4 hobbies worth dedicating yourself to. They will help you improve your mental health

chief physician of the First Line health resort

What to do to improve mental health?

The Global Wellness Institute defines mental health as an internal resource that helps us think, feel, communicate and act. Self-improvement as a weighty segment of mental wellness encompasses a wide range of activities related not only to personal development, but also to a person’s favorite activities that maintain psychological and emotional balance.

Tai chi

Physical activity always adds benefit to any hobby. In this context, we would like to talk about tai chi, a form of exercise that originated in China thousands of years ago and combines Chinese philosophy with martial and healing arts.

The practice of tai chi is characterized by slow, smooth physical movements that are coordinated with diaphragmatic breathing, stretching and relaxation of the musculoskeletal system, kinesthetic awareness of the body (focusing on muscles and feelings during movement) and a meditative state of mind.

Empirical studies have shown that the energy expenditure of tai chi ranges from 2.6 to 6.5 metabolic equivalents (METs), categorized as mild to moderate in intensity. To date, many studies have demonstrated clinically significant improvements in people with chronic conditions who practiced tai chi.

Dancing

Research has proven the benefits of dance for improving physical fitness, including flexibility, balance, and cardiovascular fitness. The Dance, Health and Wellbeing: discussing methodologies and moving forward project conducted research with a wide range of people including scientists, health and arts professionals to assess the creative, artistic and aesthetic contribution of dance to human health and mental wellbeing.

Different types of dance, such as contemporarie, zumba fitness dance, dancehall music and dance from the heart, have been shown to improve the body’s cognitive functions as well, by combining physical exercise with mental activity.

Volunteering

Mental health is multifaceted, holistic and individualized, so the ways to achieve it can hide in deep feelings and goal-setting. Many find connection and meaning through altruism and compassion – essentially, service to others. And as the crown of such an impulse, volunteering can be noted. This is not only working at events, but also caring for people and the environment through participation in clean-up days or charity events.

Coaching

Since ancient times, the idea of human existence is connected with the desire to become the best version of oneself. And in the concept of self-improvement, coaching becomes one of the obvious hobbies. The concepts of coaching and mentoring also go back to antiquity, when in ancient Greece young athletes were supported by experienced former champions.

In the modern world, coaching has infiltrated business culture and has become a necessary competence of a successful leader. Increased self-esteem and self-confidence, proper goal setting and development of plans to achieve them are the qualities that a person acquires as a result of using coaching to improve his or her personal effectiveness.