Put a finger down if you struggle to set aside time for your hobbies just because you feel that if you are not being productive at all times, you are wasting time and not working hard enough. It is me, I put my finger down. And I know you did too. This article is your short and sweet reminder that making time for yourself and allowing yourself to enjoy something is not a waste of time, and, in fact, makes you a stronger, more well rounded, and healthier person.
This past July, I told my dad I had recently realized that over my entire first year of college, I did not read much at all, write anything, make any crafts, play any games, or participate in literally any of the many, many hobbies that have been a part of my life for forever. I found myself stuck in a state of guilt and indecision whenever I had time to myself and I used it for anything other than productive work. Coming into sophomore year, I decided I wanted to change that. My goal was to find some sort of relaxing game I could chip away at over time and look forward to playing after a long week. My dad suggested I play Stardew Valley.
I lied– this article is half a reminder that hobbies are good for your health, and half me encouraging everyone to play Stardew Valley. Guys, I cannot express how much I love this game. I truly think this is a good cozy game, especially if you are like me and struggle to feel validated in working at something unless it is productive. Stardew is the perfect mix of storyline/plot, cozy farm game with no rules, and a constant to-do list of things to work on and quests to finish. Depending on what is interesting to you at that moment, you can ignore every other aspect of the game and focus on that, and for the most part it will not impact your ability to work on those other aspects later if you so choose. During my first month in Stardew, I was not being “productive” in game. I was taking my sweet time learning how everything worked, meeting everyone, doing absolutely whatever I wanted– Exhibit A: for those that know Stardew, I did not touch the mines until the end of Summer, Year 1– and that was perfectly fine. Now, I am in Year 2, catching up on all the things I now know I am majorly behind on, but I am having a grand old time. I cannot recommend this game enough, really. There is always something to work on if you want a project, but there is also no rush to do anything, at all, ever.
Flash forward to this most recent Fall Break. I planned for the long weekend to be 3-4 days for me to completely lock in, get so much work done that I would be ahead for the next week, and put myself in a position to stay a week ahead of work for the rest of the semester. My parents came up to visit and see a performance of the show I am working on, and my dad asked me how Stardew was going… yeah, insert crickets here. I realized that I got so wrapped up in the semester and so stressed that I have not opened Steam even once (mind you, the whole point of me getting into Stardew was to have a hobby to relieve stress, but here we are). I was swiftly instructed by my dad to take the long weekend to sleep in, play Stardew, and relax, like for real, relax. So I did, and oh my gosh, by the end of that weekend I felt a difference. My roommate even pointed out later that week that I seemed really “happy and chill this past week.” That was my reminder of how important hobbies really are.
Having something that is completely separate from everything else in your life that you can set time aside for, and do for no other reason but pure enjoyment, grounds you in reality and can bring you out of the spiral of stress, worry, overthinking and pressure you have put on yourself. On another note, finding new hobbies can also open you up to new communities and new hobbies in relation as a result. In learning how to play Stardew Valley, I began watching different Streamers and Youtubers play different mods, challenges, and updates to learn the game, and as a result I found new channels to watch in my downtime. I started to bring the game up in conversation, and made new friends based on mutual love for the game, and got some new recommendations for other games to play, too.
I know you are stressed. I know that you believe the absolute last thing you should be doing right now is playing some silly cozy farm game when you have 6 assignments due at the end of the week, or reading that book on your TBR instead of the textbook chapter for your class on Monday, or writing that new personal piece instead of your essay due at midnight. And yeah, you definitely should do your homework, however, it does not all need to get done right now. You have thirty minutes for lunch? Instead of trying to halfway start an assignment while you eat, take those thirty minutes and read a chapter of that book that has been sitting on your nightstand for 2 months as a “nightly read” that you actually have not touched– how many people did I directly call out with that one? Even the simplest acts of self prioritization makes a difference.
Play your cozy game girl, the world will continue to spin, and bonus points if it is Stardew Valley <3
Until Next Time,
Your Eldest Daughter