There are many reasons why starting a hobby is a great way to spend a few hours. Not only will you be learning something, but you may be creating something amazing too. For anyone out there who suffers from low self-esteem or has depressive tendencies, then starting a hobby can actually re-wire your brain and make you happier. When you are in the act of indulging in a creative pursuit, you disappear into a flow state where nothing exists except you and your hobby. This is akin to a meditative state, and there are many benefits of meditation on your well-being, including better focus and concentration as well as building self-esteem. But did you know some hobbies can increase your IQ too? Here are a few hobbies to get you thinking:
Learning an Instrument
It does not matter which instrument you choose to learn, your brain will benefit. The corpus callosum is the piece of grey matter which connects the left and right hemispheres and is jam-packed full of nerve fibers, is strengthened. This means that by playing an instrument, you are actually making the two sides of your brain work in better harmony with each other, as well as making sweet music.
Reading
Reading is a great way to lower blood pressure and reduce stress, but it can help you develop three different types of intelligence: emotional, fluid, and crystallized. It also sharpens your ability to comprehend things and improves your concentration and focusing abilities. Not to mention all those new words you’ll be able to add to your vocabulary. You are, in effect, giving your brain a great workout every time you pick up a book and read literally anything. Also, if you read just before bedtime – preferably nothing on your phone, a physical book is much better – you can actually improve your sleep too. If you wanted to harness this power, even more, writing poetry and prose also improves your grey matter.
Learn a New Language
Learning a new language has many benefits, not least being able to have a conversation in another language when you go away. By learning a new language, you will develop your brainpower, and it will help you become more decisive. It can also make you understand our own language better. Moreover, learning a new language can help prevent dementia, and it will make you more perceptive too. Luckily there are many tools to help us learn language these days, such as google translate API and various apps. So there are no excuses.
There are a lot of options available for hobbies that boost brain power, but few are as fulfilling as learning a new language. Whether you decide to learn French or German, or any other language, the benefits are numerous. By engaging in language learning, you can improve your memory, problem-solving skills, and cognitive abilities. Additionally, it can enhance your communication skills, cultural awareness, and overall confidence. With a plethora of resources available both online and offline, there’s never been a better time to start learning a new language.
Exercise
Exercise is a great way to boost brainpower. You don’t have to become an Olympian. All it takes is a bit of regular exercise which is relatively low-impact to help you. Obviously, if you feel you can do more, do more, but ensure you cater to your age and ability. Any form of exercise which builds a bit of sweat will improve your cognitive function. Exercise seems to aid cell function in the act of generating reactive oxygen species, which helps delay your development of several neurogenerative diseases.
