Why is down-time important?
As a student, the need to be productive can be overwhelming. It can feel like any time you’re not spending doing your assignments or homework is time wasted. With technology blurring the line between work and leisure, it has become harder for us take a breather. Down-time gives your body a chance to relax and restore itself. Leaving room in your schedule for down time has benefits including:
Increased productivity
Giving your mind time to have a break and reflect
Enhanced creative thinking and problem solving skills
Restoring focus and energy - there is even a Japanese term used to describe strategically sleeping in between periods of work, “inemuri” which roughly translates to “sleeping while present”
Why should we take up new hobbies during lockdown?
Due to the lockdown, many of us are stuck at home practicing our social distancing. At first, it might feel liberating, some time to catch up with uni work and that new game you bought. Yet, after the first week of doing the same thing every day you start to wonder why everything feels so boring. Maybe it’s time to pick up something new?
Trying new hobbies can have many benefits to individuals during lockdown! They can:
Expand your skills, knowledge and perspective
Get you out of our comfort zone and gain fresh experiences
Improve your mood
Decrease stress levels
Give you a chance to take a break
Helps you be active
Meet new people and communities
Stimulate your creativity
A recent survey by the Australian Psychological Society suggests that 4 in 5 people find activities such as music and other hobbies effectively helps them manage stress!
What kind of hobbies can we undertake?
- Reading: You bought that book for a reason - now is the perfect time to start reading it! Read to get that little escape and allow your imagination to unfold.
- Music: Whether that be singing, listening or dancing, music can help manage your emotions and cope with stress.
- Bullet journalling: An amazing way to help blend creative abilities and organisational skills.
- Knitting: Need to work towards a tangible goal? Let your inner grandmother soar and leave isolation with a cool, new scarf.
- Yoga: Improve your flexibility whilst relieving stress.
- Cleaning: This one’s not so much a hobby, but it is something worthwhile – chores give you something active to do in the house, whilst making your workspace clean and fresh!
