Yes, today I lobby for you to find a hobby! Many will argue that their days are filled with work, children, school, housework, etc., so how can they be expected to make time for something as “trivial” as a hobby?
Psychology Today wrote, “Hobbies help you structure your time. According to Parkinson’s law, “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” More simply, things take as much time as you have. So, when the evening stretches out before you, unscheduled, you might find yourself laboring over that work project or answering emails into the wee hours. You would finish those tasks more quickly if you had choir practice or a book club meeting that night. So, hobbies can seem to create more time by encouraging efficiency.”
We all have responsibilities but think about how much time is wasted on activities that don’t nurture personal growth. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok; social media takes up much of our time, and for what purpose? I guarantee if less time was spent on those platforms, it would become apparent that there is definitely time for at least ONE hobby!
Selecting a Hobby
The choices are unlimited, and it can feel overwhelming. Ask yourself a few questions to help make the decision a little easier.
~Are you interested in an activity with a group of people or alone?
~What financial amount would you like to spend?
~Is there something you’d like to improve upon? Cooking, gardening, exercising, reading, dancing…perhaps one component in your life you’d like to cultivate.
~What draws your attention? When observing others, have you ever noticed them partaking in a task or project that you find interesting?
Answering those questions is a great way to narrow your choices and find one perfect.
Why Having a Hobby is a “No Brainer”
These little facts might sway you if you’re still unsure whether a hobby is worth your precious time and energy.
~Hobbies help reduce stress. Temporarily tuning out factors that fuel anxiety and stress plays a massive part in a healthy lifestyle. Blood pressure, brain activity, energy, and weight all reap enormous rewards from those participating in a hobby.
~They provide a topic for conversation; people may find your “new” hobby enjoyable. Not only does your activity open the door for discussions, BUT it also allows you to meet people and make connections that wouldn’t usually occur.
~Opening yourself up to recreational projects, whether alone or in a group, builds knowledge, patience, insight, and confidence. Your self-worth flourishes, and you take steps closer to understanding your personal truth.
There is no reason you should close the door on a new hobby. Excuses to deter new interests are easy to create and will definitely limit personal growth. Days are filled with chores and adulting, so why would you not permit yourself to find pleasure in something that is nothing but a ginormous win? The answer is a NO BRAINER!
I’ll conclude with these statements from the website Full Focus and the article The Science Behind Why You Need a Hobby, “Our bodies weren’t designed to be in a constant state of stress. To put it simply, you can’t work all the time and not feel the negative effects. The solution? Create a rhythm of rest and work.”, the article goes on to include this, “Practicing self-care—and, in particular, maintaining a hobby—provides your brain the opportunity to focus on something else, freeing up and recharging your mental energy. When you invest time on something you enjoy outside of work, you gain greater clarity, creativity, and various health benefits—and ultimately improve the quality of your work”.
