How Hobbies Promote the Mental Health for College Students

Posted by Chelsi Sheerer on
Keeping in touch with loved ones and friends. Image source: iStock Image

Ever dreamed of learning how to master the art of crocheting? Or, possibly wanting to consider yourself a modern-day Bob Ross? Well, as we adjourn through these unpredictable times of COVID, especially as the Fall and Winter seasons are upon us, it’s important that we prepare ourselves for health-promoting, self-care activities that take into consideration the pandemic health guidelines.

As college students, we can be under a lot of stress. The piling up due dates, going to work, paying bills, attending club meetings, going to practice and classes, and making enough time to hang out with friends, can all be quite demanding. That is why it’s crucial we make the time to focus on our mental well-being.

As we continue forward, let’s focus on how to implement new ways that we can introduce our past, and future, hobbies to work around the demands of a pandemic.

 

The Craftsmanship for Making the Changes

Get outside

  • To get a change of environment, Mother Nature always has the cure. Whether it be to meditate, get some exercise, play a sport, or go for a nice walk, getting fresh air can always help.

Catch up with friends and family

  • Creating a routine of meeting up with friends and family to have a game night or movie night can really help get that needed social interaction.

Read a book

  • I have personally started up reading and I have become engulfed by it. Creating a book club is fun to do with friends to talk about the current favorite reads!  

Get crafty

  • Whether it be as simple as putting together a puzzle or D.I.Y-ing some ideas pinned on your Pinterest board, it’s good to relax the mind from complex situations where stress and tension is prevalent.

Teach yourself how to cook or bake

  • It’s always nice to reward yourself with a delicious treat! Plus, family and friends will be grateful.

 

 

Hobbies Make Us Happy

Creating hobbies has helped me as a college student handle stress better. Rodas et al. (2021)referred to a Spanish study conducted in 2020, which focused on how certain behaviors could positively impact one’s anxiety and depression symptoms. “They found that a healthy diet, following a routine, not reading news about COVID-19, pursing hobbies and contact with outdoors were good predictors of lower levels of depression.” As a result, it was found that having daily activities, including hobbies, decreased mental distress (Rodas et al., 2021). With discovering this information, it has encouraged me to develop new hobbies, such as reading, to promote my mental health.

Sharing our experiences among friends and family is another great way to promote mental wellness. As we have gone through these tough times together, we can easily relate with one another. That’s why I encourage that some of these hobbies be done among friends and family.

With wanting to do so, the CDC (2022) has provided many tips for safety protocols you can follow to ensure safe social interaction, regarding the hobby you want to pursue. A few of these preventative measures include wearing fitted masks, moving activities from inside to the outdoors to improve ventilation, and to stay home if you suspect you may have COVID-19. Social distancing is also highly recommended and one we have become accustomed to over the past few years since dealing with this pandemic. These are great techniques to consider while wanting to seek group hobbies.

 

 

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, August 11). How to protect yourself and others. COVID-19. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html#contact

Rodas, J. A., JaraRizzo, M. F., Greene, C. M., MoretaHerrera, R., & Oleas, D. (2021). Cognitive emotion regulation strategies and psychological distress during lockdown due to COVID 19. International Journal of Psychology, 57(3), 315–324. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12818