IndexIntroductionThe Role of Hobbies in Coping with StressPhysical and Mental Benefits of HobbiesMethodsParticipantsProcedureResultsDiscussion on HobbiesConclusionReferencesIntroductionAlthough many studies have been conducted on the impact of healthy behaviors, such as diet and exercise , Little research has been done on the physical and mental benefits of recreational activities. Recreational activity or "hobby" can be broadly defined as a healthy and productive way to take your mind off everyday stress or negative emotions. This can include different types of hobbies such as painting, travelling, reading or sports. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Role of Hobbies in Dealing with Stress There are different types of stress that we experience throughout our lives. Acute stress is the response we have to an immediately perceived threat, while chronic stress is a continuously stressful aspect of our life. Both of these forms are what we would consider “negative stress.” These forms of stress can be particularly harmful to individuals high in negative affectivity or neuroticism. Another form of stress is eustress or “positive stress”. Eustress is the type of stress we experience when we experience excitement or satisfaction (Branson, V., Turnbull, D., Dry, M., & Palmer, E., 2019). Engaging in a hobby promotes eustress as it allows the individual to learn something new or set goals regarding their interests and passions. A hobby can be seen as an effective way to deal with stress because it is a stress moderator. Stress moderators change how stress is experienced by the individual through the use of personal and circumstantial factors (Taylor, 2018). Engaging in a hobby is believed to be an effective way to reduce stress and increase life satisfaction, particularly because it increases positive social interactions (Zawadzki, MJ, Smyth, JM, & Costigan, HJ, 2015). Social interactions provide a variety of resources that individuals can use to cope with stress in healthy ways, as well as improve social life and communication. Social support is a key factor in reducing stress and decreasing the likelihood of illness. Because of the social benefits, participation in recreational activities is associated with higher levels of positive psychosocial states and lower levels of depression and negative affect (Pressman, S.D., Matthews, K.A., Cohen, S., Martire, L.M., Scheier, M., Baum, A., & Schulz, R., 2009). The Physical and Mental Benefits of Hobbies Hobbies are helpful in preventing psychological "burnout." “Burnout” is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress (Goel, AD, Akarte, SV, Agrawal, SP and Yadav, V., 2016). A work-life imbalance or lack of social support increases the risk of burnout. An optimistic nature can help people cope more effectively with stress and reduce the risk of illness. Optimism produces active and persistent coping efforts, which improve long-term prospects for physical and mental health (Taylor, 2018). Lonely or socially isolated individuals typically have poorer health and poorer health habits (Taylor, 2018). Neuroticism accompanied by social isolation is a particularly dangerous combination for health, as it can cause individuals to express extreme distress and distress. Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of hobbies on physical health. A Norwegian study found that those who engage in leisure-time physical activity for at least 20 minutes a week areless subject to fatigue (Eriksen, W., & Bruusgaard, D., 2004). Participants who reported engaging in recreational physical activity showed a reduced risk of persistent fatigue 15 months later. The researchers also found that the type of activity participants chose to participate in had no impact on the study results. Research has also shown that participation in enjoyable recreational activities is associated with reductions in blood pressure, total cortisol, waist circumference, body mass index, and perceptions of improved physical function (Pressman, S.D., Matthews , K.A., Cohen, S., Martire, L.M., Scheier, M., Baum, A., & Schulz, R., 2009). The aim of this project was to examine the effectiveness of leisure activities on physical and mental health as a means of coping with stress. Another aim of this project was to examine the impact that hobbies have on social interaction and relationship development. It is hypothesized that free time can mitigate the harmful effects of stress. For the purposes of this study, the participant chose golf as her preferred form of recreational activity. Golf helps relieve stress by taking place in an outdoor environment where you can interact with others, which can help you improve your communication skills and build lasting relationships. Playing golf can also support heart health, brain stimulation, reduce stress, and because it is a non-contact sport, injuries are unlikely. We predict that individuals who engage in enjoyable activities more frequently will experience less distress during times of stress than those who rarely engage in these activities. Methods Participants The participant is a twenty-one year old college student at Santa Clara University. The participant is from San Jose, California and is currently a psychology major. She is 5'5" tall and