MIX UP YOUR MIND

New research shows that keeping busy with a variety of activities can have a positive effect on your wellbeing. Scientists at the University of South Florida’s College of Behavioural and Community Sciences collected data from 3,000 people to gauge the effects of participating in seven different kinds of activities: paid work, time with children, chores, leisure, physical activities, formal volounteering and informally helping others. Those who engaged in the most diverse range of activities enjoyed the widest range of emotional responses, from calmness and happiness to pride and confidence. “Experiencing a broad spectrum of emotions is adaptive and beneficial to health, because it means having a more balanced and nuanced appraisal of daily life,” explained Professor Soomi Lee, co-author of the study. Other studies have found that diversity of daily activity is also linked to higher psychological wellbeing, better cognitive functioning and enhanced learning.