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Do you need a hobby? Actually, I should ask if you already have a hobby. If you are anything like me, you may have more than one hobby.
My Hobbies
My current hobbies are bowling, writing, reading, and scrapbooking.
If I do not schedule, or make, time for them, I do not do them. On Tuesday evenings, at 6:30 pm, I bowl on a 4-person team with my husband, brother, and nephew. My daughter actually filled in for my brother for a few weeks, but now he’s back. We have a family team, and I love it. I make time for that every week.
Writing and reading are very peaceful for me. I love being able to make time for them in my schedule now. I read my Bible every day. Most days, I add in some fiction and/or nonfiction reading as well.
I try to write every day, but I do write at least 2-3 times a week. If you are on this page, you are reading one of the things I have written this week.
Although I have not done any scrapbooking in the past couple of years, I still love it. One of my goals for 2023 is to complete another year of my daughter’s childhood. I have a volume for each year. Some volumes are one book, but other volumes are 2-3 very large books. I can’t wait to get back into scrapbooking again. (I plan to be able to do some videos on my Instagram and a blog post about scrapbooking, in the new year. Follow me on Instagram to see those.)
Just a note, another reason to follow me on Instagram is to find out when I post here about how to find a hobby and make the time to do it.
What is a Hobby?
In order to officially be able to answer the question I posed in the beginning “do you have a hobby,” we should discuss what a hobby actually is.
Let me begin by saying that you do not have to have a hobby. You can live life without one.
There is no strict definition of a hobby. It can technically be anything you want it to be or need it to be.
Most sources will define a hobby as something you do that you can thoroughly enjoy doing. It happens outside of your normal workday and is different from what you do for work.
Hobbies allow for rest, relaxation, and recreation. They are something you do for fun and/or personal fulfillment. They are not, however, just time fillers or to do because you are bored.
What are the Benefits of Hobbies?
There are many benefits to having a hobby. Different types of hobbies–mental/solo, physical, creative, and social–have specific benefits to them.
Hobbies can help you to relieve boredom. You can learn valuable skills that you can use in the “real world,” like teamwork, collaboration, leadership, and work ethic. Learning skills like social interaction and relationship building are great for school and work.
Would you believe that there are some health benefits to having a hobby? You should because there are. Hobbies can help to reduce negative stress and increase positive stress. They can bring happiness and enjoyment and can boost mental health.
Specific Benefits of Different Types of Hobbies
Physical Hobbies
Physical hobbies–running, martial arts, competitive sports, walking, rock climbing, and more–can help our health by increasing heart rate, stimulating brain function, lowering blood pressure, creating stronger muscles, and increasing overall energy.
Creative Hobbies
Creative hobbies–coding, drawing, designing, cosplay, writing, learning a new instrument, and so many more–increase our health by training our brains to go with the flow. They also help us to recognize and learn patterns, explore new ideas, and become more creative in other parts of our lives.
Mental/Solo Hobbies
Mental hobbies, which are also many times solo hobbies–journaling, scrapbooking, gardening, doing puzzles, photography, plus more–can help us to improve focus, multitasking, and attention to detail. We can also improve our ability to think from different perspectives, organize concepts, and trust ourselves. That last one is really true if you are doing the hobby completely alone.
Social Hobbies
Social hobbies–board games clubs, book clubs, comic book conventions, in-person language classes, multiplayer video games, food tours, sports, and more like this–help us to meet new people. We can improve our socializing skills and make new friendships or relationships through these hobbies.
Conclusion
As I stated before, I have a few different hobbies. Although scrapbooking is a solo hobby, I used to have a group of friends who I would meet with once a month and we would all work on our own projects alone together. I know that sounds strange, but we would all work in the same room, but we had our own spaces and projects to complete. I want to find a group that I can do that with again. It was great sharing ideas with the other women and seeing what they were working on. We could bounce thoughts off of one another and help with supplies or tools if/when someone got stuck.
Bowling has helped to guarantee that I am active at least one day a week. Yes, I know I should work out or do some kind of movement more often. I have that in my goals for 2023 as well. (That is another post for another day, and I promise to go through my goals once I set them.) I have also made some great friends through bowling.
Reading is for me and for fun. I love sitting with a book and reading. My Bible reading helps to guide my life, but all my other reading helps me to have ideas for my own writing.
Writing is very cathartic for me. It helps me to get my thoughts out. Plus, I can also share my writing with others. I have sent my partial manuscript to a local publisher, and I am waiting to hear back. Check out my post about how to improve writing skills.
Finally, I love doing different things. I want to learn a new language. If you ask my family, I should probably take cooking lessons. However, no matter what I end up doing, I try to keep a balance between what is required and what I want to do.
Be on the lookout in the next week or two for ways to choose a hobby, if you want to start one, and how to find time for a new hobby. I think you will find that information helpful going into the new year, especially if you are trying to decide on a hobby.
Question of the day–answer it in the comments: Do you need a hobby?