food you cook. However, freeing yourself of this pressure can be an enjoyable way of spending your time.

  • Recipe Take a recipe you have always wanted to try, and don't worry about the quantities. Don't throw something together fast, the way you would on a Sunday evening; on this occasion, take your time. Peel the vegetables carefully, cut them with precision and patience, respect the cooking times and the instruction to remove from the heat and leave to rest. This is your Masterchef moment and you deserve to enjoy it.

  • Share You can do three things with the result of your efforts

  • Letters for everyone

  • Open up When was the last time you really opened up your heart to your partner, mother or friends? Apart from being relaxing, entertaining and a nice thing to do, writing letters can be absolutely liberating.

  • Think carefully Choose a group of people you want to write to, and spend some time thinking about each of them individually; about the relationship you have with them, the things you have done together, and what you would like to tell them. Then, pick up your writing paper and a pen and express yourself, either in the form of a letter, a story or a drawing. Don't be afraid or ashamed, there are no limits or rush. In the end, these creations are a new hobby and the idea is that they make you calm and happy.

  • Then what ? Take your time and think about whether you want to send it to the person or not. You will know whether it is best to send it, keep it or destroy it, but nobody can take away the satisfying feeling of having really opened up your heart.

On the other hand when we think about depression, many people tend to imagine someone lying in bed, crying uncontrollably and eating tub after tub of ice cream. Actually, there are different levels of depression and it appears in different ways in each person: some people who seem fine could have one or more symptoms of depression, although not to the extent that it affects their day-to-day life.

In fact, neither this idea about hobbies mentioned above, nor the general vision of depression are correct. In this article, we show that different activities that are easy to do can help to motivate people and keep the shadows of depression at bay.

No hobby: a warning sign

Anyone who tends to get bored easily needs different activities to stimulate them and keep them occupied. Motivation is an essential part of this process, because it will help to find emotional balance.

Psychologists at TherapyChat who specialise in depression say that a lack of a hobby is a warning sign in therapy: if someone has absolutely no hobbies and isn't interested in having one, the psychologist will try to ascertain whether they have anhedonia, which is a lack of motivation and indifference to stimuli. This is one of the basic symptoms of depressive disorders.

One option: group hobbies

If you take part in hobbies which can be done with other people at the same time, you will be training your social skills in an environment in which you feel confident: you, and the people with you, are doing this activity in this place because that is what you want to do.

These types of hobbies are especially positive if you are normally alone when you are at work, because you can't relate much to other people during the hours you are working. Paradoxically, group hobbies are also beneficial if your work means that you interact with a lot of people every day: it is not the same, being in one place and together with certain people because you have to, rather than because you choose to.

Individual hobbies

If, on the other hand, you choose a hobby you can do on your own, surprise! You will still be contributing to your ability to socialise: you will have something new and personal to you to tell your friends or your partner about, and you will also have the power to decide how much you want to share something which is yours alone.

Individual hobbies are especially recommended for people who normally experience high levels of stress and anxiety: the chance to focus and expend their energy on something that requires a determinate level of attention, away from outside stimuli and without being judged by others, can be a useful secret weapon in calming the mind.

Satisfying hobbies

If you are looking for a new hobby but are worried that you don't have enough money or, especially time, don't worry! There are plenty of things you can do which will distract you, motivate you and make you feel happier. Some are free and give positive results which reduce this feeling of lost time which you may experience if your everyday life is very busy.

The next page offers some ideas of simple activities that can help fight off depression.

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