We feed our physical needs straight away. If we are hungry, we eat. If we are tired, we sleep. When it comes to our mental health we are often not as quick at responding as we do to our growling stomach. It is so easy to put our mental health needs on the back burner.
As a stay at home mom I have dealt with feelings of isolation and being overwhelmed.
Motherhood is a blessing and God has been so gracious to us. When you become a parent you experience the highest of the highs but parenthood is also good at revealing our weaknesses.
Whenever I am feeling down I find it is important to take a step back and evaluate my emotions. Before responding to anyone, I ask myself questions to find out the root cause of the issue.
”Do I need to stop and eat? Do I need a nap?“
We all need rest and nutrition to fuel our bodies. We can clearly see this in the Bible. An angel of the Lord told Elijah, who was traveling across the desert and in fear of his life, to take time to eat, drink and rest. Elijah had grown so weary that he prayed to the Lord that he might die. He had become so desperate that he collapsed under a tree in the desert and asked God to take his life. 1 Kings 19:4
The angel of the Lord came back to Elijah a second time to wake him and said, “Get up and eat.“ 1 Kings 19:7 And in verse 8 we see that Elijah was strengthened by that food.
Do you see how distraught we can become without adequate nutrition and rest? It is vitally important that we care for ourselves properly so we can help others.
What of the days that it is more than just food or rest we are in need of, you ask? It can be tricky to push ourselves to do something when we are feeling down. This is where meaningful hobbies can improve the quality of your life. Science shows that hobbies reduce stress and stimulate neuroplasticity.
Hobbies to Boost Your Mental Health:
Music
Recently, I have started teaching myself to play piano. I love music and playing an instrument requires all of my attention. I am definitely, in the zone, when I am playing the piano.
If you played an instrument when you were younger then how about giving it another try? Or, if you’ve always wished you could play the guitar, now is your time to go for it!
Writing
I love to write poetry. Years ago, I used to write a blog. I don’t remember why I deleted it but I am so glad my husband urged me to start back blogging.
Edited to add: Three years later I started this blog back after "deleting" it. I thought I had deleted it and when I began to start my new blog I was actually thrilled to see this one was still intact and just needed republishing to go live!
Maybe you have always wanted to write a novel. Perhaps you would enjoy writing short stories or even journaling about your life. Writing is very therapeutic for some and there’s only one way to find out: start writing!
Exercise
Exercise improves sleep and boosts self esteem. I know, I know.. Does anyone truly enjoy exercising? Well, what if instead of pounding a treadmill, you danced? I’ve never been a runner but I know many people who find it to be a great stress reliever, however, I prefer dancing! I grew up taking dance classes. If you did too, find a local barre class to join or search for one on YouTube!
If you love playing sports then take an afternoon to get outdoors and play kickball with your family. Invite your friends to a local park to try your hand at frisbee golf. Hiking through the woods does wonders for the immune system! Just. Get. Moving.
Arts and Crafts
Painting, drawing, sculpture, you name it and you can make art out of it. Art boosts creativity and problem solving skills. I love to paint but I don’t do it as often as I would like. Here are some fun craft ideas I have done recently:
Make and design wreaths! Add seasonal flowers with hot glue.
Grab the kids and craft a card for someone special. My daughter and I made one for Father‘s Day!
Build a birdhouse. If you don’t want to build one then buy one and have fun decorating, painting and personalizing it. Pinterest has some cool ideas for decorating them!
There really are endless possibilities with this category!
Reading
Pour yourself a cup of tea and crack open a good book! I always have one ready to go on my nursing station table. Whether you get lost in a novel or want to become a better person with self help books, reading opens an entire new world and way of thinking! Reading also helps your vocabulary and language skills while reducing stress.
Cooking
Now is the perfect time to channel your inner chef and get creative in the kitchen. Take some time to bake fresh bread or a batch of cookies. Kids love to help decorate sugar cookies!
It is always interesting to try out a new recipe or improve a current one. Find a recipe online that interests you or order that cook book you’ve been eyeing. Take the headache out of meal planning and order a meal delivery service. We have used Hello Fresh with much success in the past. They deliver all of the ingredients to prepare the meal and you just enjoy the cooking process.
That’s all for today, friends. I hope you gained some new ideas from this list. I encourage you to dive into a fresh, new hobby or think on things you enjoyed doing as a child and pursue that.
~Crissy
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