A hobby is undoubtedly a whole lot of fun, but it is so much more than that. Do you know that when you develop a skill outside of work you actually end up benefiting your professional life too? A hobby teaches you to be patient; it challenges you and shows you how to think through a project and see it to its rightful end. More importantly, it allows you to pick up new skills.
There are many reasons why we wish for everyone to have a hobby. Having one allows us to do something constructive in our free time. Now if you say you have no free time, then you definitely need to read this article. Are you really so busy, that you have no time to spare for yourself even?
#1 Makes you more interesting
When you start a hobby, you will notice an immediate jump in your social life. A hobby adds a new dimension to your personality and makes you more interesting to others. It gives people a reason to connect with you. They want to know your stories and experiences. If you create something, others want to engage with your creations. (and trust us, you will like the attention.)
A hobby means you have special knowledge that you can share with others; perhaps even pass on your skills to someone else who is as interested in your newly acquired activity.
#2 Slows you down
Our life is a whirlwind of to-do lists and tasks that need to be completed by a certain deadline.
A hobby is your personal goal, and you can choose how slowly or rapidly you want to achieve it. Also, if it’s a new skill that you’re developing, then chances are that you will go slowly. It is a new learning curve, and you need to build it carefully. The more you do it, the better you will get at it. And the joy of mastering a new skill, at any age, is truly incomparable.
#3 Challenge yourself
When was the last time you really challenged yourself? Pushed yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone?
A hobby is the best way to motivate yourself to learn something new. It will teach you a new skill and help you increase your knowledge. When you step away from your routine, you open up the possibility of discovering and developing new skill sets. Yes, there will be challenges, but like everything else in life that you have overcome, you will manage this too.
#4 Boosts your confidence
When you embark upon a new activity, it will open you up to new experiences. Your hobby gives you a chance to excel at something new, and when you do that, then the biggest boost will be to your confidence and self-esteem.
And of course, it doesn’t hurt a bit when friends and family also appreciate your newly-found talent. It’ll help you gain pride in your accomplishments.
#5 Helps relieve stress
A hobby will keep you engaged in something other than work and your deadlines. It is an amazing way to de-stress. When you immerse yourself in your hobby, you will lose track of what is happening in your everyday life. This will relax you and you will rediscover the pleasure of achieving something that is not connected with office work, your home chores or any other responsibilities.
#6 A stress-free life gets the creative juices flowing
A fantastic thing about including a hobby in your personal life is that you will start to see the benefits at work too. A stress-free mind is like a magnet for creative ideas. When you step away from the daily grind and allow yourself to focus on something else, the over-taxed part of your mind will relax and the subconscious will take over. That is where creative ideas spring from. Your sparks of creativity will increase and you will find yourself arriving at better answers to problems, and faster, too.
There are countless activities that you can explore. The internet is filled with ideas for you to choose from. It doesn’t always have to be a group activity if you want to use this time to be by yourself. Try your hand at a few and find one which you feel the most passionate about. And once you do, then the hobby will become a part of your life and make you a whole new person.