Senior Rebecca Bradley grips the weight bar and lifts it to her shoulders.

Breathing in and out slowly, senior Rebecca Bradley grips the weight bar and lifts it to her shoulders. Her muscles tense, she holds it there for a moment, then carefully drops it back on the ground. Since the beginning of her sophomore year, Bradley chose to lift weights two or three times a week. This hobby, and many other unconventional ones, prove beneficial to one’s mental health.

Hobbies have proven mentally stimulating and can provide balance in one’s life (Columbus Telegram). They can provide a person with an outlet to work out anger, de-stress, or relax. Hobbies are an escape from work, school, or family, where a person can go to get away from everyday life. Therapists typically encourage people to participate in hobbies because of these properties (Columbus Telegram). Bradley’s hobby of weight lifting serves the same purpose for her.

“It keeps me out of trouble and in-shape,” Bradley said. “I channel my anger into a mechanical energy that helps me focus better.”

Bradley also notices a change in grades since she started her hobby. This is not uncommon; one mental hospital in the United Kingdom uses reconnection to old hobbies to help better the mental health of schizophrenic and major-depressive patients (All Things Depression). The hospital notices a marked difference in the way these patients feel after this type of therapy (All Things Depression). Things like hobbies affect a person’s way they process things, which can in turn, lead to higher grades and greater mental stamina.

“It [lifting] helps me relieve stress, [and] made my grades go up in school,” Bradley said.

Along with improving mental ability, hobbies can also allow people to experience a sense of self-worth and fulfillment (All About Depression). This reason lured sophomore Zach Smith to pursue magic. Smith practiced magic since he saw a friend perform a trick at a talent show.

“It gets me attention, and makes me different from most people,” Smith said.

Other than possibly setting someone apart from others, hobbies can also unite people who have the same interests. Connecting with others can assist people in building new relationships, and shared interests have also proven to strengthen old ones (Columbus Telegram). The exchange of ideas that comes with a hobby has pushed Smith to intern at the State Magic Competition, join the Brotherhood of Magicians in Texas, and befriend two world champion magicians on Facebook.

“It [magic] has made me conceited,” Smith said. “No one else in the school does magic, it sets me apart.”

Physics teacher John Davis, played with yo-yo’s since a student first introduced him to the hobby a few years ago in class. Since then, he has continued with the pastime, and believes it has helped his hand-eye coordination and dexterity.

“Playing with a yo-yo is good for people that hate to sit still, and it allows you to increase your hand eye coordination,” Mr. Davis said.

Other than coordination, Mr. Davis enjoys playing with a yo-yo because of the small amount of space needed for one. Aside from viewing it as only a hobby, Mr. Davis often uses the toy to explain physics concepts to his students in class. He finds it mentally relaxing, and relevant to getting people’s brains to think differently.

“You can see so many physics concepts with this toy,” Mr. Davis said. “I think it helps with abstract problem solving, as you are constantly are focusing on a spinning object moving along a curved path in space.”