Thinking About a Hobby?

Looking for a new and relaxing outlet? Experts say this is the time to make room for pastimes you love…

There are real benefits – a boost in optimism, great resilience under stress and more perseverance and creativity – associated with doing something just for the joy of it, according to Stuart Brown, M.D., author of Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. “When you’re using your imagination and have a heightened mood, you open possibilities that you wouldn’t think of otherwise,” he said in a recently published article in Redbook (http://www.redbookmag.com/health-wellness/advice/benefits-of-a-hobby).

What are the most popular hobbies these days? The list is broad and diverse, from golf to playing a musical instrument, skiing, gardening, swimming, snow boarding and mountain climbing. For the less adventurous, crafts, scrapbooking, photography and writing are popular among Baby Boomers.