Why you need a hobby

One of the greatest things you can do for your mental wellbeing is making time for the things you love, but unfortunately so many of us rarely set aside time for hobbies, so much so that the average person will struggle to tell you what their hobby is. It has been said that having a hobby will save your life, that is having something that isn’t tied to a monetary or productivity goal and is something you do just for the fun of it. Having a hobby that genuinely interests you, lights you up when you talk about it, shouldn’t be optional but something you actively make time for.

Whether it is gardening, sport or even something more relaxed such as reading, whatever it is, ensure that you make time for it. In today’s world of an ever increasing focus on productivity and money, having something that isn’t tied to either of these but instead to the enjoyment of the hobby at hand, can change your life. In this article we’ll dive into why you need a hobby, how hobbies impact your health and most importantly your state of mind. Let’s get started. 

The art of getting lost in the task 

We all know that feeling of being completely submersed in what we are doing, we forget everything else, time flies and we haven’t even noticed the time pass. This is the art of getting lost in the task. A crucial part of having good mental health is spending time where part of what you are doing is in a subconscious state. For most, this only happens when they are in the shower or driving, the mind is partially concentrating on the task at hand but also wonders on a different train of thought, often referred to as being “in my own world”.

Those who have hobbies they love such as painting or gardening, mention how they were totally absorbed in what they were doing and didn’t think about their usual worries and concerns. This time of immersion in the task at hand actually gives the brain time to rest even if you are thinking about how to fix the car, what to plant next or other problem solving solutions that the hobby may require. The usual worries are often forgotten and the brain finally has some breathing space.

There is something soothing about being lost in the task that is difficult to explain, you may be working hard at your hobby but at the same time it gives you a sense of rest, this is true rest. Doing more things where you don’t notice the time pass by and don’t even feel the need to check the time is a great tool for  happiness, clarity and a relaxed state of mind. Make time for these hobbies and it’ll serve you tremendously in your day to day life.

No expectations or pressure 

As mentioned at the start, modern society is so highly focused on productivity and efficiency. But it is so important to spend time where you don’t think about the pressures to perform, be efficient or meet a goal. You simply do your hobby for the love of it.

The truth is that you can be more productive by spending hours away from work compared to if you just force yourself to work all day, but that isn’t even the main point here, the point is to break free of a expectation to be productive. You do your hobby for you and no one else.

Returning to that childlike state of play keeps us young, happy and energised. We can spend hours with our chosen hobby and not feel like we need to hit a target or else we’ve failed, we just enjoy being in the moment. Many may call it escapism but turning to your hobbies in stressful periods can help reduce stress immensely, it is a way of allowing your body and mind rest in a way that isn’t physical.

Whatever your chosen hobby is, remove the expectations to turn it into a side hustle. Of course progressing is enjoyable too, but the main focus should be just enjoying and being present.

Continually learning and improving 

We should never stop learning in life and having a hobby is an excellent way to enforce that, there will always be a new method to try, a little hack you haven’t thought of, or even a new area of your hobby that you have never delved into.

Continually learning things that you are interested in keeps your brain alive, it keeps you sharp into old age and it doesn’t even feel like you’re forcing anything, you’re just pursing that in which interests you. Studies show, those who stay sharp and retain good memory into old age are consistently those who have kept hobbies around, whether they constantly pick up new ones or have always stuck to the same one. 

The moment we stop learning anything new, the moment our brain starts to atrophy. Our brains need stimulation, most hobbies challenge our brain and this challenge is exactly what keeps our brains sharp and clear. 

Romans called leisure “otium”, it didn’t mean to be idle, but rather a time for study, writing, and intellectual pursuit.

A measure of health

When our health declines most people look to the physical signs first, but the mental signs come long before the physical signs. When we begin to lose interest in hobbies this a warning sign that we shouldn’t ignore. Of course, you can genuinely just be losing interest in a certain hobby, that is natural, but if you aren’t picking up others and are resorting to scrolling or binging tv, it’s worth looking deeper.

This isn’t about being a hypochondriac, it’s about paying attention to the signs that you may becoming burnt out, fatigued, inflamed or under nourished. The mind cannot think about play if it hasn’t got enough energy to do so, an abundance of energy will give the mind a want to play, to learn and be creative. 

This is why metabolic health is so important, as Dr Ray Peat said “The ability to play is the best indicator of health" when we have energy we are more inclined to take up a hobby, but it can work both ways - when we find a hobby that lights us up, it can also give us more energy.

We can use our interests and hobbies as markers of good health, by reading this article it shows your interest and desire to learn, which are key markers of vitality. If you ever notice that all your interests are dropping off, then paying attention to the state of your physical and mental health is where to start. 

 “Curiosity, aesthetics, creativity, and stimulation are necessarily and deeply linked to metabolic efficiency and structural-anatomical development”. - Dr Ray Peat

Natural light, community & creativity

A hobby that gets you off screens is ideal, as mentioned in previous articles we spend an enormous amount of time glued to our screens, so spending as much time as possible away from screens will benefit not just your overall health but your mental health too. Natural light is healing and we need more of it, outdoor hobbies help us reconnect to nature and the more time we spend in nature the better our health will be.

Hobbies can also lead us to some incredible communities, gaining a more social aspect to your hobby and connection to others. Even if it’s just one new friend that you meet through your hobby, this community aspect brings a sense of belonging and purpose. Immersing yourself in a new community can often be daunting but is one thing you won’t regret doing.

Many hobbies require us to problem solve or be more creative. This helps your brain work in ways that it may not regularly get the chance to do so and challenging your brain is again a key practice to keeping it sharp. You may say that you aren’t a creative person but I believe everyone has a creative side to them, it is just like a muscle that needs to be trained, the more time you spend using your creativity the stronger it will become.

Summary 

This isn’t about forcing yourself to do things you don’t want to do, it is about the importance of the hobby. It will always be easier to just to go on your phone or switch the tv on, but these activities don’t help us, they don’t give us true rest and they don’t light us up, they aren’t something we are truly passionate about, no one is passionate about scrolling - just addicted. 

So I hope this article has inspired you to either take up a new hobby or reignite an old one, if you used to do a hobby with an old friend, hit them up and help change their day too, let us get out of our online worlds and back into the physical world. I’d also really appreciate you sharing your current hobby or one you’re going to restart after reading this. Help inspire others who are stuck trying to think of a new hobby! Thanks for reading all.