Lifestyle
Lifestyle is so important in living a healthy life. It is important for someone's mental state of mind and physical health of the body to be involved in some sort of activity outside of work and family. People need time to themselves, time to rejuvenate, and time to think. Humans get caught up in the negatives if they have nothing to do. Engaging in both spiritual activities and physical hobbies are two strong considerations for developing a healthy lifestyle. There are two main types of the human lifestyle: Spiritual Focus and Activities/Hobbies.
Spiritual Focus
Spiritual focus is a very important type of lifestyle. Spiritual focus brings perspective, moral guidance, and a grounding in personal value. It helps the realization that there is a higher purpose, and gives tools to help cope with challenges. This primarily spotlights the religious aspect of life. My perspective comes from the Christian religious point of view. When this perspective is applied, it is common for people to understand that difficulties have a purpose and are temporary. It also helps one to understand that there is a design and a Designer that is leading their life and the world. "God made the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). God made the Earth and everything in it; He designed nature, stars living organisms, and etc. God is the King over everything. Sin was brought into the world so humans would have a choice of weather to follow God or not. He gave humans a free will to make this choice, but because sin is involved terrible things happen.
Moral guidance is a foundational concept the Bible teaches it's readers. The Christian Bible acts as a guide through life and a teacher through the good and bad. Personal value is something that people struggle with more than not. In the Bibles it states, "Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26a). He created his creation in his own image and God made every single person on this earth for a purpose. "Human beings bear God’s image, we possess an innate value beyond anything else in the created order. This is why every human life, regardless of its relative potential or accomplishments, is sacred from the moment of conception to the moment of death" (Focus on the Family).
The Christian point of view is that God made humans to serve a higher purpose. This higher purpose is building the kingdom of God and helping those in need. The Bible gives is so many tools to help people with coping their challenges. Phillipians 4:6 says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. All we have to do is present our request to God and He will take care of the rest.
Moral guidance is a foundational concept the Bible teaches it's readers. The Christian Bible acts as a guide through life and a teacher through the good and bad. Personal value is something that people struggle with more than not. In the Bibles it states, "Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26a). He created his creation in his own image and God made every single person on this earth for a purpose. "Human beings bear God’s image, we possess an innate value beyond anything else in the created order. This is why every human life, regardless of its relative potential or accomplishments, is sacred from the moment of conception to the moment of death" (Focus on the Family).
The Christian point of view is that God made humans to serve a higher purpose. This higher purpose is building the kingdom of God and helping those in need. The Bible gives is so many tools to help people with coping their challenges. Phillipians 4:6 says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. All we have to do is present our request to God and He will take care of the rest.
Why hobbies and activities are essential to a balanced lifestyle
Hobbies help humans structure their time. According to Parkinson’s law, "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." More simply, things take as much time as you have. So, when the evening stretches out before you, unscheduled, you might find yourself laboring over that work project or answering emails into the wee hours. Chances are, if you had choir practice or a book club meeting that night, you would get those tasks done much more quickly. So, hobbies can seem to create more time by encouraging efficiency.
Hobbies promote flow. Left to our own devices, we often opt for passive leisure TV and web surfing are at the top of most people’s lists. And, sure, we all need to veg out from time to time. But we are so much more invigorated by active leisure, the sort of thing psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls flow activities. If you’ve ever lost yourself in a sport, art project, or other challenging, absorbing activity, you’ve experienced flow. Time flies, self-consciousness disappears, and you are fully immersed in the activity at hand. Hobbies, especially those that stretch our skills, foster this desirable and increasingly elusive state.
Hobbies can foster new social connections. While some hobbies are solitary endeavors, many get people out in our communities, meeting people we otherwise wouldn’t, sharing passions, and forming new bonds. Countless studies have found that social connection is a key component of happiness and a meaningful life, and hobbies have the potential to create precious new ties.
Hobbies make humans interesting. Hobbies give people something to talk about at parties and around the water cooler. They add layers to people's identity. People want to be around those with passions, with a sense of curiosity, with stories to tell. You not only feel more inspired when you have a rich and active life, but you will inspire others as well.
Hobbies promote flow. Left to our own devices, we often opt for passive leisure TV and web surfing are at the top of most people’s lists. And, sure, we all need to veg out from time to time. But we are so much more invigorated by active leisure, the sort of thing psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls flow activities. If you’ve ever lost yourself in a sport, art project, or other challenging, absorbing activity, you’ve experienced flow. Time flies, self-consciousness disappears, and you are fully immersed in the activity at hand. Hobbies, especially those that stretch our skills, foster this desirable and increasingly elusive state.
Hobbies can foster new social connections. While some hobbies are solitary endeavors, many get people out in our communities, meeting people we otherwise wouldn’t, sharing passions, and forming new bonds. Countless studies have found that social connection is a key component of happiness and a meaningful life, and hobbies have the potential to create precious new ties.
Hobbies make humans interesting. Hobbies give people something to talk about at parties and around the water cooler. They add layers to people's identity. People want to be around those with passions, with a sense of curiosity, with stories to tell. You not only feel more inspired when you have a rich and active life, but you will inspire others as well.
Examples of hobbies and activities
- Golf
- Volunteer work
- Creative actions
- Dancing
- Sport leagues
- Hiking
- Playing a musical instrument
- Game nights
- Photography
- Religious gatherings
- Running
- Singing
- Working out
- Swimming
- Coaching
- Art