Hobbies That Contribute to Aging Wellness
There are many reasons why people fear aging. One of the primary reasons many express is a fear of deteriorating health and wellness. Hence why we’re so into wellness tips, beauty secrets, and products that slow aging these days, as we get older..
(Creativity Paintbrush Photo: FoYu / Pixabay)
But there’s a less-talked about way to improve health and wellness as we get older; embracing creative and / or mentally stimulating hobbies.
Our exploration of and experimentation with creative pursuits should continue in our 50s, and long into our senior years, if we want our overall health and wellness to persist on a good path. Here’s more on how mentally engaging and creative hobbies can contribute to wellness for older adults.
Make Self-Care More of a Priority
Self-care must become more of a priority as we age if we want our wellness and overall health to remain in good standing. Hobbies are fantastic self-care opportunities.
When we are engaged in doing things we enjoy, it boosts our mood, motivation, and energy. Creative hobbies also help us honor who we truly are, which is the foundation of self-care.
A creative pursuit like photography, for example, can contribute to wellness as you age because it stimulates your imagination, helps you express your authentic emotions, and deepens your understanding of yourself.
Bond With Younger Family Members
One of the best things about getting older is the arrival of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Additionally, these relationships with younger family members keep us genuinely happy and fulfilled.
However, bonding with younger family members can sometimes be challenging because it’s harder to find common interests when there’s a big age gap. Fortunately, embracing certain mentally challenging hobbies can help you bond with the young ones in your family.
For example, playing video games with younger family members can deepen your bond. They’re likely playing games such as Pokemon Go, Fortnite, or Among Us. Take your time learning how to play a new video game, and be sure you understand maturity level ratings so that you’re choosing appropriate games to play with the kids in your family.
Discover New Gifts and Abilities
Creative hobbies are excellent pathways to discovering new gifts and abilities. It adds to wellness for older adults when you discover new talents, because your self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth shoot through the roof. In addition, mastering something new keeps you mentally flourishing no matter your age.
So, try something new to keep your aging wellness on track. Now is the time to write that novel or memoir you’ve put off for years, take up cooking and baking, take a painting class, start mentoring young adults, go full force into a side hustle, or become a social media influencer – and uncover gifts you never knew you had!
Better Stress Management
Stress never seems to go away like we think it will when we get older. Instead, we learn to live with it. That said, many seniors don’t know how to cope with stress in healthy ways, and their lives are adversely affected because of it. Not managing stress effectively can make it difficult to thrive as we age.
Taking up hobbies like mindfulness and meditation can help you better manager your stress because they encourage you to be present and positive. A present and positive mind enables you to navigate stress and contributes to wellness by keeping you spiritually grounded and emotionally mature.
Meet New People and Form New Friendships
Wellness has a lot to do with social activity and connection. Socializing with others and forming lasting bonds with interesting people contributes to good mental, physical, and emotional health. But for older adults and seniors, friendships end, loved ones pass on, and our socialization efforts slow down.
Hobbies can help us continue to meet new people and form new friendships that contribute to better health and wellness as we age.
For example, traveling is a great way to meet new people. You can explore various cultures, and ways of being that can improve your well-being and ability to thrive. Additionally, there are many opportunities to dive into connections and conversations that create meaning in our lives.
Stay Active
Hobbies are also fantastic for keeping us active as we age. Staying physically fit is integral to achieving excellent overall health and wellness. If we don’t make our regular physical activity a part of our routines as we age, our bones, joints, and organs will weaken faster.
Low impact sports like cycling, treasure hunting, or bird watching are excellent hobbies that pick up that will help you stay active without being hard on your joints. You could also try gardening or hiking to immerse yourself in the outdoors, stay active, and explore your creativity.
Keep Your Mind Sharp
A sharp mind is crucial to wellness as we age. If we neglect to stimulate our minds and exercise them constantly as older adults, then how vibrant, energetic, and able we are tends to diminish, and so does our wellness.
Activities like reading, writing, and learning new technology can help keep your mind sharp. Or taking up games like chess, checkers, and others that rely heavily on strategic thinking, can keep your senior mind moving.
Ultimately, when we keep our minds sharp with mentally engaging and creative hobbies, our physical and emotional wellness remains strong with age too.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that creative hobbies can contribute to wellness as we age. By making creativity a part of their every day, older adults and seniors can keep their minds sharp, their physical body in tip-top shape, and their emotional and spiritual states balanced as they gracefully grow older.
