Hobby, the benefits of having hobbies
The lack of daily motivation and its subsequent inactivity is a source of personal frustration, which in many cases leads to the development of depressive and anxiety symptoms that, on occasion, end up presenting authentic affective disorders among adolescents. That a person does not have a hobbyIt can be a risk to your mental health.
The benefits of having a hobby for teenagers
Inactivity poses a risk to health. Young people - who due to different personal, family or social circumstances find themselves without occupations - do not study, work or do anything motivating in their day-to-day life. They are boys and girls between 15 and 30 years old with an alarming lack of vitality, that they have very few personal resources to take advantage of their youth in fullness.
They spend their lives without plans for the future and without knowing how to occupy time. Many say they are not able to carry out any other activity than sleeping, sitting in front of a screen, meeting friends without a specific plan or spending hours in front of whatsapp, twenti or facebook.
Protection factors: hobbies for teenagers
Faced with this "flat" approach to life, positive psychology reminds us of the importance of cultivating and strengthening the most positive aspects of each person to achieve a fuller life and prevent physical and psychological diseases. These aspects are called protective factors, which are abilities, mental states, or activities that protect us from psychic disorders and help us to experience a more satisfying life.
Given the lack of daily occupations -also in the face of excesses-, one of the most important protection factors is the development of a hobby, leisure activities and personal hobbies.
1. Have a hobby It helps to disconnect from problems for a while, providing psychic balance against the alternative of constantly turning to worries about not having to occupy the mind.
2. Practice a hobby It allows the person to leave himself and attend to other things, for example sharing a family hobby. In this way a common space is created that serves for the expression of emotions, concerns, but also to be interested in others.
Requirements to have and practice a hobby
1. The initiative. One of the problems that these young people present is the lack of interests or healthy hobbies. They present an alarming inability to entertain themselves. Reading, making collections, practicing sports, having cultural interests, doing crafts, etc., are occupations that very few of them practice. This lack of initiative for entertainment often causes the search for an intense and immediate substitute for boredom. The excesses in nightlife, alcohol and even drugs are often behind the apathy for existence.
2. The talent. Hobbies arise from personal gifts (a creative person who paints pictures, for example).
3. Learning that has been acquired over time (photography, collections, etc.). Everyone can -and should- have a wide range of activities and tastes that entertain you.
How to encourage hobbies in children
- It is important for parents to be aware that children must not only know math, English or geography. It is also important to prepare them to acquire all possible hobbies. Do not confuse the promotion of these hobbies with enrolling them in extracurricular activities. Sometimes the mistake of "pointing the child" at activities is made indiscriminately because they are good at it, or because they want to like the same thing as their parents. It is important that you try new things, but you also have to respect their tastes and needs. On occasion I have witnessed in the consultations of children stressed by an excess of extracurricular activities.
- It is important that parents and older siblings share their hobbies with the little ones. Schools can also contribute in this area. Offering students the opportunity to discover new activities within the curricular design can bring great benefits. In short, it is necessary to take care of hobbies. Our mental and physical health will thank you.
Alfonso Sánchez-Carpintero. Psychologist specialized in Clinical Psychology
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