From Sharp Health News, a publication of Sharp HealthCare
Some of the new hobbies you picked up at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic may be losing their spark. However, maintaining leisure time is good for your mental health.
Finding balance between work and play and nurturing a healthy leisure lifestyle help us manage stress, reduce burnout and increase productivity.
One form of healthy leisure is productive leisure. To be productive simply means to produce results. We often associate this with work and tasks we need to get done; however, it can be equally applied to our leisure time.
Try these types of productive leisure to reduce stress and increase joy:
Volunteer. Most people who engage in volunteer work report feeling good about themselves and enjoy seeing the results of their efforts in real time.
Exercise. Physical activity benefits us both mentally and physically. Each day, try to find time to take a yoga class, go on a hike, play a sport with friends or do any activity that gets you moving.
Be creative. Cooking, making art, playing an instrument or journaling are excellent examples of using your creativity to recharge.
Get organized. Organizing and cleaning out neglected areas of the home produce results and leave us feeling accomplished.
Try something new. A tried-and-true solution to reboot leisure activities is to try something new, which helps us open our minds and allows us to learn and grow.
The VEBA Resource Center offers Sunrise Yoga Classes. Join us for an early morning yoga class that will help you start your day grounded, centered and focused. Perfect for all levels. Check out our calendar to sign up for an upcoming class.
