I wrote recently about trying out new hobbies this year—about 17 to be exact—and so far it’s been incredibly rewarding and fun. I have already noticed a difference in my life by doubling my hobby time.
I do want to preface this whole post by saying I do not have kids and work three twelve-hour shifts, so what I can fit into my schedule and when is going to look different compared to others.
As Americans, we live in a capitalistic society, so every minute down to the second, we are told that we need to monetize our fun. Hobbies turn into business adventures and lose their whole purpose, which is to have fun outside of your job, not to make it a job. Having a hobby makes you less work-centered and excited to have something to look forward to at the end of the day, week, or month.
Biggest change: conversations are no longer centered around my work profession.
This has been the biggest change so far, being able to direct the conversation to something fun when the inevitable question of “what do you do?” arises, and then leads to “how do you handle it?” Well, having hobbies is how I pivot the conversation because, honestly, I do not want to talk about work outside of work, and it’s not like I have table-friendly scenarios to share.
Which is why I am trying to steer clear of work-related conversations with hobby-related conversations. There is a time and place for them, but the majority of the time, I would rather save those conversations for my therapist and journal and share the bare minimum about the patient who got into a gunfight and was chased by a machete.
I am still going to strength classes and keeping up with my other hobbies; these are simply the ones I focused on this month and noticed the biggest difference in.
What I have increased:
Journaling – From 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Journaling is a hobby as much as it is a therapeutic outlet. It’s one that I’m leaning heavily on this season of my life. Winter is when our work gets busier, and being able to process it via journaling has been amazing. Also, the state of our nation, the current political climate we are in, is enough for me to write about every day.
Swimming – From 30 minutes per class to two classes a week = 1 hour.
Swimming every Tuesday at Lifetime these past couple of months has been incredible! It’s truly my favorite add-on from last year, and I’m excited to increase it from once a week to twice a week. I made it a semi-goal to learn different types of swimming styles. As I have gotten older, challenges, true challenges, such as learning something from scratch, are rare, and swimming is that rarity for me. I didn’t know anything, let alone how to breathe while swimming, and so the challenge of learning to swim is refreshing and fun.
Reading – From 2 hours to 3 hours.
I have made an effort at the start of this year to read more regularly and not just when I have time on a random Tuesday to read for two hours straight. Reading is one of my oldest and most cherished hobbies; however, at the end of last year, I started to notice that I wasn’t reading every day, more so in chunks here and there. So in an effort to read more consistently, I have been reading every morning for at least thirty minutes before I even get out of bed. This has helped me not reach for my phone first thing in the morning.
Blogging – From 30 minutes to 3 hours.
I have never really been consistent with this blog, and I think part of it has to do with not carving out the time to write long-form posts about topics that I care about. I write mostly about work, but lately I have been writing some long-form posts like boundaries, funerals, Palestine, etc. It’s been a change, and the topics are heavier but real.
These are the issues I care about, want to discuss, and hopefully open dialogue around for others. It’s the kind of content that I would want to read. I do not plan on making this blog a political ground, but mixing personal and work life has made me want to write more, more real life, more real changes, and more about how to become the best version of ourselves. In doing so, I am writing more and, in turn, publishing more. It feels like a good change.
I encourage everyone to try out a lot of hobbies. Here are the ones I am trying out this year. How do you know if you like to do something without even trying? Some I might fail horribly at, and some I may enjoy, but the only way to find out is by carving time out to do so.