The benefit of hobbies and how to make more time for them

Hobbies have health benefits

A hobby is a fulfilling way to reduce stress, which can lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure that can lead to cardiac arrest. Studies have proven that extended sessions of creative activity have resulted in positivity and uplifting feelings even after just a few days.

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Hobbies activate all aspects of your thinking

When you’re engrossed in an activity, it uses a different part of your brain that requires less focus and concentration. This can be opposed to your daily tasks at work, which may be analytical or stricter—yet a hobby requires more thought than mindlessly scrolling through a screen or watching your favorite guilty pleasure television.

Hobbies allow us to take control

Whether you’re creating art, cooking your favorite meal, or jogging, you’re in command. You can tailor your activities to your exact tastes, push yourself farther, and challenge yourself. A hobby takes on our personality and expresses our true forms, sometimes without us realizing it.

Hobbies can show us how we behave

The type of hobby that we latch onto can reveal hidden aspects of our personality. For example, technical hobbies such as model building appeal to those who are analytical and organized, while team sports reflect a competitive mentality that can also carry over to sales pitching, team building, and business savvy.

How to make more time for hobbies

You don’t have to quit your job and avoid your responsibilities to embrace an activity that you love. Here, time management is key: Take stock in what you already do when you’re idle. Perhaps you check social media and lose track of time, or you spent a lot of time going out and maintaining social obligations. Learning to take time for yourself is key to a successful hobby. Here are some steps you can take in creating more time for a hobby:

• Find what you love. You will be much more motivated to embrace a hobby if you’re motivated, curious, and passionate about it. Perhaps there was something creative you loved to do as a child, or perhaps a documentary has piqued your interest. Start by reading about the subject, read beginner’s guides, and look for the advice of experts on how to get started—many experts are interested in bringing more people into their fold, and the most helpful experts are willing to show their expertise.
• Set a schedule. You can set aside designated time for a hobby—half an hour after work, for example. Consider the pomodoro technique for time to set aside tasks. Taking a course is an excellent way to maintain a sense of discipline.
• Focus on purpose instead of productivity. We are often encouraged to use our spare time monetizing our hobbies: instead of simply painting, we feel like we’re supposed to sell our work, and instead of cooking, we’re expected to someday open a restaurant or food truck. This adds pressure to our endeavors.
• Embrace imperfection. Similarly, many people are stymied by creative pursuits because they expect to be good at them immediately. But the learning process is part of the hobby. If your first few drawings aren’t worthy of Picasso or your piano playing falls short of Tchaikovsky, don’t fret: after all, the way to Carnegie Hall is through practice, practice, practice.

Setting aside time is only the beginning, of course. Learn how to stay organized to get the most out of your time, both at work and in your life.