Can These Hobbies Help You Live Longer?
Hobbies are good for more than preventing boredom: Research shows that leisurely activities can also help reduce stress, foster personal growth, and strengthen social connections. And if you pick the right hobbies, they may even help you live longer.
“When choosing a hobby, the most important thing is to choose something that you’re interested in and that you’ll enjoy doing,” says Jennifer Timmons, MD, a longevity expert and founder and medical director of Timmons Wellness in California. “But other aspects to consider are things that stimulate you in multiple ways,” she says. Think about activities that can be physically, mentally, or socially stimulating, all of which are important for longevity, she says.
Feeling calm and finding a sense of purpose are two other important attributes people often overlook, says Emily Linder, a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) based in Ohio. “Hobbies that involve rhythm, repetition, tactile engagement, or a flow state actively lower cortisol and help shift your nervous system out of that chronic low-grade fight-or-flight mode that so many of us live in,” she says.
Excerpted from Real Simple
