Does working out and doing hobbies affect your stress and anxiety levels? if you follow any workout influencers or even talk to people at your local gym, you often hear how it helps them with their mental and physical health.  An article about hobbies and mental health from the website Connect Health says “It provides you with the opportunity to have some “me” time and gives you an outlet for releasing stress built up from the day.”  As you read in the previous quote having “me” time is very important to one’s mental health. It is a brief vacation from responsibility and stress because you can do something you enjoy. For many people, it is watching a show, playing a sport, or going to a workout. I enjoy going for a surf, surfing is just as physically demanding as most other sports cause it uses a lot of back shoulder, and core power to paddle for hours. The core power is important when you get more into high-performance surfing where you are using your core to turn the board against the way and get your body into the air for aerial maneuvers. However, the ways don’t have to be good and the sun doesn’t need to be out for me to have a good time. Surfing small windy waves is just as fun as surfing big perfect waves because the act of riding a wave is so magical its hard to have a bad time in the water. The Wright Institute wrote an article about the effects of surfing on mental health and it states “Preliminary studies show that surfing really can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.” Initial results from the Navy’s study suggest surfing can also lead to a decrease in insomnia and a decline in an overall negative view of life.” If you have ever been around a person who surfs several times a week you notice they are often more calm and laid back because of it. This is where the lazy surf bum stereotype comes from, because surfing is so stress-free and in tune with nature it is very easy to become addicted to it and let it take over how you live your life. Surfers are constantly thinking about the next time they can go surf and it leaves them looking forward to something. The Gratitude Lodge wrote and article about how surfing affects people’s moods and it said “Surfing can be therapeutic due to its combination of physical activity, connection with nature, and the meditative state it can induce, which promotes relaxation, stress reduction, and a sense of well-being.”  In conclusion, the human body needs to be doing something to keep your brain healthy. There are so many great hobbies and activities to choose from so get up and go find something to keep you busy!