Somewhere between work, cooking, cleaning, marriage, and sleeping there is a space where people do hobbies. Hobby? What is that?! For the longest time I didn’t have any hobbies, I felt like I was too busy to waste my precious time on nonsense. Guess what? Hobbies are good for you! Hobbies can build your self-confidence, they allow your mind to relax and tap into a more creative pattern of thinking, and they relieve stress. I recently found an article by Eilene Zimmerman from the New York Times that is well worth the read and will give you some insight into how hobbies may help you.
So it’s decided, you will find a hobby. Now where to start? There are a ton of hobbies out there, how do you decide what is right for you? Start with the questions below to find out a little more about yourself.
1. What do you like?
This was a really hard one for me. The quick answer is I don’t know, nothing, or a lot. Keep thinking, dig deeper. What sorts of things catch your eye when you’re out at the stores? Do you like computers, decorating, fashion, art, music, etc.? Do you want something that is hands on and physical or do you want something that is more mentally engaging? It may be easier to pinpoint a hobby type than it is to pick an exact hobby from the get go.
2. How much time do you want to invest in this?
Do you want a hobby that you can do in small bursts and see accomplishments? Are you looking for quickie ten minute projects? Or do you want something that stretches out over a week, month, or longer? For example, you may decide you want to paint. If you go with oil painting be prepared to work weeks on a single painting. However, watercolor or acrylic can be done in a day or a matter of hours. Another thing to consider in regard to time is do you want a hobby that you can do year round or would you rather a seasonal hobby?
3. How much space do you have?
Deciding to build a mini replica of your entire hometown may not be a great idea if you live in a 600 square foot apartment. It’s important to be realistic about whether you’ll have room to comfortably work on your project and have room to pack up supplies and such when you’re not working on it.
