The coronavirus pandemic has been tough on all of us, especially those in the Black community who were more likely to be affected by the disease. Nonetheless, with the vaccination rate in the UK slowly rising, there is the opportunity to get back into the saddle and feel like our old selves again.
To help you feel better and back to your old self in no time, this guide has been created to recommend five hobbies that can help improve your mental health. Read on now for the complete and definitive guide.
Running
Running has been proven to have massive benefits for both your mental and physical health. By getting out and about, you will be boosting your fitness levels — benefiting you in all sorts of ways — as well as your serotonin, meaning that you will more likely have a sunny disposition.
Don’t worry too much if you are a bad runner to begin with as most people find it quite difficult to get started. The important part is to simply get going and to enjoy it. Find a good friend who can be your running partner and you’ll be surprised by how well you will improve over time.
Reading
Getting lost in a good book has valuable mental health benefits. Don’t try and exert yourself too much, but instead find a book that you truly enjoy reading and can find yourself getting lost in. You can either head straight to your local library to take out a book for free, or head into a bookshop to buy one, or you can even purchase a book online.
Education
Whether it’s learning about your local neighbourhood or about Global Water facts, it’s never too late to educate yourself. You can either become an autodidact, whereby you use the local library and the internet to learn more about the types of points you are interested in, or you can enroll at a local university course, either online or in person.
Either way, learning new ideas is a great way to boost your curiosity about the world and your mental health in the process.
Volunteering
Given the impact on the community due to coronavirus over the past year and a half, now is a great time to give back.
You can find a lot of organisations that help other people, from mental health awareness clubs, to local sports clubs, to politically-minded organisations. Find something that truly interests you and shoot them an email about the ways in which you can help. You’ll be surprised by how much your help will be appreciated.
Dating
You might not think of dating as a hobby as such, but casual dating can improve your mental health. Not only does it mean you will be out and about, but you will be meeting lots of new people who you can be interested in. Now, with the rise of dating apps, it’s easier than ever to meet people and forge casual or romantic relationships with them.
