5 Hobbies To Boost Your Brain and Your Body

Need something new to try while staying at home? Read on to learn how different hobbies can have mental and physical benefits that may improve your well-being during quarantine.

Playing Online Games

One of the best ways to pass the time is by playing online games that challenge your mind. Whether it is the latest multiplayer sensation or a tried and true classic like solitaire, games can keep you busy and help you stay mentally sharp. Online gaming can increase your concentration and focus, as failing to pay attention may cause you to make errors that could result in defeat. Additionally, playing games forces you to tap into key skills like strategizing, helping you learn to plan ahead and make choices that will be beneficial down the road. You also put your memory to good use when gaming, as you must recall what moves your opponents have already made or what cards are left in play that can help you win.

Doing Puzzles

Another way to amuse yourself while boosting your brain power is by doing puzzles. For starters, when you are working on a puzzle you must carefully study the sizes and shapes of pieces to determine where they will fit. This improves your visual-spatial skills, which are needed for other activities like driving, dancing and playing sports. You may also find that your attention to detail increases when you are doing puzzles, and if you work on them with other people you will likely become better at collaboration and cooperation. Finally, the quiet concentration required for putting puzzles together may also help you relax and lower your stress levels.

Reading

Getting lost in a book is another hobby to pick up that can be both relaxing and stimulating. Reading is a great way to activate your imagination and exercise your brain. Books build both your knowledge and your vocabulary, so when you get to reconnect with others you’ll have something to talk about and can do so with greater eloquence. Reading also puts to use your analytical thinking skills by requiring you to sort through clues in a mystery or understand a character’s motivations. Best of all, books are one of the most economical forms of entertainment around, and can easily be purchased online in print or digital formats.

Gardening

If getting your hands dirty is more appealing than sitting quietly, gardening is another great activity to reduce stress and stay busy. As with reading and gaming, gardening allows you to completely engage your mind with something other than your own troubles. The tasks involved in gardening like planting, watering and weeding are simple, yet they require focus. Gardening can benefit your body, too, as you develop hand strength from all that digging. You’ll likely get a good dose of vitamin D while tending to your plantings in the sunshine, and you’ll be burning some calories as well. There’s even a healthy strain of bacteria found in soil called Mycobacterium vaccae that has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety.

Cooking

Gardening and cooking share the trait of being goal-oriented hobbies. With gardening you are striving to yield healthy vegetables or beautiful flowers, and with cooking you’re working toward producing a delicious dish. As with the other activities mentioned, there is a brain benefit to cooking. Following recipes requires focus and attention to detail, but there are also opportunities to exercise creativity by improvising with a different ingredient or adding flavors that better suit your tastes. Cooking can also create a tremendous sense of accomplishment as you pull together a myriad of elements into a delectable meal. Best of all, cooking can be a solitary activity or one that you do with others in your home.

Being stuck at home may give you the perfect opportunity to try out some new hobbies. You can improve the health of both your brain and your body while doing something fun.