This past summer, I didn’t have a job for months. I eventually got one, but there was a solid two and a half months where all my friends were busy and I had nothing to do. You know how it is when you get out of school at the end of the year- the first week you do nothing but sleep and recover from the heinous workload you just endured. But here’s the thing. That gets very old, very fast. I stopped wanting to sleep in under two weeks, and I was quickly left with nothing in the world to occupy my time.
So first I decided to do things like clean the house, unpack my dorm stuff, and spend time with my sisters. If I’m not going to be working at a job, I should still be productive, right? Tragically, there was only so much cleaning and unpacking to do, and my sisters were still busy with school, so I was back where I started pretty quickly. I rearranged my bedroom, brushed the dog, made the cats chase a laser beam, started at least 4 new shows on Netflix, and I was bored. I was so unbelievably bored that I decided to Marie Kondo not only my closet, but everything in my room, the kitchen, and the family coat closet. (We donated a lot of things that week).
While I was going through the kitchen, I had an idea. Maybe I should learn a new skill! College doesn’t have to be the only place I learn things. If I teach myself how to bake cupcakes then I get to eat them later, and worst case scenario? They turn out awful and our dog gets something different with her kibble. So I taught myself how to bake. I made cupcakes, scones, bread, all sorts of things, and I honestly felt great. Making something with my own two hands that could turn out fun or delicious? It’s a really cool feeling. It didn’t always turn out well, like the time the sweet rolls I made kind of exploded as soon as they came out of the oven. But for the first time in a long time I wasn’t worried about not being the best at what I was doing. So I had a new hobby… until the day we ran out of flour and I was bored again.
Then I found a ukulele hidden in the back of my closet. My sister had given it to me for Christmas, but I had never had time to learn to play before. Next thing I knew I was sitting on the floor with a youtube video about ukulele basics in front of me, learning how to tune strings and form a chord. Suddenly I felt great again! I was building calluses slowly but surely, and I didn’t sound too bad, especially for only just picking it up. So I had a new hobby.
After that I decided to start doing a bunch of the things I had been putting off. I had been meaning to turn a romper into a dress, so one day I sat down and just started. I ended up altering a bunch of things in my closet, making crop tops from t-shirts I never wore, hemming a skirt to a cuter length, and just like when I was baking, it felt really cool to make something with my own two hands. Sure, I could have bought a shorter skirt or a new dress, and it didn’t always turn out perfect, but altering something old just felt way better.
I bought a book and sat down and read the whole thing in one day. I was so inspired that I made art based on some of the main characters. Then I looked at it and thought- You know, I could probably embroider this somewhere. And you know what? That’s what I did. I learned a whole new skill all because I read a book and let myself be creative. Being creative had always seemed like something I could only do if I was going to sell whatever I made, so I hadn’t ever really tried to do something cool. When I started to embroider I realized that crafting and selling crafts are two totally different hobbies, and honestly who has the energy to start a business in their downtime?
So, by the time I actually got a job and started working, I actually had stuff to do on my days off! Work is always exhausting, but coming home to some homemade scones I made the day before, or being able to wear a comfy shirt that used to be a weird length? That makes it better.
So why bother talking about this? Well I’m back at school now, and honestly I’m already getting super burnt out. All I feel like I have time to do is work, go to class, do homework, and sleep. I only have time to meet with friends if we’re eating, so I can knock two things off my to do list. I can’t even commit to watching my favourite movie because it’s two hours long and who has that kind of free time? But here’s the thing. Burnout is going to happen so much faster if you don’t give your brain a break. We need some real hobbies y’all, because let’s be honest, school induced combustion is not a good look for anyone, mentally or physically.
I will always recommend going to get help from whatever services the school provides, whether it’s tutoring or counseling or group yoga classes that help lower your stress. But a hobby is one of the best first steps you can take. Today, I had a bunch of reading to do, with summaries, along with homework and studying for a quiz, meeting with professors, helping my friend with her project, and a million other little things. But if I tried to do that kind of thing every day? It’s just too much to handle without a break. I would wither away to a tiny piece of dust and honestly? I like myself way too much to turn into dust. So I also practiced ukulele while my laundry was in the dryer. I brought embroidery to class so I could work on my latest project when I didn’t have to take notes. I put on an episode of Gilmore Girls and fixed a button that came off a shirt.
Hobbies seem hard. They seem like commitment and effort and skills that you don’t have. They seem like wasted time and procrastinating “important things”. But here’s the thing, my ukulele isn’t going to get mad when I don’t play it for a few days, and when I do play it I’m not focusing on the paper due next week. My embroidery doesn’t have to be perfect, I’m just proud that I’m making something cool. I’m not trying to make a living off my hobbies, and I wouldn’t want to. I need my hobbies because just watching Gilmore Girls for the fifth time isn’t enough to take my mind off of all my stress. And I need some time without all the stress. I’m betting that you probably do too, because college is hard, and unless you’re superhuman, something is going to get to you. Don’t let the whole “idle hands are the devil’s playthings” idea turn your whole life into nothing but homework and internship applications.
Pick up an embroidery set at walmart. Learn to play a song on the piano. Take that dance class that you always wanted to try. Write a poem. Start a journal. Make post-it note mosaic art for an instagram account only your friends can see. Try ice skating and fall over a lot. Learn how to make cool effects with nail polish. Pick up crochet, or knitting, or weaving. Find something cool, and learn to do it. You can shoot for the stars in your classes and career and all that, but give yourself some room to be imperfect. Start something new and fun and interesting, and let yourself be flawed. There’s no pressure, but honestly having hobbies has made this year so much better than the last few years. So why keep pushing off something you wanted to do or try? You don’t need to be an expert in every field. It’s okay just to participate.