10 REASONS TO HAVE... A HOBBY

1 IT’S GOOD FOR THE HEART

A US-published study found that people with a hobby were less stressed. Researchers assessed 100 adults wearing heart monitors as they went about their day-to-day lives and took part in surveys detailing their activities. People whose schedules included leisure time for hobbies were 34% less stressed, and their heart rates were lower and stayed so for hours.

2 . . . AND MAKES YOU FEEL HAPPY

When you’re completely absorbed in a hobby you love, you enter a ‘flow state’ where you lose sense of time passing. Studies have shown that being in this high state of concentration promotes high levels of the ‘happy’ chemicals endorphins, norepinephrine and dopamine.

3 YOU’LL BE BETTER AT YOUR JOB

A 2014 study published in the Journal Of Occupational And Organisational Psychology found that those with hobbies had improved problem-solving skills and were more likely to help a workmate tackle problems. The more time they spent at their given hobby, the better their job performance – scoring 15% to 30% higher in performance reviews than colleagues who pursued leisure interests only occasionally.

4 . . . AND LESS LIKELY TO SUFFER DEPRESSION

Research has shown that feeling you are defined by your job – even if you are highly successful – can result in problems if things go wrong. If you have areas of interest outside your work, you’re less likely to rely on your career as your only source of self-worth. If your job is the be-all-and-end-all of your identity, your risk of anxiety and depression increases.

5 IT WILL HELP YOU SURVIVE CANCER

Following 398 women who had undergone surgery for breast cancer, the authors found that a hobby can provide opportunities for social interaction that reduce loneliness and feelings of isolation when grappling with a cancer diagnosis, and that as a person’s number of hobbies increased, their risk of death decreased.

6 IT WILL BOOST YOUR MEMORY IN OLD AGE

In a study of 200 pensioners in Dallas, USA, half the participants took a 12-week course learning something they’d never done before, while the remainder engaged in social activities. Those who learned something new had better memories when tested after the course than those who simply socialised. Dr Denise Park, of Texas University in Dallas, said: ‘It seems it’s not enough just to get out and do something.’

7 IT HAS A SLIMMING EFFECT

Forget the diet – it seems the key to a smaller waist, lower body mass index and better physical function can be down to your hobbies, according to a another US study. The Psychosomatic Medicine report in 2009 found that those who made time regularly to pursue their leisure activities also had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to increased abdominal fat.

8 REINVENT YOUR RETIREMENT

Researchers from the University of Greenwich found that outside interests help fill the void created by a switch from busy working life to retirement. In fact, developing hobbies is much more likely to make for a happier life in retirement than having children and grandchildren. Senior executives find adjusting to retirement most difficult, the scientists say, because they tend to have fewer leisure pursuits.

9 IT WILL HELP WITH A NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION

The Brain and Spine Foundation, which provides support for people affected by neurological problems such as brain injury, advise that a hobby can help with sufferers’ mental and physical wellbeing. They say that a new hobby can also help you get your ‘old self’ back again, broaden your social circle and aid with brain development and coordination.

10 YOU’LL FEEL LESS ALONE

The knock-on effect of a new pursuit is that you broaden your social circle and unite with others, even if you’re engaged in a solo activity such as playing the piano. By having a passion for something outside yourself, you’re potentially connecting yourself with a world of people who share your interests online.