We all had hobbies as kids. We would make friendship bracelets, play sports, go skateboarding, play an instrument, draw pictures, and every other activity our growing brain found fascinating. However, as we grow up, we stop doing the things we once enjoyed. Maybe we are too busy, or we don’t see it enjoyable anymore, but that doesn’t mean we should not have hobbies. In fact, there are so many bonuses to having a hobby or two.
Reduces Stress
There are a ton of words to describe college; one of those is probably stressful. You have midterms, crazy professors, annoying classmates, finals, trying to sleep more than three hours a night and maintaining some semblance of a social life. Why not instead of staring at a wall or scrolling through Instagram, which you have already done twice in the last hour, pick up a pen a paper and doodle or write some poetry? It will help you relax for a minute. You will be able to enjoy yourself in a way that is not related to school, friends, or work. Many studies (Zawadzki & National Library of Medicine) have shown that leisure activities lower stress and increase positive feelings.
Become More Patient
A skill that people often find themselves lacking in this world of having anything at our fingertips is patience. Learning a new skill takes patience because most likely you won’t be great at something the first time you try it and to further your skills in your hobby you need to practice. You are likely to cycle through learning a skill, improving that skill then becoming confident in that area to move onto harder skills.
Increases Self-Confidence
If you enjoy the hobby that you pick up, then the chances are that you will eventually get pretty good at it. At first, you may not feel that your good enough to show off your work but eventual as you build your skill and talent you are more willing to let others see your accomplishment. Your hobby has built up your confidence to show others what you have done, and as you get feedback and encouragement, your confidence grows even more.
Meet New People
Speaking of sharing your new talent, you can also meet some amazing and passionate people. Getting to know people can be difficult especially if you don’t know if you have anything in common. Joining a club, taking a class, or going to a meet up for people who share your interest is a sure fire way to meet people who share at least one thing in common with you. Meeting people who share a hobby with you is great for making friends and learning more about your hobby.
Makes You More Interesting
Having a talent that is unique to you makes you more interesting than a person who doesn’t. Even if you feel like your art or cooking isn’t that different from other peoples’, it is unique to you and only you. Hobbies help diversify and add layers to a person. You are also more likely to have stories and experiences that you can tell others.
Helps Your Career Path
Having a hobby is also great for your career path. Mark Zuckerberg even said that he feels, “that having a hobby shows a prospective employer that you have passion and drive”(Source). There is also a good chance that during an interview for a job you will be asked if you have any hobbies. Some studies show that having a hobby is related to having more creativity on work-related projects, having a better attitude, being more satisfied with their job, less likelihood of burnout and, as mentioned before, less stress (Samuel & Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology).
There are so many hobbies out there, and you are bound to find something that you enjoy. Having a hobby has so many fantastic benefits, so don’t stop doing what you enjoy. If you are having a hard time finding something you want to try, here are a few lists to check out:
https://hobbyhelp.com/inspiration/list-of-hobbies/
https://www.moneypeach.com/fun-inexpensive-hobbies/
https://www.mantelligence.com/list-of-hobbies/
Best of luck to you finding your new favorite thing to do!