How to find your new favorite hobby

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8 ways to discover a new hobby By Angela Haupt Editor, Health and Wellness I have found some of my greatest hobbies completely by accident. I came *this close* to not discovering that I loved traveling the country to see my favorite bands play, collecting rare plants, and caring for community cats. Not only would my life be less fun and rewarding without these activities, but I'd be missing out on a wide array of health benefits. Research suggests that hobbies lead to better physical health, more sleep, lower stress, greater life satisfaction, a larger social network, and even improved work performance. But how do you go about finding the hobbies you don't yet know you'd love? I asked a few experts to share their favorite strategies: Ask yourself how you want to feel. Mentally engaged? Distracted? Relaxed? Socially connected? It can also be helpful to consider what your life is missing. Maybe you have a demanding job that requires intellectual prowess, but doesn't allow for creativity—making an art class a terrific way to round out your days. Take a trip back in time. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? The answer could point you toward an appealing hobby. Plus, childhood delights can easily evolve into adult hobbies—which is why I recently bought a hula hoop. Don't worry about being good at it. “Hobbies live in the pleasure world, not necessarily the mastery world,” one expert told me. So if the bowls you make in pottery class are all slightly wonky? It doesn't matter. Achievement and perfection aren't the point. READ MORE   Share This Story

What Else to Read What the CDC’s New COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations Mean for You By Alice Park The advice will hold until health officials make final decisions on a potential yearly COVID-19 vaccine shot for most people. Read More » Florida’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Would Limit Access Across the South By Haley Weiss The new bill would curtail options for Floridians and those in nearby states. Read More » Generic Abortion Pill Maker Sues FDA to Protect Access By  Madlin Mekelburg, Fiona Rutherford, and Mary Anne Pazanowski/Bloomberg A generic-mifepristone maker sued the FDA to protect access to the medical abortion pill amid a welter of litigation. Read More » How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally By Markham Heid Changes focusing on what and how you eat, as well as your exercise habits, matter most. Read More » Why Spicy Food Makes Your Nose Run—and Why It's Great for You By Markham Heid A plant compound called capsaicin has an ability to combat pain. (Originally published in 2019.) Read More »

AN EXPERT VOICE "The vast majority of women who come to the clinic have already made the decision. We ensure that they are 100% sure: that they have good support, and that they are making this choice of their own volition." —Dr. Shelly Tien, maternal fetal medicine physician who provides abortion care at Planned Parenthood clinics across Florida

If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, click here. Today's newsletter was written by Angela Haupt and Haley Weiss, and edited by Mandy Oaklander.

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