Everyone needs an enjoyable way to spend time during the weekend, vacations and rainy days. Hobbies are an essential part of a healthy, meaningful life, offering us big and small moments of joy, bringing us together, teaching us new skills and keeping us invigorated throughout the week. These days, there are so many hobbies that everyone is bound to find something they genuinely love. No matter what you choose, finding a hobby that's right for you is sure to make a positive impact on your life.

You may think of hobbies as just a way to kill time, but hobbies also offer tons of health and social benefits. The less time you spend feeling bored, alone or stressed, the better you feel on a day-to-day basis. When you keep yourself busy by challenging yourself with something you love, you might be surprised by how much healthier and happier you feel! Let's take a look at nine reasons behind the importance of hobbies.

Physical and Emotional Health Benefits of Hobbies

It may seem obvious that certain hobbies, particularly active ones, offer health benefits to hobbyists. However, you can still enjoy health benefits from hobbies that aren't physical. In 2010, a team of university researchers found several positive health effects of hobbies. Some of these advantages include:

1. Improved physical health: Hobbies that get your body moving and blood pumping — like running, hiking and competitive sports — have direct physiological effects on your health. Finding and consistently participating in an active hobby can lower your blood pressure and stress hormones, build muscle, strengthen your bones and increase your overall energy levels.
2. Better sleep: You might be worried that a hobby will give you less time for rest, but those who spend more time on hobbies may sleep better at night. Instead of a pre-bedtime ritual of watching TV or scrolling through social media, a meaningful hobby will relax your heart rate and decrease the activity in your brain, preparing you for a good night's sleep. Also, participating in a hobby during the day may help exhaust your body and make it easier to fall asleep.
3. Lowered stress: Any leisurely activity can help reduce stress. People who regularly engage in enjoyable hobbies deal better with stressful life events and may experience lower levels of negative mood and depression.
4. Improved problem-solving: A study at San Fransisco State University found that pursuing creative hobbies outside of work may directly impact work performance. The study suggests that hobbies offer a way to recover from demanding jobs, regain a sense of control and learn new skills that may apply to real life. Having an activity to look forward to — even something simple like riding a bike — improves your resilience and allows you to work hard when you need to.
5. Better mental and emotional health: Those who do stress-reducing hobbies usually experience a greater feeling of meaning and purpose in their lives. Hobbies help to temporarily take your mind off of the taxing concerns of daily life. Additionally, seeing yourself actively improve at something offers a powerful sense of mastery. Getting better at anything, from running a faster mile to building a better birdhouse, will help improve your outlook on life.

Social Benefits of Hobbies

Apart from the benefits of hobbies for physical and mental health, hobbies can also do wonders for your social life. Hobbies allow you to share a common interest with a community of like-minded people and automatically give you something to talk about with others. In general, hobbies also encourage you to get out of the house and eliminate bad habits. 

Here are a few fantastic social benefits of hobbies:

1. Make more friends: Having a hobby often means having a larger and more diverse social network. Many hobbies, like dancing and martial arts, are directly tied to meeting new people and interacting with familiar faces each week. If you're interested in meeting new people, joining groups related to your hobby is a wonderful place to start.
2. Better self-esteem and self-confidence: Hobbies take you out of your comfort zone and allow you to achieve things you didn't think you could. As you learn new skills and get better at your hobby day by day, you develop a sense of self-esteem that comes across in social interactions. When you know you're improving at something you love to do, you exude self-confidence around others.
3. Stronger personal relationships: When you have a hobby, you often spend more time with friends and loved ones. From cooking a meal for your family to playing a board game with a loved one, sharing a meaningful hobby can rekindle and strengthen your closest bonds.
4. Giving back to the community: Many hobbies offer an opportunity to help others. If you enjoy using your free time to give back to the community, consider becoming a mentor for students or volunteering at a local soup kitchen or animal shelter. Any of these hobbies offer excellent opportunities to keep busy and provide a helping hand.

Different Types of Car-Related Hobbies

If you're looking for a new hobby and interested in cars, there are several hobbies for car lovers that may be right for you. From meticulously building model cars to collecting slot cars, these hobbies will keep your hands busy and allow you to share your passion with others.

1. Model car kits: Assembling plastic scale models of cars is an excellent way to spend time as a car lover. Building model cars lets you exercise your artistic and organizational skills while learning more about each car's history and building up your collection.
2. Slot cars: If you want a car-related hobby that involves collecting, building and racing your cars, you should consider slot cars. Slot cars are more than just models — you can customize them with different parts and race them on slot car tracks.
3. Diecast model cars: For those passionate about classic cars and trucks, collecting diecast models can be an enriching hobby. Diecast models are easy to start collecting and simple to maintain, as they use the same paints as real, full-scale vehicles.

Shop at Auto World to Get Started on a New Hobby

Hobbies can go a long way in improving your life. Enjoy better sleep, lower stress, improved mental health, and stronger relationships when you dive into a hobby you love. If you're passionate about cars and want to take up a meaningful hobby, consider a hobby like building model cars or racing slot cars as a productive way to spend your free time. Check us out at Auto World today!