Five Hobbies That Surprisingly Make You Smarter!
All of us need hobbies- each and every one of us. It doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are and what your interests are, we all need to take part in activities every now and again that make us happy. They help to keep us productive when we’re not working, give us something to work towards and look forward to, and build our skills. They help us to meet like minded people, and generally make life more fulfilling. On top of all of this, some hobbies can make us smarter too, either by educating us about new things, picking up different skills or changing the way our brain works! Here are some examples.
Music
Knowing how to play a musical instrument is a great skill to have. It’s fun, allows you to entertain friends and family and you can get creative and put together your own songs and musical pieces. But as well as all of this, music can also make you smarter. Research shows that regularly playing an instrument can change both the shape and power of the brain (musicians have structurally and functionally different brains compared with non-musicians) and may be used in therapy to improve cognitive skills. It can improve your IQ, and is something your brain can benefit from in adulthood even if you’ve never played any music previously. And it’s not just instruments too, even singing can boost your brain power. This model shares vocal coach with Celine Dion but of course, you don’t have to be rich and famous or have access to the world’s best singing coaches. You could learn yourself from Youtube or hire a local tutor or join a choir. If you already sing in the shower, take it a step further and work on training your voice!
Travel
Most of us travel because it’s fun. It’s a chance to get away from mundane daily life and relax, explore, eat good food and generally enjoy ourselves. But along with all of that, travel really does educate you too. It teaches you things and gives you experiences that you simply wouldn’t have had if you’d have stayed at home. You get to learn about people, culture and religion. You can explore museums, find out what ingredients are used in the local cuisine (and why), you might pick up some of the language if you travel to a place in the world regularly. What better way to broaden your horizons and expand your mind than doing something that genuinely enriches your soul. Don’t overlook travel because you think you can’t afford it, it doesn’t need to be five star luxury. There’s plenty to be gained from backpacking, camping and staying in cheap motels around the world.
Exercise
Exercise can help to regulate your hormones, relieve restless energy and release endorphins- all of which make you feel great. They can help you to be more alert so you’ll find it easier to learn new things, not to mention more motivated. Exercise can improve sluggishness and ‘brain fog’ meaning you’re much more able to take in new information. Exercise doesn’t have to be slogging it out at the gym or running in the rain at 6am (very few people would truly consider this to be a hobby!) but there are lots of ways you can work out without it feeling like a chore. Swimming, yoga, a team sport, hiking and biking are all examples. You could go trampolining, roller skating or skateboarding and tap into your inner child! You’ll be having so much fun that you won’t even think about how much you’ll be doing your body, mind and cognition a favor.
Video games
Video gaming is the perfect example of how a hobby doesn’t have to be particularly ‘productive’ to be good for you. Gaming often gets some flack for being a time waster, but more skills can be gained here that what you might realize. Research has found that gaming can improve memory and even ward off dementia, while typical ‘brain training’ exercises might be obvious, lots of games have puzzles and other challenges in them in a less obvious format. It can improve hand- eye coordination, and is a fantastic way to socialize too. No longer a loner’s hobby, gaming is often online these days and enables you to play and connect with people all over the world. Of course, there should always be moderation, with these kinds of things it’s easy to get addicted and especially in the case of children and teens, you’ll need to make sure this isn’t replacing exercise or socialization in person with their peers. But it can be a great way to de-stress, have fun and you don’t even need to leave the house.
Meditation/ relaxation
Again, another example of how you don’t need to do all that much to benefit! Relaxation is so important, too many of us see it as a luxury rather than essential to good health. But we lead busy and chaotic lives, we need chance to properly unwind to restore the balance. As well as getting enough sleep, you could work relaxation activities into your hobbies. You could go to the spa with your friend or partner, you could go for massages, facials and pedicures. You could enjoy time in the jacuzzi or steam room, or just enjoy a pampering bath at home with lots of nice products you’ve invested in. Meditation is a great way to restore calmness to your mind, reduce anxiety and improve your cognitive ability. When you’re relaxed and your brain is free of clutter, it’s much more able to take in new information. Try to practice relaxation activities as regularly as you can, it helps to prevent burnout and makes you happier.