We have all seen the social media posts of family and friends taking on new hobbies during the many months spent at home (thank you, COVID-19), but here’s why taking on hobbies is extremely important for your mental wellbeing.
From fragrant banana loaves to beautiful pottery work, with gardening and embroidery somewhere in the middle, we have all seen the creative fire that the COVID-19 lockdowns have sparked in many of us. It has led to many positive outcomes, with many haberdashers admitting to sales increasing exponentially during the lockdown period, but the effect of hobbies runs deeper than just its economic advantages: here’s the story of Tony, 46, a father of three and how he found solace during his lockdown days.
“When it all started, I didn’t know what to do with myself” Tony tells me as he proudly shows me the results of the past 6 months of hard work: he talks me through all the plants he takes care of, his favourites being ferns, and a stunning pond in his back garden which he built himself with the help of his family during the summer. Carrying 5 thousand liters and being 2.25 feet deep, the pond is now home to more than 20 fishes. “I looked into many hobby ideas before finding what was perfect for me: I was looking into sword making, even rocketry!” When I ask him why he felt so drawn to gardening specifically, his expression turns bittersweet: “It reminds me of my late aunt and uncle, they were both passionate about animals and plants and when I am in my garden I feel transported back in time to my childhood days when I used to spend all my time with them.”
Tony slowly reaches into the pond with a handful of fish food, and watches as the fishes rush to meet his hand while he reflects out loud “But I don’t think I would’ve been able to feel this much peace doing those things… it’s hard work, but it’s extremely rewarding.”
Tony slowly reaches into the pond with a handful of fish food, and watches as the fishes rush to meet his hand “But I don’t think I would’ve been able to feel this much peace doing those things… it’s hard work, but it’s extremely rewarding.”
And that seems to be the formula that helped us cope during the many months under lockdown, a formula called somatic experiencing. It’s a form of therapy which has recently been developed that focuses on resolving symptoms of traumatic stress through the awareness of internal sensations rather than cognitive experiences. In other words, it helps relieve stress through focusing on what a person subconsciously feels rather than what they consciously think.
Trauma therapist Aurelia de Rocha talks to me about the Window of Tolerance, a psychological term used to describe the condition of our nervous system following times of adversity. “Before the pandemic, we used social engagement to help us regulate our emotions and help us operate within our window of tolerance, but if something major happens, we are pushed outside what we can normally handle”. And that is what Dr. De Rocha believes has happened with the COVID-19 lockdowns “it has forced everybody out of their windows, and with the added issue of not being able to interact with others, something that has never happened before, it has sent a lot of us in a deep state of anxiety.”
“It has sent a lot of us in a deep state of anxiety”
Timi, 41, is a small business owner and at the start of the pandemic her whole world turned upside down. “All the things I had planned in advance for my business were being cancelled (…) I began questioning myself, I thought I was never going to be able to achieve my dreams”.
Timi, who at the time was just starting to turn her passion of making organic holistic creams into a business, decided that she would use this unfortunate turn of events to her advantage, and focused all of her energy on her business “At one point I was working non-stop designing my website and taking online classes in marketing” she explains to me while lighting up a palo santo stick to purify the space of our interview and then she absentmindedly adds “despite spending hours in front of a computer I never felt drained or stressed because I was working on something I love”.
On this note, Doctor De Rocha adds that having a hobby, or anything to focus on for that matter, is of vital importance for our brain to be able to regulate itself:
“When we are focused on doing a hobby our conscious thought goes down, our brainwaves change and we’re getting our brain to release chemicals that we need like serotonin and natural endorphins in our bodies.”
Through this explanation, we are once again met with the conclusion that our brain is looking out for us, and pushing us towards doing the activities we enjoy the most by releasing all the good chemicals we need.
All of Timi’s hard work started paying off in June when she officially launched her website Resinessence; though business is still slow, as it has been for many other small business owners as according to a survey carried out from Simply Business, which states that in London alone the loss of income has risen up to £17,074.36 due to COVID-19 lockdowns and regulations. Timi however does not feel discouraged “I’m not even that bothered by my sales being low; I realise that it’s already a big achievement to get to where I am now, especially during a worldwide pandemic. I feel like I can achieve anything”
“I realise that it’s already a big achievement to get to where I am now, especially during a worldwide pandemic. Now I feel like I can achieve anything”
As I reflect on Timi and Tony, their stories and journey I realise that they are not so different from each other. Two individuals finding strength in one of the darkest times in modern history through the activities they love. And as I come to that realisation, it dawns on me that there are many thousand more stories just like Timi and Tony’s waiting to be heard.
A study published in 2016 shows that everyday creative activity improves the well-being of individuals, and that people don’t necessarily need to have a ‘creative personality’ to experience the benefits of carrying out a creative activity. So next time you feel the urge to pick up a painting brush and start painting, even though you never painted in your life, don’t fight it back, take a deep breath and listen to what your body is trying to tell you. It is looking out for you.