Hobbies for a Happier & Healthier You

Time is precious and often seems in short supply. With balancing family, friends, work, hobbies and interests, the weekly food shop and finding enough hours to sleep, it can seem that there just aren't enough hours in the day. And often it is our health and wellbeing that suffers.

But what if your hobbies also helped your health and wellbeing? We've compiled a list of hobbies that you will love doing and that will love you right back. There is never a better time to start a brand new healthy hobby than now...

Cooking a nutritious meal is not only great for your health, it is both practical, fun and the ideal pastime to do at home. Cooking gives you an excuse to slow your mind and concentrate solely on a single task without interruption. Track your progress meal after meal as you improve your skills as you try new recipes. At the end of it all, you'll have something delicious to reward your effort. To begin, choose one of our recipes featured in the Food & Drink section of our Lifestyle & Design online magazine.

A great all-round, outdoor hobby that improves both mind and body, hiking doesn't mean you have to scale mountains. Simply getting out into the countryside, breathing in fresh air and reconnecting with nature is enough to sooth the stresses of daily life. Known to lower your risk of heart disease and improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels, hiking is a fun hobby as well as a great social activity to enjoy with loved ones as you explore new places together.

However, if you are looking to start a new hobby but your schedule makes it hard to plan around others, solo hiking can be a liberating experience shared between you and the natural world. Offering time to reflect upon things that may be being ignored or pushed aside, these rare solitary moments away from distraction and disruption can be a deeply cleansing process.

It has been scientifically proven that being creative releases dopamine into your brain, which gives rise to the feeling of pleasure. Whether you are taking a class in sculpture, digging out your old piano books or picking up a pen when the creative writing urge takes hold, there are so many creative hobbies to choose from. Your first challenge is to pick which one.

With so many misconceptions about creative arts being something that only artists can do, it can be a new hobby that adults are reluctant to try. But with an insurmountable number of benefits that are gained regardless of skill, the low-risk and low-pressure nature makes them ideal hobbies to take up if you are open-minded and looking to learn something new.

Creative arts improve memory and cognitive function as you explore your imagination and practise dexterity. They provide stress-relief and relaxation as well as open an avenue for self-expression. A fantastic source of inspiration is Charleston House: Meeting Place of the Bloomsbury Group. It's a unique property that stands as a work of art in itself. Just remember that everyone has to start somewhere, but the most important thing is that you start...

Feeding your brain is just as important as your body, but committing the time to get to that last page can be tough, but this fun, new hobby provides that extra push to reach the end and to meet the deadline in time for book club. Depending on what you are looking for in a new hobby, you can opt for a more formal group with regular meetings and a reading list, or start something of your own with friends that can be a more relaxed affair, discussing books you have enjoyed.

Book clubs offer a great way to meet people of all ages and are an enjoyable social activity that appeals to both women and men. They are somewhere you can talk freely and openly about issues with people who may offer new perspectives and ideas to your own. It encourages you to read books that you may not have chosen yourself, opening up a world of education and discovery. To find your first great read, have a look through our recommended books or visit readinggroups.org to find a book club in your local area.

If you are looking for an outdoor hobby, then learning how to grow your very own green fingers is one of the most popular healthy hobbies for both body and mind. Being outdoors in the sunshine increases your exposure to vitamin D, which in turn increases your calcium levels and boosts your immune system. It is also an excellent form of aerobic exercise as you twist out weeds, lean over to reach tools and bend over flower beds, all while breathing in fresh air.

The sense of achievement gained from harvesting your own produce, however big or small, is a real confidence boost and nurturing the growth of seed to plant is a wonderfully rewarding experience. With many community garden projects flourishing across the country, it can also be a wonderful social activity, allowing everyone the opportunity to garden, whether or not they have outdoor space to call their own.

Learning to swim is an active hobby that can be enjoyed by everyone. Whether you’re starting with lessons, enjoy a 20 minute-front crawl before work or are looking to have some fun with the children, swimming is a fantastic hobby with tons of benefits.

Swimming is low impact and a great option if you are looking for a full body workout without causing stress on your joints. It keeps your heart rate up while toning muscles as well as building physical endurance and fitness. Due to the repetitive nature of swimming lengths, it can quickly become an activity that doesn’t require conscious thought, allowing your brain a period of rest and relaxation. A 20-minute swim is enough to reap the benefits, therefore ideal for people with hectic schedules. With so many pools offering extended opening hours and lunchtime swims, it is becoming even easier to squeeze it in around other commitments.

It might sound like a cliché, but volunteering is the ultimate feel-good hobby. Once you have tried it, it is hard to get that feel-good buzz elsewhere. Helping others will not only provide valuable support to those in need, it can also be a fantastic way to gain brand new skills and pursue your passions.

From walking dogs at the local shelter, reading to children at your local library to maintaining public paths and walking trails out in the countryside, there is something for everyone. With so many options to choose from, it is easy to find projects that can fit into your schedule. By becoming a volunteer, you are welcomed into a ready-built community that can be a wonderful place to develop new friendships and discover new opportunities. Take the first step by finding your nearest volunteering centre to see what opportunities are waiting for you.

Here at F&P Interiors, we have chosen The Sussex Snowdrop Trust as our charity of 2025 as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. The F&P team will be raising funds by hosting various events throughout the year for this worthwhile charity, which provides nursing care at home for local children who have a life-threatening or terminal illness. 

Life is too short to stay in one place and, with the world becoming ever smaller and travel opportunities becoming even easier, travelling can be a cool hobby for those who love to explore. Exposing yourself to new places, cultures and ideas will offer unique experiences that are difficult to get at home. The change of routine encourages you to practise resourcefulness and taps into creativity that you may seldom use in everyday life. Practising a new language is also a fantastic way to retrain your brain. With free resources such as Duolingo and Memrise, it has never been easier to start a new hobby.

Travelling doesn’t have to mean swinging on a rucksack and jumping on a plane as exploring new places within your own country can be just as rewarding. To get started, have a look at some of our Lifestyle & Design Short Trips & Days Out for great things happening across the UK. Or if you feel in need of a night or three away, choose your favourite from our Luxury Hotels with Superior Interior Decoration feature for a real getaway treat.