Celebrate National Hobby Month
Celebrate Hobby Month by Starting a New One or Rediscovering an Old One
At the start of a fresh new year, many people set resolutions and goals for themselves. While these goals can range from budgeting better to working out more, resolutions aren’t always that much fun. But Fellowship Square Historic Mesa
thinks they should be! In honor of January’s designation as National Hobby Month, why not resolve to start a new hobby or rediscover an old one, this year?
Hobbies can range from arts and crafts to games and gardening. They can be focused on volunteering or involvement in a club. Hobbies can be social or they can be done solo. The great thing about hobbies is that they are very individualized. Everyone can have their own hobby and even two people that have the same hobby may approach it differently.
There are many benefits to having a hobby. According to an article on the Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School website, having a hobby is “good for your health, mood, and more.” The article references a study that found compared with people who didn’t have hobbies, “those who did reported better health, more happiness, fewer symptoms of depression, and higher life satisfaction.”
Hobbies present opportunities for people to be creative, express themselves, relax and to experience cognitive stimulation, which is particularly important for seniors. All these things are also linked to good mental health and well-being. Social hobbies can also help people stay connected, which can reduce loneliness and isolation.
When seniors are thinking about starting a new hobby, they should first consider what they like to do and what they are physically healthy enough for (check with a doctor before starting any new active hobbies). Seniors might consider activities they have done in their past that brought them joy—whether that was hiking, golfing, playing cards, painting,
singing, or sewing.
What hobby clubs are available at Fellowship Square Historic Mesa?
Some of the most well-attended hobby clubs at Fellowship Square Historic Mesa include The Kings in the Corner Club, The Diamond Painters and the Making Music Club. According to Fellowship Square Historic Mesa’s Life Enrichment Director Trisha Dreher, each of these clubs has up to 13 members every week, rain or shine. She notes that a new writing class will potentially be offered in 2025. Dreher says the hobby clubs available at Fellowship Square Historic Mesa allow residents to approach their chosen hobby in their own way.
“Some choose to teach, some choose to practice, some are competitive in nature and some are enrolled in the community doing things together. Others choose to conduct their hobbies in private, only coming to me for a sort
of correspondence approach,” she says. “For example, I have writers that are not looking for praise or popularity, but instead just want to discuss their writing in private and accept the challenge I put forth to them in weekly or monthly exercises that they then bring back for discussion. This same structure is also used in some instance with painters and chess players."
Residents who are interested in starting a new hobby or joining a new club in 2025 can check the monthly activities calendar to see what piques their interest.
