Many of us know the importance of hard work and dedication, but these principles are nothing without balance. While a good work ethic will get you far in life, pushing yourself too hard without any reprieve usually means a one-way ticket to burnout.
This is why having hobbies and interests that we’re passionate about is so important. People need some form of outlet away from the daily grind that lets them pursue the things that they care about, free from the pressure of needing to be productive. In this article, we’ll be exploring the importance of having hobbies that you care about in greater depth.
What Constitutes a Hobby, Anyway?
If you’re reading this, you might be wondering what counts as a hobby in the first place. Some of us might be tempted to downplay hobbies that don’t involve physical activity or that seem less ‘productive.’ For instance, if you like to spend your time playing Xbox or trying to win bonus rounds on slots, you might feel like you’d be better off doing something like reading or playing chess.
Don’t let these toxic, judgmental views of the way you spend your time bring you down! If what you’re doing isn’t actively harmful to either yourself or others, then there’s nothing wrong with either you or your hobbies. In fact, the opposite is true; hobbies are important for our overall health and wellbeing.
We can define a hobby as any activity that we participate in with some regularity for the purpose of pleasure or recreation. So, it’s up to you to determine what your hobbies are. Don’t fall into the trap of casting judgement on yourself or your interests here, either!
It’s not uncommon for some of us to feel that we don’t know what our hobbies or passions are. If this is the case for you, don’t despair! It’s entirely possible to discover or uncover new passions or aspects of ourselves at any stage of our lives.
So, if you don’t feel like you know what your true passions are, or you’re not especially enthused about the hobbies you currently have, then you might want to try some activities you haven’t done before. Don’t be afraid to push yourself or go out of your comfort zone. And try not to say no to trying something you’ve never done before unless it’s something you feel deeply uncomfortable doing.
Sports and Exercise
Different forms of exercise are, overall, one of the most popular hobbies to take part in. What’s more, exercise confers a massive array of health benefits, so it’s important for us all to do regularly.
With, it’s important not to be too dogmatic about the type of exercise you take. Any level of exercise is healthy for us, and just going for a walk a couple of times a week is far more beneficial than doing nothing at all!
Many of us prefer team sports or more complex forms of physical exercise to endurance sports like running and cycling. So, if you’ve tried, say, running, and you found it boring or difficult to keep up, then this is normal. Keep experimenting with different styles of exercise until you find something that you can commit to doing regularly.
Bear in mind that some forms of physical activity are seasonal, too. It’s often easier to enjoy golfing during the summer, for example. So, you might have a range of sport-related hobbies that you participate in throughout the year, depending on the weather or season.
Hobbies That are Great for Your Brain
Some hobbies are popular because of the incredible benefits they carry with them; not just because they’re enjoyable, but because they are fantastic for your brain health.
One example of this might be learning languages. Not only does language learning bring you into contact with other cultures, but it helps prevent or slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s later in life.
Another hobby that’s great for your brain is playing a musical instrument. Doing so engages a number of parts of your brain at once, including both hemispheres, and allows you to express yourself emotionally, as well as refining your motor skills and keeping your brain in good shape for longer.
Other Recreational Activities
It’s worth noting that an activity doesn’t have to be physical for it to confer benefits to your overall wellbeing. Any hobby is much better than no hobby; indeed, people who have hobbies that they care about are, generally speaking, less likely to suffer from a number of mental health conditions and tend to experience less stress.
As mentioned above, any hobby can be beneficial to your wellbeing, so long as it’s not causing any harm to yourself or the people around you. It doesn’t have to be anything especially productive, either; it might be drawing, reading, surfing the web, collecting stamps, or anything else under the sun. Travelling is also a fairly popular hobby among certain demographics.