You need some hobby time.
Hobbies are key to our mental health because they provide a much needed mental and physical break from your work and the demands of others on your time. And, hobbies have been PROVEN* to improve both our psychological and physical well-being.
My hobbies keep me sane – or at least saner than I would be otherwise. 🙂
Here are some proven benefits of hobbies:
- Gets your mind off work
- Gets your mind off of personal life stress
- Forces you to take a break
- Gives you an identity outside of work
- Ignites your passions – creates excitement
- Helps you learn to be in the moment
- Gets you out of the rut
- Provides new challenges
- Connect with others
- Creates fun and a sense of freedom
- Protects you from burnout – feels like real time off
- Makes life worthwhile
A hobbv is restorative. It feels like a real break away from work in a way that mere television watching or Internet surfing during your time off just can’t match.
I have a number of hobbies that give me pleasure including:
- whittling
- stargazing
- photography
Since I spend all day in front of a computer, I deliberately choose hobbies that don’t have to involve the computer. I call what I do “whittling” instead of wood carving, but essentially I think I just seem to make sawdust. lol
I can’t take a block of wood and make it look like a person or animal, but I have had some limited success creating some wooden spoons and kitchen utensils. And the joy of cooking with utensils you have made yourself is really special to me.
Stargazing lets me be out in nature and marvel at the artistry of the universe – and I often get to meet interesting people who ask me “What’cha looking at?” It gives me a chance to share something magical with people. The look on someone’s face when they see the craters of the moon or the rings of Saturn for the first time through a telescope make this a VERY worthwhile hobby for me.
So make sure you set aside some hobby time each week. It is very important for your well being – science has proven it!
No time for a hobby? Hire me as your time management coach and I’ll fix that for you! 🙂
– “Captain Time” Garland Coulson
* Source: US National Library of Medicine Article
