What is your chosen craft?
Imagine...
... the melodic vibrations of the piano reverberating in your ear drum as you press the keys in a beautiful dance of tempo.
... sanding wood, the sounds of sandpaper repetitively back and forth, creating a smoothness under your fingers as the masterpiece you are building receives the finishing touches.
... the anticipation as you are seconds away from oiling the sharpened blade that you just forged out of the flames of fire.
Hobbies. They are activities that are regularly done in one’s own leisure time, generally for the pure merriment it brings to that individual. If you are lucky and your passion ignites the full-time mood and you are lucrative when doing it, then guess what people, you have made the hobby you are so passionate about into a career, or maybe just some side spending money.
So, what do you look forward to doing when you get home from a long hard day? Is there something that you go-to to relieve stress? Maybe, you go for a jog, play with your kids or animals, or blast your music on the way home from wherever you have been spending your day. Having emotional, mental and even physical benefits, alongside doing a thing you truly enjoy makes having a hobby worth it. Some see it as a waste of time but let’s see a little perspective here.
There are many benefits to having a hobby or two. They offer you new challenges and experiences; they encourage you to take a break; they allow you to explore you thoughts and talents into something rewarding; they can help you spiritually; they improve your self-esteem and self-worth; they can help fight off depression, improve memory and promote mindfulness and staying present; etc.
While looking into the science behind having hobbies and how it affects you I stumbled across psychologist Sarah Pressman and her colleagues. They examined how pleasurable activities impact our well-being, they found that enjoyable leisure activities are associated with lower blood pressure, smaller waist circumference, and a lower body mass index. So, what is not to love about having a hobby?
Actually, hobbies and characteristics play a part in why you choose what you choose for a hobby, psychologically speaking: compensation, support a certain identity, to control the world, nostalgia, and channeling their emotions.
Have you ever seen a MMA fighter and listen to stories of their childhood. Maybe the individual who is now a champ compensates for when they were bullied as a kid. The girl who plays football, instead of being a cheerleader supports a certain identity that she is a strong independent young woman. The one who gets obsessed and sits in front of the tv on their video games to transport themselves into a new reality in order to feel control in their world. The ones who collect knick-knacks that allows then to ease their insecurities that arise when good things are taken from them. Artists, writers and sculptures use their medium to translate their emotions through artistic expression, releasing what is kept inside. More aggressive minded people will find more dangerous hobbies to help them feel more in alive and exhilarated.
To bring it all back to center, having a hobby, or hobbies, are expressions of what you enjoy doing. Don’t be shy. Enjoy yourself.
“Hobbies are both a mystery and a delight. They’re a mystery because many people with hobbies don’t always share them with others. They’re a delight because of the pure joy they provide to the hobbyist, making hours pass like minutes!”
- Willet Ryder
Seeking
W
onder
