So I should probably get the obvious irony out of the way
first. Yes this blog is a bit of a hobby for me and yes I have been neglecting
it and yes I am about to talk about the value of hobbies. Right…
I've had a bit of a shit couple of weeks to be perfectly
honest, and it's probably true to say that I don't know why at the same time as
being able to say that I do know why. I know the source; I know where it all
comes from and the root cause. But I'm not always sure what specifically
triggers things off at particular times. So basically just to reiterate it’s
been a shit couple of weeks, not sure why but there we are. Life in general has
been good, no complaints and a couple of highlights. I’m referring specifically
to mental health when I say it’s not been great. As some of you may know I’m generally
pretty active. I have active hobbies.
I train in martial arts & boxing a couple of times a week and have been
doing so for a good while now, in fact I recently passed another grading. I’ve
also completed ten 10k races this year, and have been going to the gym
(weightlifting) for a number of years, gradually building up my strength. But
for the past week I’ve taken a break from everything: the gym, fight club and
the 10k races have all been completed. Which basically means for the past week
and a bit I’ve not taken part in any physical exercise of any note – which means
I haven’t participated in any of my hobbies. It has been an enforced rest due
to injury. But as well as giving my joints a bit of a break it's also
highlighted to me how important hobbies are.
There are different sorts of hobbies of course. I have a
games console, I like tinkering with my car, and I watch films, spend time with
my partner and so on. But what I specifically mean here is hobbies that require
both physical and mental exertion; things that make you active physically
whilst using your brain to concentrate on what you’re doing. It has long been
thought that physical activity can be as effective for mild depression and
anxiety as medication, and I personally believe that the more ‘structured’ the
exercise is, the better it is for you. Not everyone has the time or money or
desire to join clubs and go to classes but the key is to make something
moderate and regular, that you can develop and build on so that you use more
and more of your physical and mental energy.
It’s strange you that you don't really see the benefits of
something until after you stop doing it for a little while. So I’d imagine it’s
similar for people who’ve never given much thought to an active hobby. Maybe
you don't realise that you're missing out on such enormous benefits both
physical and mental. In terms of the brain, the mental discipline that’s
required in certain physical activities, for example weight lifting or training
in martial arts, helps to engage your thought processes in such a way that it drives
your focus away from the darkness. You focus on complex movements and techniques
and order and I personally believe that helps to re-order all the other crap
that’s swirling around in there. When going through one or two or a range of mental
health problems getting order in the mind is one of those things that can be
most difficult to come, so anything that helps train that part of the brain can
only be beneficial.
There are also enormous physical benefits of course to any
sort of active hobby. One of the key by products of depression and other mental
health problems is that you suffer from a lack of energy, tiredness, and a
general disinterest in doing pretty much anything. Through regular physical and
mental exercise you feel more energetic and will be better equipped to combat
feelings of lethargy. Plus, taking part in an activity like martial arts
training that involves a group of people gives you added variety, increases
positive endorphin output and helps develop camaraderie, which will get you
over any plateau you might hit. To break it down to the simplest level; if you
exercise like I often do to the point of being shattered (whilst looking after
yourself) you’re too exhausted to worry about anything else anyway!
So to sum up this relatively short re introduction to
blogging - get yourself an active hobby.
