It’s good to have a hobbit. But hobbies are more than a simple pastime or another string to add to your bow. Hobbies can provide many different benefits, from keeping your buddy active to improving your mental and physical health and even improving your cognitive ability and raising your IQ, not to mention the social aspect of hobbies where you can connect with others too.
While the sole reason for taking up a new hobby shouldn’t be dependent on how much brighter it can make you, it can help to know that you are getting additional benefits aside from the enjoyment of indulging in your hobby as frequently as possible.
But if you are curious about what types of hobbies can help you boost brain function and increase your mental capacity for learning and retaining information, read on.
Knitting & Crocheting
Knitting and crocheting are both types of needlework that require you to create patterns using yarn or threads and needles and hooks to help create patterns, designs, clothing, and more. A 2011 study found that knitting and crocheting can help to slow down the cognitive decline of age, while another study found that 71% of respondents said knitting helped to improve their concentration, and IQ increased by over 9%. Not only this, it can also help enhance dexterity, reduce stress levels, and even provide you with clothing or a new income stream if you have a flair for knitting and crocheting. Try these crochet project ideas to get you started.
Learning A Language
Learning a language has been a popular hobby for many people worldwide. Whether they are learning a new language for practical reasons for traveling and to communicate with others but for many, learning a new language is something they enjoy too, and it can improve their mental health no end. Learning a language was proven to increase IQ by 5.88% in a 2020 study by DIYS.com. Of nearly 5,000 volunteers, those who learned a new language not only developed a new skill but benefitted from increased concentration and the ability to absorb more knowledge.
Playing An Instrument
Playing an instrument is one of the more creative hobbies you can undertake. While many children learn an instrument at school, it is never too late to pick up something, figure out how to make it, and create sweet music and melodies. From learning the guitar to piano or something more niche, such as bagpipes or the didgeridoo, learning an instrument increases your IQ by 9.71% (DIYS study). It involves using both parts of the brain in conjunction with each and increases activity in the corpus callosum.
Free Writing
Free writing is picking up a pen or opening up your keyboard and typing. With no thought, rhyme, or reason, just writing. It can be your innermost thoughts; it can be something creative like fiction or anything else you wish. Studies found that writing by hand offers more mental health benefits and improves brain and hand-eye coordination, but writing on a keyboard can also be beneficial. There is no end goal, nor does your writing need to make sense to you or anyone else. Pick up that pen, let your creativity flow, and your IG gets a little boost.
Crosswords/Puzzles
Crosswords and word puzzles have long been linked to improving cognitive ability. They are often touted as one of the best activities for those experiencing cognitive decline or to help slow down the aging process and for a good reason. Many studies have shown a link between doing crosswords, word games, word searches, and the like and improved brain health and function in adults over 50. If you want to see how much benefit it can add to your life, make a habit of doing the daily crossword in the newspaper or invest in some puzzle books to keep your brain sharp.
Drawing and Painting
Much like free writing, painting and drawing don’t need a focus or end game. Creative hobbies were found to be more beneficial for health in many ways, from reducing stress levels to opening your mental capacity and helping you to improve neural functioning in the brain. You can choose to follow patterns and learn creative drawing techniques, or you can select any medium to paint and draw with and see where your mind takes you. It isn’t about the end. The result is about simply doing it, so if you want to try it, don’t focus on what you think you should be pudding. Just express yourself freely and see what happens.
Gardening
Gardening is proven to have many benefits, not just improving your IQ (5% as per the same study). Being in nature can improve your heart and mental health and expose you to vitamin D, which your body needs to help fight illnesses. The presence of plants and nature has long been proven to increase mental wellness. Everyone can do or can learn gardening, which can offer a way to get outdoors while learning a new skill and boosting your brain health.
Exercising/Dancing
The health benefits of exercising and dancing are vast. Our bodies need to move to keep them fit and healthy, but exercising has also been proven to improve brain health and boost IQ points; it is the third best hobby to boost IQ, according to the DIYS study in 2020. Those who exercise can benefit from a delayed aging process, increased physical health, lower rate of illnesses and injury, and all the mental health benefits and IQ-boosting properties. So if you want to find a hobby that considers all aspects of your health, find an exercise or dance class you enjoy and get moving.
Conclusion
Hobbies can be more than just a great way to pass the time. They can have many health benefits and help you to improve your brain health and IQ at the same time.
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