Here’s Why People With Hobbies Are Healthier And Happier

Flickr/Simply Swim UK

Living life as a functioning, working adult is simplified when you fall into a routine: wake up, work, come home, watch TV, go to bed. Unfortunately, living in monotony without a hobby isn’t the ideal way to live from a healthy lifestyle perspective. It turns out, having a hobby is important to your overall well-being. There’s evidence that focusing your attention on a passion outside of work could make you healthier and happier. That’s a good enough reason to make changes to your routine.

Researchers from the Department of Psychology of Tel-Aviv University surveyed a number of employed individuals from across Israel and found that those with hobbies were more satisfied with their jobs. They also found that those who placed their focus on non-work-related activities felt less burnt out at their jobs.

Being happier in your career is just the beginning of how you could benefit from having a hobby. Another researcher from the University of California found that engaging in leisure activity significantly reduced levels of stress in the body. Individuals were assessed six times a day over the course of three days. They reported when they were engaging in work or a leisure activity, as well as their level of happiness. Participants’ heart rates were also measured over the course of the study, and saliva samples were tested for cortisol (a stress hormone that negatively impacts the body’s inflammation response and blood sugar levels).

The findings? Those who engaged in more leisure activity, like reading or spending time outside, experienced less stress and had an overall lower resting heart rate throughout the day. In a nutshell, the participants who had more hobbies were, on average, healthier and happier.

Maybe it’s time to take up that old hobby. For your health’s sake, it’s worth it.