Lydia Avery, a first-year student in the College of Pharmacy, contributed the following article to the NEOMED’s Student Wellness Committee’s peer-support series on the eight dimensions of wellness.
The eight dimensions that this student and staff committee supports are emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual wellness. The concept of eight dimensions of wellness comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a U.S. government agency.
Hobbies are an essential part of any wellness routine, especially now when we’re all stuck at home for the most part. While you should enjoy what you do as a career, it shouldn’t take up all of your time. That’s where hobbies come in. Pursuing them helps me put my studying in balance with the rest of my life, blending emotional and intellectual wellness.
Hobbies should be things that interest you and also relieve stress. I like using my hobbies as something to do during study breaks. I want to stay busy whenever I can, and having a variety of interests is an excellent way to keep me occupied when I need to take a break from studying for a little bit
My hobbies include crafting and remodeling a pop-up camper. I love being creative, so these two things are perfect for keeping me busy. For me, crafting is trying to recreate the fun ideas I find on Pinterest. I mostly use my crafts as birthday and holiday gifts for family members. In April, I bought my Cricut, a cutting machine for many different materials, such as paper and vinyl. I’ve made birthday cards and labels for various things in my house. Watching the Cricut cut objects is probably the most soothing part of the project.
Last summer, my mother bought a cheap pop-up camper to remodel. She soon found out how much work was needed to fix it properly and gave up on it, upgrading to a newer trailer that didn’t need as much work. I decided to take it on as a fun project that I can use for years to make memories. Right now, I am in the process of rebuilding the roof. It is hard work to get it in working condition again, but I enjoy seeing the progress. Plus, demolition of the damaged part of the roof was a great way to let go of some of the frustrations I had been holding onto.
Crafting and remodeling my pop-up camper are just two of my more significant hobbies. There are plenty of other things I enjoy doing as well. Below is a short list of some of the more common hobbies that can happen indoors during these winter weather months:
- Start a new collection
- Paint, draw or color
- Write for enjoyment
- Create a scrapbook
- Cook or bake
- Knit
- Care for indoor plants
- Start a journal
- Read a good book
- Learn magic tricks
- Create a blog or podcast
- Meditation or yoga
- Learn to play a musical instrument
- Write a song or poem
- Learn to play a new game
The great thing about hobbies is that they can be anything you want them to be. I would suggest finding something that relaxes you when you find yourself stressed from school or work. If an old hobby no longer interests you, take up a new one. With winter break coming up, now is a great time to find something to do for fun.