Managing Stress through Active Hobbies

What is an "Active Hobby"...

A purposeful, engaging activity that helps you refocus anxious energy towards a task with low stakes. It requires being fully present in the moment, often involving a specific focus or intention.
It encourages mindfulness, curiosity, or creativity.
Unlike passive distractions, active hobbies provide a way to ground yourself in the present. While an active hobby does have a "start" and "end" time, there is no pressure to achieve a specific end goal.

Why Active Hobbies Work: Managing Stress and Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be converted.

When you experience stress, it triggers the central nervous system to increase your heart rate and blood pressure - these are just a few of the more physical symptoms someone might experience when they're feeling anxiety. Even though we know that being stuck in traffic is much less concerning than being followed at night, our brain cannot differentiate between real and imagined stress. In either case, we want to know how to get rid of this anxious feeling.

So how does this play out in real life?

Let's use the example of going for a walk...

Your mind is preoccupied and you feel physically anxious in your body so what do you do? You decide to get some fresh air by going out for a walk. You get outside...now what? Your intent was to go for a walk and now you're walking, but your mind is still preoccupied and you still feel physically anxious in your body. Although we cannot rid ourselves of energy, we can transform this energy that is stress into cool and collected calmness.

The way to transform your stress is through grounding yourself in the present moment. This can be achieved by shifting your awareness through Active Hobbies.

Let's take the same example of going for a walk. Instead of "going for a walk" being the objective, you decide that during your walk you will identify various characteristics about the nature around you. Almost like an "eye spy" game but with yourself. You start to keep note of the specimens you find. You realize that there are no wrong answers. If anything, you might see a rock or leaf you want to keep, or you might learn about a new plant that you didn't know was local to the area. As you document these findings, you've added a layer of curiosity and discovery, which you've found to be surprisingly satisfying and rewarding!

Unlike traditional hobbies that turn into lingering to-do tasks, Active Hobbies don't involve any expectations beyond what its experienced during the time you're engaging in the activity.

When you focus on the process of your chosen activity rather than the outcome, you actively take control of your energy by using it in a way that is serving you.

This is not about distracting yourself from stress, but giving yourself the opportunity to experience mindfulness, curiosity, and creativity which in turn will assist transforming stress into contentment.

An Actionable Guide to Active Hobbies

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