#ygkChallenge: Find A (New) Hobby!
Welcome to Kingstonist’s weekly challenge, dare, resolution or whatever you prefer to call it. Each week we establish a new and ambitious community goal, encouraging our readers, followers, friends and families to step out of their comfort zones and do something great, and hopefully a little out of the ordinary. Consider this your official and personal invitation to join us in completing a small but meaningful achievement. By taking part in this community-wide initiative, we hope to make Kingston a slightly better place to live, work and play. And of course, we also hope that you will feel proud of your contribution and achievement.
This week’s challenge encourages you to:
Find A (New) Hobby! Whether you lead a slow paced quiet life or fast paced busy life, having a hobby is an important part of your health. Hobbies provide a welcomed distraction from the days to-do lists, which helps to reduce stress. They can connect you to other like-minded individuals with similar interests and therefore be a good social outlet. They may even prevent memory loss. According to a 2009 study presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting, hobbies such as playing games, reading books, and doing crafts such as quilting or pottery decreased the risk of memory loss by thirty to fifty percent. In addition, participating in a hobby may decrease mortality rate. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology, found that activity participation was associated with a lower mortality rate and impaired health. This week I challenge you to pick up a puzzle, play an instrument, join an organization or try any other of the many interesting hobbies that are out there. Get in touch with your inner child and have fun!
Sign up and commit to completing this week’s challenge by commenting below with an “I’m in“, “challenge accepted“, “en garde” or something along those lines. Further, help us spread the word via Twitter and Facebook by using the hashtag: #ygkchallenge. As you work towards completing this week’s task, please feel free to lend others a helping hand by providing tips on how you achieved success.
Thanks to Tom Rutledge for today’s photo, sourced from our very own Flickr group.