The 4 Best Stress-Relieving Hobbies

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Modern life seems to induce stress. From long hours at work to skyrocketing bills, the mere act of survival can cause stress migraines, despair, and sleepless nights.

Luckily, there are ways to de-stress that can be fun - and you don't have to make an appointment with your medical practitioner to start. Picking up a hobby is one of the best ways to relieve stress. It takes your mind off the pressing issues and lets you enjoy yourself, even if it's only for a few hours of bliss.

Here, we've rounded up the top stress-relieving hobbies suitable for the busiest individuals. Try out one or all of these and say goodbye to anxiety-inducing thoughts that obstruct your sleep.

1) Learn a Musical Instrument

Nearly everyone listens to music, but reading music and playing instruments are a different story. Rocking out on a guitar or tickling the ivories is a pipe dream for many of us with strenuous day jobs. However, when you dedicate yourself to learning an instrument, you'll soon find that time flies.

According to Dr. Debra Shipman with the Federal Practitioner, playing instruments like the piano reduces stress and lowers cortisol levels. Whether you play soothing tunes, heartfelt folk songs, or angry metal, playing music releases stress on a mental and physical level. Feel free to prescribe music for yourself with a new keyboard, guitar, or the best drum set you can find this year.

2) Journal

You may associate keeping a journal or a diary with your teenage years. However, it's not just moody adolescents who benefit from writing down their thoughts. This hobby is perfect if you'd like to venture into creative writing or need pure catharsis.

Keeping a journal is a great way to manage your stress during this pandemic in particular. According to AdventHealth, it's a positive way to identify your specific stressors. When you know what's bothering you, it can help you gain a sense of control.

3) Exercise

Exercise is one of the simplest tried-and-true methods for relieving anxiety. It helps your body produce more endorphins, which are natural mood elevators and painkillers. Even if you spend most of your time inside, it's vital to exercise your body daily.

The best thing about exercising is that there are numerous ways to do it, whether inside or outside the house. You don't have to schedule a time for the gym in your busy itinerary. You can start exercising right now by adding a daily walk to your routine. If you have weightlifting equipment at home, that works, too! Yoga is also rising in popularity as an excellent way to stretch the body and release pent-up anxiety!

4) Read 

If you're not an avid reader, there's never a wrong time to start! Reading helps to calm the nerves by taking your mind off stressful issues. The activity itself is also calming as all it requires is sitting down, grabbing a plate of snacks, and escaping into another world. Books are portals to another time and place, and that alone can relieve your stress-induced heartburn.

Odds are, there are books you haven't looked at since you brought them home. Now's the perfect time to delve into them all! 

If you don't have a library, you can check out the local library or local independent bookstores. You also have the option to browse limitless eBooks and audiobooks. The point is that your choices for books are limitless.

In Conclusion

There are many ways you can take back control of your life and say no to stress. These four hobbies will keep your stress levels low, and you won't even have to leave the house to enjoy them.