Pulled from the Miriam-Webster Dictionary the definition of a hobby is, a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation. While there are many benefits of pursuing a hobby during your free time, it can even be said to be of importance to continue your hobby throughout the day for short periods of time. A hobby can bring stress relief, distract your mind, and has even been known to ease pain.
Certainly one of the best advantages of pursuing a hobby is allowing quiet time away from the daily grind to decompress. Maintaining focus on something you enjoy or discovering new talent without the distractions of the outside world can allow an emotional outlet and as a way to gain new knowledge. "Making time for enjoyable activities stimulates parts of the brain that are associated with creative and positive thinking. You become emotionally and intellectually motivated," says Seema Hingoranny, well known clinical psychologist and psychotherapist (Sharma, 2011).
Remaining passionate about your hobby can help keep you focused and can help you develop the talents you may have forgotten you had or maybe that you didn’t realize you had. When one indulges in their hobbies it can be a time to demonstrate positive thoughts rather than focusing on the negative. Since one will be channeling that energy into something positive or learning a new skill, there will be less time to remain idle, and we know the saying about idle minds.
Our lives can be extremely stressful and having a hobby can be a creative outlet. While there are those that think coming home from a long day at work to watch television is a great way to unwind; however, developing a hobby can offer intellectual stimulation and can be truly relaxing. A hobby such as knitting or crocheting, for example, provides repetitive action and, therefore, can be extremely calming. In an interesting article, a stimulating question arises, “Time heals all wounds.
But until time kicks in, what do you do while you’re waiting? How do you relieve stress and decompress from everyday pressures? How do you ease the pain, distract your mind, soothe your soul?” (Monson, 2005). There are many instances that show different forms of hobbies, such as painting, drawing, and crafts, have been used to ease depression, and help with illnesses. A great part of the hobby is that you don’t need to be ill to benefit.
By finding a hobby that you love, you will find that your passion will keep you interested. Making time for your hobby is necessary to maintain the benefits, such as de-stressing and releasing frustrations. It is also important to ensure that you enjoy the process. Trying not to focus too much on the finished product. Enjoy the journey and revel in the time that you are taking to create your project rather than mindlessly pushing through.
