Many people's mental health has been affected by the pandemic. Many people may be feeling more lonely, frightened, and sad than usual due to the virus's dread and government limitations on transportation. The World Health Organization (WHO) has even provided recommendations on how people should take care of their mental health during this trying period. The most important piece of advice is to stick to regular eating, sleeping, hygiene, and exercise.
But a less obvious recommendation is to make sure you’re still finding time to do the things you enjoy. In fact, research shows that having a hobby is linked to lower levels of depression – and may even prevent depression for some.
Symptom of poor mental health:
Losing interest and joy in things you normally like doing is one symptom of poor mental health. Known as anhedonia, this is a common symptom of depression and is something patients say they would most like relief from – Perhaps because the medications used to treat depression seem to target other symptoms rather than ease depression.
For some people, anhedonia is one of the first symptoms of depression and can even be used to predict the severity of depression a person might experience.
Organizing time for your passions and enjoyments:
So, finding time for your interests and pleasures – such as a hobby – during lockdown could be one way of avoiding anhedonia and depression. In fact, social prescribing is a treatment method where doctors can ask patients with mild to moderate depression to take up a non-medical intervention (such as a hobby) to improve their mental health. As antidepressants can be less effective in those with mild depression, this treatment strategy may still help patients with depression find relief from their symptoms.
So far, some studies have shown that social prescribing programs that ask patients to take up hobbies such as gardening or art are beneficial for mental health and wellbeing.
Evidence also shows that even for those with clinical depression, certain psychological treatments – like behavioral activation, which requires patients to schedule in time to do things that bring them pleasure and joy – improve symptoms of depression. A wide range of activities and hobbies may play a role in social prescribing and behavioral activation, such as exercising, playing an instrument, drawing, reading, or handicrafts.
Reward system in the brain:
Finding time for hobbies can work has to do with how they affect the reward system in the brain. When we participate in a hobby that we enjoy, chemical messengers in the brain (known as neurotransmitters) are released – such as dopamine, a chemical that helps us feel pleasure. These feel-good chemicals can make us want to do the hobby again and feel more motivated.
So even though we may not feel motivated in the beginning to spend time on a hobby, once we start it and feel the associated pleasure, this will kick-start our reward system and motivate us to do it again. This is something we’re researching in greater depth in our lab.
Alongside pleasure and motivation, hobbies can also bring other benefits. Physical hobbies can, of course, improve your fitness, and others can even improve your brain function. Research suggests that some hobbies – like playing musical instruments – can improve your memory. In contrast, artistic hobbies (such as reading or board games puzzles) are reported to prevent dementia later in life.
So if you’re feeling lower than normal during the pandemic, perhaps try to find time to re-engage with some hobbies that you may have enjoyed in the past – or try new ones. You can also seek help or guidance from your GP or a therapist to find the best treatment for you.
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