Now that it is fall, it feels like a good time to reflect on what this season means to me. Of course, I love the vibrant colors and crisp weather that fall brings, but it does more than that. Fall always makes me look inward and think about how, while the seasons are changing, so am I. This is the last fall of my college years, and I can see parts of myself and even the people around me changing. With all of this change happening around and within me, fall feels like the perfect time to embrace something new, even in small ways like making time for a new hobby.
Unplug and get creative
Over the summer, I spent a lot of time on a screen. While most of it was at work, I noticed that I would use my phone to unwind after work and then again before I went to sleep. I let myself get away with this bad habit because of the work I was putting into my internship and LSAT studying, but I decided that with the incoming new season, I would start to introduce better habits.
Something that I began to do instead of using technology as a hobby was coloring! I went to a nearby bookstore and bought the cutest coloring books that had photos of capybaras and other little animals, along with a pack of markers. It became a new system of winding down, while also embracing my inner creativity! This is a great hobby that takes very little to no skill and can also be done with friends.
“piece” and quiet
Another hobby that I have picked up as the seasons have shifted is puzzling! Doing puzzles is a great way to relax, but it also utilizes your brain power. I find this especially rewarding because sometimes when I do things unrelated to school or work I feel like I am wasting time. While this obviously is not true, it is easier to justify taking time to do something fun when also using brain power. My current puzzle is of a bunch of cats, and it is just too cute!
Fall into a good book
Another hobby that I have gotten into this fall is reading! I tend to get sucked into a good book and once I am done, I stop reading for a bit. This is partially because of the heavy demand for reading from my college classes, as I am often assigned at least 100 pages of reading per week. I have begun reminding myself that the reading I do for classes and the reading I do for myself are completely different activities! When I read on my own, I like to view it as another form of a movie, except I get to imagine the world on the pages. It may be basic, but I love a good romantic novel.
This fall, I recommend that you “fall” into a new hobby that allows you to not only relax, but also have fun!