How to Nurture Your Passion and Cultivate Mental Wellness

Making time for our hobbies and interests is essential to enjoying good mental health and avoiding burnout. However, life often gets in the way – between jam-packed schedules, long workdays, and caring for our children, aging loved ones, and households, very little time is often left to pursue our passions.

If you are finding yourself overwhelmed and too stressed to enjoy your hobbies, these simple tips will help you carve out much-needed you-time to do the things you love.

Make a schedule

The first step toward learning effective time management is developing a plan. Make a list of all your weekly tasks and responsibilities to determine how much free time you can spare for your favorite hobbies, then make it a priority to use that time to enjoy them. If you treat your hobbies like an essential to-do item on your calendar, just as you would a work meeting or a doctor’s appointment, it will become second nature to prioritize them.

Find an on-the-go hobby

Can you do any of your favorite activities while you’re out and about? Read a book or knit on your commute, pack a camera and take photos while you’re running errands, or spend fifteen minutes learning a new language on your lunch break. Finding time to devote to your interests throughout the day will also break up the monotony and provide some respite from stress and burnout.

Try an energy-boosting activity

A major reason many of us can’t find time for our hobbies is that we are just too tired after all life’s other demanding responsibilities are complete. However, there are many activities you may find not only fulfilling but also invigorating. It may seem counterintuitive, but many people find exercise, such as running, yoga, sports, or weight training, a great way to burn off stress, boost energy, and improve mental wellness.

Ditch your phone

Cell phones have afforded us endless conveniences, but they serve as extreme time wasters as well. After a long day of work meetings, errands, and household tasks, it’s easy to veg out on the couch and mindlessly scroll. If you’re struggling to find time to engage in your more-productive or creative hobbies, your phone use may be distracting you in your downtime. And although you may feel too tired at the end of the day to do much more than scroll through social media, you’ll find that many hobbies, such as sewing, painting, journaling, or yoga, can actually be relaxing and a perfect way to unwind.

Do you need help dealing with stress and burnout?

If you are feeling overwhelmed at work, as a caregiver, or with any of life’s many responsibilities, we can help. At LiveWell Counseling, a Christian Health service, our expert mental health professionals have extensive experience treating individuals dealing with burnout and can help you learn effective coping mechanisms to return to mental wellness. To learn more, please call (201) 848-5800 or visit ChristianHealth.info/LiveWellCounseling.