The Relationship between Female Leisure Participation and Psychological Well Being - Research Paper Example

The Relationship between Female Leisure Participation and Psychological Well Being Psychological well being is directly related to mental and physical health and fitness. The relationship between psychological well being and participation in leisure activities is measured on different scales; self expression, companionship, social and personal security, social service, intellectual aestheticism, and self satisfaction or contentment are some of the obvious attributes of human nature that develop positively in women, if they participate in leisure activities. ‘If people consistently felt depressed in a healthy and wealthy society, it would not be a desirable place... Research suggests that the experience of positive emotions leads to a syndrome of related behavioural characteristics: sociability, feeling of self confidence and energy, engaged activity, altruism, creativity, and perhaps better immune functioning and cardiovascular fitness.’(Narayan, 2005, p. 126) Leisure activities can be divided into two main categories: solo and group activities. Both categories serve unique purposes and each has its characteristic benefits. Solo activities are based on an individual’s personal interests; it can also be defined as a hobby like: gardening, reading, writing, watching television/cinema, going for a walk or skating or swimming - such individual-based leisure activities help women de-stress and unwind from their day to day activities. Women have to go through a lot of biological and social changes throughout their lives. As they enter puberty, life suddenly starts moving in all directions. As they struggle through their education, careers, relationships, parenting, and family life - they find it highly difficult to find out time for leisure activities. As a result, they start developing various physical or psychological disorders, which are manifested in their performance at work or at home. Psychological well being is important because it helps a person to balance work and relationships properly. An overburdened female with tremendous responsibilities is not able to feel contentment or being rewarded for whatever she does for herself or for her family. She cannot derive pleasure or satisfaction from the work she does at home or office. It is for this reason that participation in leisure activities should be encouraged to boost the psychological well being of women. Solo leisure activities are a great way to relax and to get entertained. It satisfies the inner yearning of doing something for self. As one chooses leisure activities according to one’s free will, therefore, a person feels a sense of freedom while participating in leisure activities. There are no deadlines to fear about; nor does one have to worry about following rules and regulations. Spa, travelling, hiking, and joining leisure clubs are great ways to improve psychological well being. Likewise, joining gym, music and dance classes, or yoga can boost their self confidence as their body image improves. Low levels of self confidence hinder personal development in a lot of ways. However, leisure activities carried out in groups have far greater effects on the psychological well being of a woman because she can derive pleasure by socializing with people belonging to a cross-section of society. It could mean meeting with new and interesting people and sharing innovative ideas. It could be for a social cause; thus magnifying the benefits of such activities. It has been found out that social networking or socializing has positive effects on the psyche and mind of a person. As women get older, they find themselves lonely or isolated for various reasons: being single, or widowed, or retired, or living independently. Isolation from the society is detrimental to the physical and emotional health of a person; therefore, it is beneficial for such women to participate in leisure activities- particularly, group activities, so that they can give something back to society or Mother Nature. Working for a social cause is highly rewarding because it gives a sense of duty, commitment, motivation, dedication, achievement, and contentment for being useful to community. ‘... I found many women who saw their work in voluntary associations like the women’s institute or Fund raising groups as part of their leisure and relaxation.’ (Deem, 2001, p. 57) It also gives a sense of power to women because they feel in charge of changing something in society and making a difference. By empowering women, we can find active and dedicated members of society who are willing to work for various causes like fundraising or charity. They can also spread awareness about various social, moral, ethical, or health related issues and thereby, can help communities of low socio-economic background to be educated about basic health concerns. This helps them adopt or identify roles for themselves. In this process, they not only strengthen their community for which they are working as leisure activity, but also develop their role identities. By knowing that a woman is in power of contributing something of significance to society can enhance her: self respect, self esteem, morale, and attitude towards life in general. Leisure participation is useful for all sorts of women; whether they have high-, average-, or low- activity levels. Women that do not have much to do are prone to boredom, depression, anxiety disorders, and negative attitude or thinking. They may also indulge in destructive activities like drug or substance abuse etc. similarly; those women who have a very busy life are under constant pressure and are at high risk for mental or physical health problems. Their psyche is also bound to be perturbed because it does not get due relaxation provided by leisure activities. Females do not have access to many leisure activities due to many reasons. Women that have children normally do not consider taking up leisure activities; however, they make sure that their children are exposed to numerous leisure activities. Most of the times, family leisure activities are organized by women themselves but the focus is on children and the men folk. Women, by default, do not indulge in such activities because they are busy entertaining their families. Women who actively participate in leisure activities show better performance at work or as parents. Leisure activities relax and tune their minds in such a way that they can handle every-day stress easily. They do not have to spend time in thinking about what they lack or what they could not achieve. As they remain busy in some delightful activity, their minds and bodies respond in a healthy way. It also helps them cope with psychological issues, if any. The working of our psyche is dependent upon the way we perceive life and our roles. By indulging in healthy leisure activities, women can save themselves from a number of health and psychological problems. Joining yoga classes can have tremendous beneficial results on the psychology of women. Pregnancy, child bearing, parenting and menopause are the main biological phases in the life of women. Therefore, it is important that they should be equipped with means to handle all phases in a better way. Participation in leisure activities like yoga or meditation can bring about a lot of benefits for her mind, psyche and body. The various postures of yoga are helpful in de-stressing the mind and releasing positive energy from the body- thus, it is essential for her psychological well being: ‘Forward bends also soothe the nervous system and have a quieting effect on the mind.’ (Francina, 2003, p. 7) Female participation in leisure activities is of profound importance especially in old age. Retirement or mid-life crisis can put at risk the mental and physical health of an individual by living a lonely life. ‘Given the importance of satisfactory interpersonal relationships to well-being, we reasoned that loneliness is a unique risk factor for depressive symptomatology.’ (Cacioppo & Hughes et al., 2006, p.141) At such times, women should actively participate in leisure activities to promote their psychological well being. ‘Kim and Feldman (2000) observed that retired individuals who choose to engage more in volunteer or leisure activities have significantly higher life-satisfaction than others.’ (Warr, 2007, p. 79) References: Cacioppo, J. T., Hughes, M. E., Waite, L. J., Hawkley, L. C., & Thisted, R. A. (2006). Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Psychology and Aging, 21(1), 140–151. Narayan, D. (2005). Measuring empowerment: Cross-disciplinary perspectives. Washington DC: World Bank. Warr, P. (2007). Work, happiness and unhappiness. New Jersey, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Deem, R. (2001). Work, unemployment and leisure. London: Taylor & Francis e- Library. Francina, S. (2003). Yoga and the wisdom of menopause: A guide to physical, emotional and spiritual health at midlife and beyond. Florida: Health Communications Inc. Read More