5 Activities to Add in Your To-Do List For A Longer Life

What activities do you have in your everyday to-do list?

Gardening? Taking your dog for a walk? Cooking your favorite meal? Or Listening to your favorite movie?

We all have our favorite list of activities to be engaged in one or the other task!

And you all will agree with me when I say, we are constantly looking for ways to keep ourselves engaged. The reason being that some of them keep us occupied while others help us stay fit, both physically and mentally. Being engaged is one of the important highlights in leading a life that promotes our overall well-being.

It might surprise you but studies have found that people who are engaged in more social activities enjoyed many benefits over those who didn’t. This includes:

1. Lesser risk of developing chronic conditions.

2. Better physical health.

3. Improves mental-well-being.

4. Enjoys a healthier and longer lifespan.

With so many activities available out there it might confuse you as to which one to be associated with. Well, by analyzing the intensive researches that have been conducted on different social activities, we have picked the best 5 activities that will offer you all the benefits that are mentioned above (and more). So, let us explore what these 5 healthy activities are!

5 Best Social activities for Mental Wellness and Long Life:

1. Volunteer (Anywhere, somewhere)

We have heard of the phrase,

“Happiness doubles when shared.”

And what could be a better source to double it then giving it back to society. Volunteering is considered to be one of the best social activities that can help you have optimal mental health. When you volunteer you enjoy a sense of meaning and purpose in your life, along with enhanced self-esteem.

It is indeed an opportunity to practice compassion, solidarity, and kindness with others. Studies have also shown that the time that we spend in volunteering is linked with better mental and physical wellness, along with a lower risk of mortality. In fact in various rehabilitation and behavior modification therapies acts of giving are given much importance.

2. Join A Sport or Social Club

It is always a good idea to keep yourself fit by joining a sports club and build strong relationships by being a part of a social club. But, ever wondered why? Well, when you meet someone with common interests and likes you feel more connected and happy. In your life (you enjoy a sense of belonging). Keeping that apart, it keeps you healthy both physically and mentally.

Well, you are free to choose between the activities that require intensive physical energy like football, rock climbing, and more; or you may opt for mentally stimulating activities like brain games, board games, etc. Interestingly, if you completely absorb yourself in whichever activity you choose for yourself, you might experience “flow.” Flow represents mental well-being, and it lets an individual cherish happiness and creativity. If you are yet to join any such club, we suggest you join it soon.

3. Learn Something New (Whatever Interests You)

Remember your childhood days? Such happy and healthy times! We still cherish those days and wish to experience them again. Of course, we had a carefree life back then, but that’s not it! A major reason why we had happy childhood times lies in the fact that we were always engaged in learning something new! And learning new things is another healthy activity that is good for our mental wellness.

So, now you know the secret of promoting the well-being and cognitive functioning of your brain?

Just engage in a new activity, the pool and opportunities of learning are endless. It just depends on you which one you want to go for! Do you wish to learn the art of writing? Or the art of baking? The choice is yours.

Studies reveal that people who are actively involved in learning new things throughout their lifetime have better mental and physical health. They had healthier habits, better cognition, reduced risk of chronic disease, improved resilience, and a better sense of purpose in life.

4. Religious or Spiritual Activity

Making spiritual and religious activity a part of your life is found to be linked with positive mental health. They are found to decrease the risk of disease, boosts our immune system, and lowers our stress response. Some research supports that people who are engaged in religious activities tend to show better recovery than those who are not. Another set of research found participating in religious activities leads to better brain health and longer life. It can additionally, guard you against depression and other mental health conditions.

5. Connect With Community

One thing that you can never go wrong with is serving the community and giving back to it. When you are engaged with a community you are ideally giving yourself a sense of doing things bigger than self. This in turn fuels your brain with positivity. Interestingly, one of our basic needs is to connect with the community and get a sense of belonging. Thus, connecting with your community is another social activity good for your mental and physical health. So, when you are contributing to society next?

These were the 5 best activities for mental and physical wellness. It is better if you make them a part of your life now, to enjoy its long-term benefits.

Do let us know which new thing you are going to learn next.

Time to get active… social… and become a better version of yourself.

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