A good hobby for your mental health

Stickers, badges, coins, stamps, records... Many people begin to collect some type of object from childhood. It is a beneficial activity for boys and girls, which stimulates curiosity and creativity, but also for older people, which fosters memory training and allows them to socialize with other people with the same interests. Collecting is a beneficial practice for people of any age group. Jordi Sans, president of the Catalan Association of Collectors, explains that, although the profile of the collector is intergenerational, tastes are different: “young people collect Pokémon, and older people, stamps or cigar bands. It is normal, young people no longer send letters or smoke habanos. Whether they are virtual monsters or bookmarks, collecting improves certain mental processes, through the organization and observation of the elements that are collected. In fact, in the very process of adding new objects to the collection, they are organized and categorized. This contributes to memory and retention. And better memory and better retention means better work and study habits. Also, collecting something motivates you to seek knowledge about the objects that are part of the collection.

Two of the most widespread branches of collecting are numismatics and philately. Through the study of coins and stamps you can learn history, art, literature... Dr. Gregorio Medina, who has been collecting stamps since he was 15 years old and who did a research during his studies on the history of medicine represented on stamps, says that : “There are many doctors who are philatelics. Some collect them by country, others by theme or even from a specific year”.

Collecting also improves observation and attention skills. If you are passionate about what you collect, you will always be looking for new items to add to your collection. Who knows where you will find these objects (exchange markets, shops, internet pages…)? Another benefit, which extends to hobbies in general, is that it helps to reduce stress. When we focus on something, we are not thinking about all those things that worry us in our daily life. Hobbies, and collecting in particular, provide us with a safe space, a place to relax. And although everyone lives their hobbies in their own way, collecting opens the doors for us to socialize if we want to. There are many clubs, associations and events where you can meet people who share a passion for certain objects in particular. From a common interest, friendships can arise.

Meeting point 

Jordi Sans explains that the Association promotes and facilitates exchange meetings: “Collectors don’t get bored. Even during the pandemic and lockdown we kept the flame alive. One of the most beautiful things is the bond we build with each other, for example, when we go on a trip we often think ‘this one has asked me for this object, let’s see if I can bring it to him’”. Doctor Medina explains that: “Before we did not have television and we entertained ourselves with the stamps. There are those who went to play football and the calmest of us began to collect. Over time it also became a way of saving, because there are those who invest”.

Many collectors say that people who do not share their hobby ask them about its usefulness. However, collecting does not have to have a manifest utility beyond making those who practice it happy. And if something makes us happy, isn’t it already something useful? According to several studies, happy people are more productive and tend to feel more energetic. Jordi Sans knows this well, and he speaks proudly of his collection of airplane bags for motion sickness, which he has perfectly classified into albums: “You can really collect anything. Some acquaintances collect cheese labels. They even traveled to Belgium, where there is devotion to this subject, to add new labels to their collection”.

With all that, the healthy benefits always come from living the hobby from a healthy perspective, far from hoarding without control. And it may also be that not everyone is attracted to this practice: “If the people who are retiring now have never felt the desire to collect anything, they will hardly get hooked on it,” explains Sans. For his part, doctor Gregorio Medina concludes: “Since there are so many doctors who share the hobby of collecting stamps, I encourage us to organize ourselves to facilitate exchanges. Compartir magazine could become a good meeting point!”.