Interdisciplinary Studies on the Human Condition
Benefits of Hobbies for Health and Well-Being H obbies have multiple benefits in terms of individual and collective development. Through various activities, certain skills are trained and specific characteristics are formed in any person. The more a hobby is encouraged and executed, the more a habit is created. At the end of the 19th century, William James described habit as a routine and cognitive process that occurs spontaneously and is repeated automatically based on previous experiences. The more learned behaviors become automatic, the more the sensorimotor loop is active in encoding the behavior. Anhedonia is a common symptom of depression and refers to the loss of interest in things you normally enjoy doing. Finding time for interests is essential, especially in a context like the pandemic. Hobbies could be used as a method of avoiding anhedonia. Hobbies can act in relation to the reward system in the brain, such as the release of dopamine, which helps us feel pleasure. So even if the beginning of the task does not motivate, over time, it becomes a habit associated with pleasure. Hobbies have a positive impact on many people’s lives, improving mental health, cognitive function, and even the risk of chronic diseases. It has been shown that people over the age of 65 who have an activity they follow are healthier, happier than those who do not. Older adults who enjoy a hobby show fewer symptoms of depression. A 2023 survey by the American Psychiatric Association concluded that 71% of participants who reported very good or excellent mental health frequent creative activities compared to those who said they had good, average, or poor health and did not frequent a hobby. Regarding cognitive abilities, a Japanese study (Sugita et al 2021) stated that the risk of dementia decreases with an advanced number of hobbies such as fishing, gardening, golf. Also, participation in recreational activities can support factors in the endocrine, immune, and central nervous systems.
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