All of the Hobbies

Crochet and Knitting

Drawing and Painting

Sewing

Bellydancing

Flute

Guitar and Bass

Clay sculpting

Makeup Art

These are just a few of the hobbies I've picked up along the way and try and do a little bit of every now and again. They have been things I've just enjoyed. I've read about them, seen them out somewhere or heard about them from someone and thought "Ooo, that sounds fun." and picked it up.

Even though I did not pick up these hobbies as something to be helpful, turns out they are! I've always found crafts and being active fun and it was a happy coincidence that the ones I picked up had therapeutic affects.

A coat I have sewn as a hobby

Distraction

Hobbies are a great way to distract yourself. When I feel a little bit down and can't seem to motivate myself I often turn to one of my hobbies. It helps me to combat a lot of the feelings that depression pushes upon you. It makes me feel like I'm doing something a bit productive and I feel less useless.
When my anxiety cranks up and my mind can't let go of a thought train, hobbies are a great shake in the mind to distract myself from this.

There are some studies that show links between knitting and decreased anxiety, which is awesome!
Here some articles I've linked about that:

http://blog.lionbrand.com/2014/05/20/10-most-important-health-benefits-of-yarncrafting/
http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/health-therapeutic
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/25/health/brain-crafting-benefits/

An amigurumi Chihuahua I have crocheted

Focus

Being able to focus is a common problem among people who suffer from bipolar. I have found that crafts, especially crochet, help to combat this. It gives you something easy but not too easy for your brain to put its energies into focusing on. Practicing focus this way could eventually help with other things because it is exercising that ability in your brain. With practice your brain is able to make neural connections that act a certain way and this why it could help.

Without crafts or something to focus on, there are times when I feel close to tears at how disjointed my thinking is and how fast the thoughts are building up in my mind. This is often described as 'crowded thoughts' or 'racing thoughts' and can be a common symptom in many mood disorders.

Some drawing

Self Discovery

In the process of creating things I have found it can be a side effect that you learn a bit about yourself.  The colours, fabrics, materials and line types you choose to use in different hobbies can relate to something about yourself.
There have been moments where I find out things I tend to do, little habits in creating, and with reflection they can teach me a bit about myself.
This can be a very beneficial process for everyone. It can help you to become more self-aware. Being more self-aware can allow you to know where you are at and where you could be heading in the future.

The start of a free form crochet piece

Purpose

Hobbies that are creative can give you a sense of purpose.
One of the hardest feelings I deal with when bipolar starts affecting me is existential depression. The only way to really combat this kind of feeling is by creating purpose within your life.
Hobbies can give you a structure to build a purpose around. They can offer you the opportunity to discover skills and talents you have and from there, something to do in life.

Ultimately our purposes are created by ourselves so hobbies are a perfect platform to start with.

I hope this gives you a quick overview of hobbies and how they can help with bipolar (and possibly other health issues). I really dive into my hobbies whenever I'm feeling a bit off and I try to encourage everyone around me to do the same.

Till next time I sit down for more than 5 minutes.