The Curious Incident of Hobbies in a Lifetime

Yes, I did name this blog post after the Mark Haddon book. After all, when talking about hobbies, shouldn’t one begin with a reference to one’s own? And reading has been one of the most important parts of my. I am sure you remember when we talked about reading in this post from the take-away series. But I digress!

According to me, having hobbies is one of the most crucial ingredients of your kickass Life Résumé. This is something that each one of us, irrespective of your age, gender, social status, marital status, country of origin, religion, beliefs, spirituality, should have. Then why, you ask, do I call it ‘the curious incident’? Because even though some of the benefits of having hobbies are glaringly obvious, there are certain hobbies that are considered a waste of time (binge watching back to back TV series), are physically demanding and dangerous (rock-climbing, diving with sharks) or are even addictive (playing video games).

This may be so. But I believe that there are many merits to having hobbies and at the end of the day, every action is a choice that you are making. Including what hobbies you choose. Hobbies is not something I am going to shut up about so easily and you will find me circling back to them over and over again. The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw very aptly summed the importance of hobbies up in one simple sentence:

“Happy is the man who is living by his hobby.”

George Bernard Shaw

Through the course of this post, I intend to explore various aspects of hobbies and we’ll go through them as follows:

• What are Hobbies
• Why are Hobbies Important
• What are My Hobbies

What are Hobbies

According to Wikipedia, ‘A hobby is a regular activity done for enjoyment, typically during one’s leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other amusements.’

Hobbies are a very subjective matter and they can be different for different people. Are you someone who likes to collect ticket stubs for every time you travel somewhere? Then collecting ticket stubs is your hobby. Are you someone who loves cat-sitting for your friends and family? Then cat-sitting is your hobby. Are you someone who loves collecting the wrapper of every chocolate you have ever eaten? Then chocolate wrapper collection is your hobby.

When it comes to hobbies, there are no judgements, there are no rights or wrongs. There is no list of activities with the ‘Official
List of Hobbies’ written on top of the paper. There is no court of law that would prosecute you for following a hobby outside of their approved list (That is unless your hobby is something illegal. In that case, please stop and think what you are doing.)

A hobby is an activity that you do because you want to do it notwithstanding the amount of money you earn from it, the amount of time you spend on it, and the amount of efforts it takes to get it done. You do it, because you love doing it, because it makes forgetting time very easy and it allows you to drown yourself in an activity without any expectations or deadlines.

Some of the most common hobbies followed by people across the globe are painting, gardening, photography, cooking, exercising, writing, knitting, hiking, dancing, playing video games, sewing, playing a music instrument and hunting. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list and can include so much more! Which brings us to the next part of this discussion.

Why are Hobbies Important

The very obvious ways in which hobbies are important is to give you something to do that you enjoy in your free time. But there are a ton of other benefits to following a hobby regularly. For all of you out there who consider hobbies a waste of time (and trust me, there are quite a few of you), here are a few points in favour of having a Hobby:

1. Hobbies act as brilliant stress busters

Do you have those days when you come home dead-tired from work and have no inclination to do anything but plonk on your bed and not move a muscle? Hobbies can play a very refreshing part on those days. Being the elements of your routine that actually give you pleasure and help capture your attention, hobbies can help relieve stress by boosting your serotonin levels (The chemical in your brain that makes you feel ‘happy’).

Hobbies are also known to boost your self- esteem by reinforcing a sense of achievement in you (imagine the joy of finishing a good painting!) and can be an excellent tool to fight anxiety and depression.

2. Hobbies help you explore your passions

For me, writing started off as a hobby about 7-8 years ago and today, here I am, working towards exploring and expanding my passion through this blog. Any small hobby that you have, has the potential to grow into a passion which can eventually lead to a side hustle or a full-blown profession.

Even if doing something professionally is not on the cards, finding your passions is very crucial and it helps in defining who you are as a person. Working on your passions can make you happier and hobbies are an excellent way to explore them.

3. Hobbies give you new perspectives

For me, reading is something that has given me an immense amount of perspective. Reading books helps me travel thousands of miles without moving an inch, helps me understand the perspectives of people who live in different parts of the world and educates me on what life is about across different places.

