It seems like many personal activities, such as meditation, exercising, cooking, and reading, share similar benefits. They all claim to improve your life and m

It seems like many personal activities, such as meditation, exercising, cooking, and reading, share similar benefits. They all claim to improve your life and mental happiness and it makes me wonder if those benefits don't stem from the actual activity, but from the common denominator. That common denominator is that you are taking control in your life, and setting aside time to improve yourself. What if that fact itself is what creates these mental benefits, and not the actual activity? With that being said, I do participate in all of those activities and love them each for their own reason. Although, every one of them place you in the moment and drown out that loud stream of daily thoughts, which is the ultimate benefit.