weighs 106 lbs (BMI: 17.6). Prior to this study, his health was normal with no history of chronic disease. She graduated her senior year with a nineteen-unit course load, plus a part-time job as a restaurant waitress every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The participant reported feelings of stress and time pressure on a daily basis. He also reported eating an average of one meal a day and feeling a constant feeling of tiredness. Outside of work and school, the participant reported being insufficiently active, devoting minimal time and effort to exercise. Before the intervention, the participant was asked to complete the perceived stress scale and the five-factor model test. The participant scored a total of 26 out of 40 on the perceived stress scale, indicating that the participant has moderate/high levels of stress. The participant also scored high on neuroticism with a score of 67 out of 100 on the five-factor model test. Neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative emotions. Those who score high on neuroticism tend to be emotionally reactive (3). Procedure To initiate the participant's goal of lowering her stress levels, she began playing golf as a new hobby. This intervention was conducted and administered by the participant over seven weeks during the months of October and November. The participant made an effort to play golf every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Los Lagos golf course. On Monday and Wednesday, the participant played nine holes of golf with two of her colleagues, without the use of a cart or bag holder, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. On Friday, the participant practiced on the driving range and putting green for about two hours. The intervention aimed to measure the amount of time that theparticipant spent in the activity, as well as the distance traveled per day. During weeks one and two of this study, we collected baseline data, which allowed us to see our participant's average amount of activity before introducing the intervention from September 23rd to October 6th. During weeks three through seven, we collected data related to the implementation of our intervention to see how it affected the participant's average amount of activity. For this study, the variable we are looking at to account for “amount of activity” is the distance the participant walks each day. Results Our baseline data indicate that the average amount of activity before our intervention was 1.29 miles/day with a standard deviation of 0.85 (see Figure 1 in the appendix). Our intervention data shows an average of 2.79 miles/day with a standard deviation of 1.57 (see Figure 2 in the appendix). Based on this information we can see that, through implementing a hobby, there was an increase of approximately 1.5 miles in the average distance traveled. At the end of the five-week intervention, we asked the participant to repeat the perceived stress scale to see how the intervention affected her overall stress levels. The participant achieved a total score of 16 out of 40, indicating moderate stress. Discussion of Hobbies For this project, the behavioral intervention involved implementing a hobby into the participant's weekly schedule in an attempt to increase physical activity and reduce stress. Data obtained between weeks three and seven showed a notable increase in the average amount of physical activity, measured in miles walked per day. Therefore, based on our results, we can conclude that implementing a physical hobby is successful in increasing physical activity. Comparing our baseline data to the intervention data, we can see that there was a 116% increase in physical activity. The intervention was successful because the participant was able to implement his hobby into his daily routine every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Another factor that increased the success of the intervention was the social aspect. Every Monday and Wednesday, the participant played nine holes of golf with her colleagues. When the participant planned to play golf with others, she felt more engaged and was much less likely to try to cancel and was also more likely to stay out for a longer period of time. This commitment provided the participant with greater motivation to incorporate the intervention into her weekly routine. Prior to this intervention, the participant had never spent time with her colleagues outside of work. This intervention gave the participant the opportunity to connect with others with similar interests and form stronger relationships. The participant reported higher levels of enjoyment when playing golf with others than when playing alone. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Future research is needed in order to focus more on the long-term psychological benefits of recreational activities. This particular study focused primarily on the physical and social benefits of starting a hobby. Although the participant reported an overall decrease in stress levels from the first to the seventh week, this is not sufficient evidence to conclude that leisure activity is an effective means of coping with stress. A confounding variable was that the second PSS was conducted during the Thanksgiving break, 49(4), 605-615.