5 easy ways to add joy to your life
From coloring books to board games, playful activities can boost your well-being.
From helping keep weight down to relieving stress, the health benefits gleaned from revisiting favorite childhood pastimes are well-documented. Let go of the worries that come with being an adult and embrace your inner child.
Get your crayons out!
Tap into your inner Monet! Coloring books for adults have become a trend as people look for ways to deal with everyday pressures. Experts say that coloring helps to ease our minds by having us focus on the task at hand, thus blocking out distracting thoughts. Coloring also helps remind us of the carefree days of our childhood. However, many adult coloring books use renowned artists and pieces of work as their muse for outlines, so you'll feel more like Picasso (and less like your five-year-old self) with a pen or crayon in hand.
Express yourself
You might have penned your last diary entry back in your teenage days, but writing about your emotions can offer some serious benefits for adults, too. Studies have shown that writing about worries and emotional events can lead to improvements in physical and mental health, memory, and sleep. To reap the benefits, try to journal for 15 to 20 minutes several times a week. Don't focus on grammar, punctuation, or spelling; simply write about your feelings without censoring your thoughts.
Play a board game or finish a puzzle
Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that playing board games can help reduce the risk of dementia. Board games are also a great way to bring family or friends together in a relaxed and fun setting. No board games in sight, or family far away? Connect to your loved ones digitally (while still having fun) with puzzle games and apps for your smartphone or computer. Google Play and the iTunes App Store have new-school versions of several old-school games (Tetris, Scrabble GO) that you can play for free or for a small fee.
Hula-Hoop!
Step aside, Zumba! The humble Hula-Hoop from childhood has returned. Besides being a fun, low-impact way to work out, hula-hooping can also help improve your coordination, burn calories, and strengthen core muscles.
Paws for health
A pet can be more than a fun, loyal companion. People who walk dogs tend to have lower blood pressure and lower weight because of regular exercise. Plus, your fur baby might be healing you in ways you don't realize. "Petting an animal often lowers blood pressure because it's so nurturing and soothing," says licensed psychologist Wyatt Fisher. That's because stroking a pet's fur releases a host of mood-boosting hormones, including those that help you relax. Another unexpected benefit? Increased social time. "A dog widens our social circles and deepens our connections with others," explains pet expert Russell Hartstein.
Cats, birds, rabbits, and other critters provide health perks, too. You don't have to own a pet to benefit. Volunteer at a shelter or help care for a neighbor's pet.
