Tag: hobbies

Start A Hobby

Posted on by thesmileparcel

Hello, it’s Monday again! I think it’s time we had another positive mental health tip – this one is all about hobbies!

We all have busy lives, and sometimes, just general day-to-day ‘adulting’ can be stressful. Having a hobby can be one way of de-stressing and taking a little time out from the real world, even if it’s only briefly!

Hobbies take lots of different forms, it could involve being creative, like designing and making, whether it be knitting, stitching, drawing or pottery, or it could be more of a pursuit, such as hiking, cycling…or water sports!

Whatever is your ‘thing’, having a hobby is great for us and has lots of positive benefits. It can give us health benefits, both physical and mental, and allows us to build self-confidence, and learn new skills.

Sometimes, rediscovering our inner-child and doing something we enjoyed as a child, helps us to reconnect with our creativity and passions. An example of this would be colouring, which has become popular for both children and adults – this may not be your first choice of hobby, but it definitely allows us to take a little time out to unwind, while the rest of the world continues around us.

So, what will be your next hobby?!…

Karen x

Try Something New…

Posted on by thesmileparcel

As promised, here’s my first mental health tip blog post – and it’s all about trying something new…

I think this is a great tip, and it doesn’t have to be something big, or a huge change, it can be something small and simple. I know for a lot of people, even the thought of doing something new, or maybe outside of our comfort zone, can be very daunting, and even scary.

So, maybe start with something simple, like trying out a new recipe, write a list of the ingredients, and get baking – if it all goes wrong, it doesn’t matter! Maybe start a new hobby, if you’re creative, it could be crafting, or if you need an excuse to get outside, it could be photography, and then post your shots on your social media to share them with friends.

Anything new that we try, keeps our minds active, which can be great for our overall wellbeing, it can be a good way to make new friends too.

Write a list (I like lists!), of all the things you enjoy doing, whether it be writing, drawing, cooking, exercise, being with people etc, and think of activities connected to the things on your list, and get trying – if the thing you’ve chosen doesn’t go so well, just try the next thing!

Have a lovely Easter weekend,

Karen x