In keeping with our theme of self-discovery this month, I want to take a moment to reflect and encourage hobbies. Finding and doing hobbies have been a large part of my self-discovery the past couple of years, and they have added to my life in ways I wasn’t expecting.

In my work and personal interactions, I have really noticed that a lot of women in my age group never really grew up with hobbies. In high school, maybe we did sports or clubs, which ended when high school did. If we went to college, maybe we branched out and tried new things, which may have also fizzled since graduating. Then we start our careers and/or families, and before we know it, our days got pretty similar with our daily tasks. Where are the things we do for fun, self-care, enjoyment, fulfillment, or knowledge?

What is a hobby?

Let’s make sure we are clear about what we are talking about here. A hobby is something that you do in your free time that brings you joy, pleasure, or happiness. Hobbies can be so many things - playing a sport for leisure, collecting items, or creative endeavors. Hobbies are something that we do more in the long term. If we do something that brings us joy in the short term, that is more of an interest than a hobby. An interest can certainly turn into a hobby! A hobby doesn’t have to be something that you’re good at, something that is your only focus, or something that lasts for years and years. Truly, this is a low pressure concept - no need to throw everything you have into that one thing - it just needs to be enjoyable.

Why do I need to have at least one hobby?

There are SO many benefits to having a hobby. If the hobby is something physical like a sport or gym class, your hobby is benefitting your physical and mental health. If the hobby is learning new recipes, your hobby can improve health, creativity, and passion.

In general, hobbies are clinically shown to reduce stress. So even if it feels stressful to carve out the time to do the hobby, in the long run it actually reduces stress. Hobbies improve our brains! They improve our cognitive health, mental health, and emotional health. Brains love hobbies. Hobbies improve our self-esteem. We feel good when we do good! Hobbies can cultivate and support social connections. Social wellbeing is a positive contributor to our emotional wellbeing.

Jeni’s Hobbies

I really try to practice what I preach. And I finally got myself some hobbies just a couple of years ago. In 2022, by a chance of luck in meeting a new friend, I joined a book club. That eventually turned into two book clubs, but now I am back down to one. Reading for pleasure has been nothing short of amazing. In 2022, I set a challenge to read 12 books, and I read 18. In 2023, I set a challenge to read 18 books (meet the amount I read the previous year), and I read 21 books. For 2024, I am upping the ante, and I set a challenge to read 24 books this year. I have one book completed, and about halfway through my second book. I read in pockets of time, before bed, or when I take some diligent time to take a bath and read. I love the hobby and I make it work for me. My monthly book club is how I engage in this hobby socially. I love getting together with those friends to chat about life, the monthly book, and get some time out of the house.

Just last week, I started a new hobby. This one will make some of us chuckle. I am trying to make my own sourdough! Some may think I am jumping onto the trend. Maybe I am. Truthfully, my family has been eating sourdough bread for almost 2 years when a nutritionist I worked with taught me that sourdough is one of the better breads to consume. I was nervous to have my kids try sourdough, as they had been used to whole wheat. To my surprise, they love sourdough! My son especially loves “avocado bread” (aka avocado toast) made with sourdough. This hobby is still very new, and I am loving the learning process. I’ve tried one loaf, and it turned out! It’s a little dense, so I still have a lot to learn but I am loving the learning process. It’s fun to feed the starter and see it bubble. The anticipation of ‘will the dough rise correctly’ is exciting. The first time I took the loaf out of the oven and didn’t burn the house down- win. The fact that the loaf is edible - huge win.

Next Steps

My challenge to you is if you don’t have a hobby, start to give one some thought. Start small, or start huge. Reflect as to what is in your heart to nurture, and try it. Again - no pressure - you’re allowed to try something and then switch gears if it isn’t for you.

If you have had a hobby in the past, and life has gotten in the way, consider re-evaluating how you can reincorporate your hobby. Trust me, I get it that life/kids/work/partners take time and energy. Do you have time to scroll? Then you probably have time for hobbies. Do you have time to binge watch a TV show? Then you probably have time to have a hobby. What we nurture is what will grow. You deserve to have enjoyment in your life that is purely for you.

If this feels daunting, talk it out with someone. Ask what others do in their free time. Ask HOW others achieve their hobbies - or even what they’re interested in. Then take the leap and try something!