The Importance of Hobbies

As children, we are encouraged to experiment with various hobbies, explore and grow our skillsets, and pursue new opportunities; venturing into the unknown seemed all too easy. Now, into adulthood, I feel there is less time to focus on that playful, brave feeling we had as children, the feeling that the world is our oyster!

Minus the many distractions and worries adulthood can give us, being able to focus on our hobbies in between our busy schedules can allow us to feel fully present and innovative again. It can feel like a space where we can have courage, less pressure, less fear, and just simply be able to find a new passion!

Some hobbies can allow you to be incredibly daring, for example, hiking up a mountain! Some force you out of your comfort zone, like trying a new Pilates class to meet new people. Some allow you to start a new skill, like taking piano lessons with no musical background although you have always wanted to learn the piano! It’s about being able to continually push yourself out of your comfort zone as life is about trying new things to find what brings you most joy!

To provide you with some more inspiration, several hobbies I am enjoying at the moment: painting, reading, running, baking, going for walks, and embroidery! These smaller hobbies have encouraged me to stay present, separate my work and home life, and simply avoid doom scrolling.

You definitely do not need to plan your next hike up Mount Everest to be brave! Each of us will have several ideas of what hobbies we want to pursue, and how we can individually challenge ourselves.

It can feel daunting taking the first step and investing time into a hobby. It may take that extra thought and consideration to overcome that first hurdle; as they say, ‘getting started is the hardest part’! By taking that courageous first step, you may feel uncomfortable and worried, posing a negative mindset, “What If I am terrible at this?” “What if I cannot keep up with everybody?”, well, you simply won’t know unless you try! And if it brings you happiness then keep at it! Recently, in my own life, my challenge seems to be ‘getting comfortable with the uncomfortable’ and I am choosing to embrace those feelings to better my own life and help me embrace change!

With four months left of the year, it feels right to continue pushing for those goals I created in January, whilst forming some additional intentions to end the year positively. As well as embracing change and stepping out my comfort zone, I am challenging myself to take opportunities to find another passion, encouraging my own bravery. And as I do those intimidating tasks, I recognise that it is gradually improving my mental health, increasing my self-confidence and is supporting my personal growth and self-discovery, particularly within my 20s where trial and error is all part of the journey.

As we head into a new, darker season, we naturally can spend more time indoors and you may feel inclined to pick up some new hobbies. This is a great time to attempt to find your new favourite pastime and have something to focus on, as it is not unusual for this season to feel that slight bit heavier.

If you are feeling stuck in life, or haven’t embraced a challenge in a while, consider what character-building goals you can make in your life, whether that is signing yourself up for a marathon, or simply playing around with some watercolours. I promise you won’t regret it—how proud you’ll feel is truly a wonderful and freeing feeling!