“Find three hobbies you love: one to make you money, one to keep you in shape, and one to be creative.”

Anonymous

Recently I was asked by a friend what my hobbies were. I was surprised by this question. Usually in conversation you don’t get asked this question straightforwardly, especially by a friend because they eventually come to find out your hobbies are by spending time with you. I didn’t have an answer for him, and this was an issue for me.

What were my hobbies? I had never thought specifically before what my hobbies were or what I enjoyed doing for fun. I almost assumed I didn’t even have any; however, I came to realize that in fact many of the things I did throughout my day were my hobbies. They were the things that made me who I was. Having a hobby is an important aspect of your personality. If you continue reading below I will get to why hobbies are so important, help you find your hobby, and maybe even help you discover that what you’re already doing is considered a hobby!

Assessing My Free Time

To answer my question of what my hobbies were I looked back on what I spent my time on throughout the day. I found that school consumed a huge portion of my time, and if I wasn’t in class, schoolwork consumed the other big portion of my time. If you’re a student like me and just moved away from home to attend university, you might find that you have less free time than you did before. My mother no longer cooked my meals, did my laundry, etc. I now had to find time in my day to do these activities. I barely even had free time anymore because of this, there wasn’t much time to do what I wanted when I came home from school. So what did I do during the little free time that I had? I went on social media to talk to my friends and mindlessly scroll. I frequently went to the gym at night, I spent time talking to my roommates about their day, and I even painted a pot for my plant.

Are these considered my hobbies then?

Yes! I genuinely enjoy socializing with my friends and now that I don’t live as close I can contact them through Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. Another one of my hobbies that I discovered was working out. I have been going to the gym consistently for the past four years. To me both of these activities, using social media and working out, were just things apart of my daily life. Previously I would have never considered them to be a hobby. The ceramic pot that I painted for my orchid plant could even be considered a hobby! I enjoyed going to the store; picking out the paint, pot, and brushes; and then finally painting my flower pot. Anything that you do that brings you joy can be considered a hobby.

So Why Are Hobbies Important?

Hobbies are important because they are a temporary break from the stress you get from your job, school, and other human relationships. Most hobbies teach you new skills and information too! Some of the most common hobbies are: reading, watching TV, gardening, cooking, watching movies, shopping, and playing sports. Having a hobby can make you an interesting person as well. How many times have you encountered someone who enjoyed traveling as their hobby and they told you something you didn’t know about another country? Or even someone who enjoys cooking and taught you a new recipe? Each person is unique. Not everyone has the same combination of hobbies, but many will have similar hobbies and make great people that you can talk to about your shared interests. Hobbies like fishing and meditating can teach you patience. Hobbies like working out and playing sports can improve your physical health. Hobbies like reading and board games can even help to improve brain function. Each of these different activities have their advantages that help to overall improve yourself. Some people will have many hobbies, while others will only have a few. No matter how many hobbies you have, having at least one can benefit you in many ways.

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-Kaitlynn