Various hobbies like reading, watching documentaries, researching about your favourite painters, watching cinema can help you give the perspectives to life that no other activities can.

4. Hobbies help you make new friends

The old adage goes, ‘Birds of a feather flock together’

Hobbies can really help you build your network through various clubs, classes and courses. Following hobbies is a genius way to meet like-minded people and make connections that last a lifetime. Be it through attending a yoga class, dance class or any other classes or through joining clubs like the Toastmasters club, hobbies can get you in touch with people who are passionate about the same things as you.

5. Hobbies stimulate your brain

Practising hobbies can make you learn certain new skills and work on training your brain for better knowledge retention. Hobbies like writing, solving crossword puzzles or any sort of puzzles, playing a sport, stimulate your brain and make you think. They help you to work on your analytical skills and the best part about hobbies is doing all of this without an obligation in terms of time or a deadline.

6. Hobbies can give you new sources of income

Even though hobbies are mostly leisure activities that you engage in to take some time off from your other day to day commitments, they surely can transform into new sources of income. Are you a skilled calligrapher or painter? You could start teaching these skills. Are you a blogger with a large reach? You could start making money through affiliates. Are you someone extremely passionate about yoga? You could start teaching it. In this way, hobbies can very easily turn you into one of those successful people who have their passion as the source of their livelihood.

7. Hobbies help increase your mindfulness

Mindfulness means being present in the current moment without any judgement or expectation. Hobbies have the power to rope you in on the current moment and can lead to a meditative state of mind. Many hobbies like painting, reading, drawing, doodling, journaling can all add elements of mindfulness to your routine.

8. Hobbies make you more interesting

The more hobbies you have, the more things you have to discuss. Hobbies expose you to a world of knowledge and skills. This knowledge makes you a more interesting person in terms of your experiences and routines. A reader will always have some new story to tell you about. A bird-watcher will be able to tell you the various birds that she knows about. A traveller will be able to describe all the interesting people she has met on her journey. In this way, hobbies not only enrich you but also make you a tad bit more interesting to other people.

9. Hobbies improve your sleep cycle

For getting a good night’s sleep, a wind-down routine is important every night. Having certain hobbies that calm you down and reduce your screen time can work wonders for your sleep quality. Of course, most of us today would rather binge watch a series or scroll through endless social media or play mobile phone games. But try moving a soothing hobby towards the end of your day and you will notice the wonders it does for you.

10. Hobbies make you physically fit

Fitness based hobbies can help you maintain optimal health. If your hobbies are running, yoga, dancing, swimming or playing any sport, in addition to all the aforementioned benefits, these hobbies will also keep you in great shape.

What are My Hobbies

Now that we have discussed the what and the why of hobbies, let me tell a little bit about my hobbies.

Reading: I think I have talked about this hobby very extensively here. Reading, for me, is an activity that will always be a part of my routine. I make it a point to read a little every day.

Journaling: I actually wrote an entire post about journaling and how it has transformed my life. Depending on the type of journal I am working on, the frequency with which I journal varies.

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Gardening: We live in an apartment and as such don’t have a huge space to grow plants. But we have a small window garden in our living room which we take care of everyday. Nurturing plants and looking at them grow has so far been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

Calligraphy: This is a new-found hobby for me. I really enjoy taking time off from my routine a few times a week to work on this

Music: When it comes to music, I don’t just love listening to it, I also love exploring new artists and genres. Music has an immense power to heal and transform your mood. If you’re feeling blue, try listening to a little pick-me-up tune and you will know what I mean.

I hope this has given you a different perspective on why it is important to, not just have, but nurture all of the hobbies in your life. Dedicating even a little time every day or every week can bring about an immense change to your level of happiness. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author of Flow, once said,

When something strikes a spark of interest, follow it”.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

You might just end up with a new hobby or a passion or even a new profession and a wonderful addition to your Life Résumé. In the comments below, let me know what your hobbies are and what unacknowledged benefits do you gain from them. Until then, keep working, keep growing!  

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Photo by Krystal Ng on Unsplash
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash