Why It’s Important to Have a Hobby

Having a Hobby Is Important!

I’ve never been one to have a hobby.  Not because I didn’t want one, but life just never allowed me the luxury of having a hobby.  I know this sounds absurd, but it’s true.  Most recently, I didn’t have time for a hobby because I was busy with my kids and learning to be a good parent.  Before that, it was because I was busy working all the time to save money for a house, a car, to have money for kids.  Before that, it was school and learning.  And before that, it was jobs and school, and the list goes on.  

Now, I’m sure if I had a different outlook on life maybe it would have been different.  Maybe I could  have found time for hobbies.  Or maybe I did have hobbies but I just didn’t see them as such.  Maybe they were more along the lines of going out for drinks on a Friday night.  But life keeps moving forwards, and things change, and after a long journey, I have found a hobby and time for it!

So, I wanted to share some of the benefits of having a hobby.  My hobby is crafting, but it can be anything.  It could be a sport, or a game, or an outdoor activity!  Honestly, anything can be a hobby!

Advantages of Having a Hobby

1. Time to Myself

At the end of the day, I have time for myself.  After a long trying day with kids, these moments are very relaxing and peaceful.  And they let me unwind in a way that I like.

2. Time With The Kids

My hobby of crafting is mostly done alone.  But I always end up crafting things with my kids or for my kids or as a result of something they want or need.  So I have to con-flab with them, figure out what they want, need, how they like it.  All those nitty-gritty details of this result in time spent together with my kids.  Often when I’m working on a project for my kids, they will watch and “help” and ask questions and provide suggestions on changes.  So at the end of the day, this gives me more time with my kids.

3. Feeling of Self-Fulfillment After Creating Something.

I’m a bit of a perfectionist.  The only problem is, my crafting ability isn’t that great yet, so I’d have to say that 100% of my projects don’t meet my expectation.  But I’m getting better, and I’m learning, and even though my projects don’t turn out 100% perfect, I do feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment when I finish them.  Even if they are a bit off, or a have a small blemish on them.

4. My Overall Attitude Has Changed 

After having worked on my crafts for a while, I noticed that my overall attitude has changed.  I’m more positive and optimistic.  Although I’m still realistic, I’m more open to different ideas.  And if I’m having a bad day at work, or with the kids, I can look forward to a little bit of downtime crafting before the end of the day.

5. Helps My Creativity in Other Aspects of Life  

Since I’m constantly thinking of ways to make things better and more useful, I find that this thought process transfers over into my non-crafting life.  I am always looking for solutions to life’s problems.  Now, I’m not going to lie, some of the solutions for my non-crafting life end up being crafty solutions, but they are a solution nonetheless! Check out this crafty solution to stop over-feed the dog. 

 6. Meeting New People with Similar Hobbies

I’ve never been a social butterfly, but having a hobby has introduced me to new people.  People I would never have met before.  Like-minded people who enjoy the same things that I do.  I can bounce ideas off of them for my crafting, or just have a nice-normal conversation about day-to-day life.    I have found that people who have similar hobbies to me seem to also have a similar take on life.  This makes it easy to become friends and continue to grow.

Final Thoughts

Like I said at the start, I’ve never been one to have a hobby before.  And I hesitate to say that I might have even laughed a people who did, especially if someone said “crafting” was their hobby.  But, honestly, after having started crafting and spending a lot of time doing this, I have found that it is beneficial to my health, mental well-being, and personal growth.

I think having a hobby can be a powerful thing.  It can  open up your eyes to see more of the world around you.  Enjoy more of the people and things around you.  My hobby is crafting but anything can be a hobby!   Some people golf, some people garden, some people will have hobbies that you would never imagine!  But if nothing else, a hobby will get you into a different mindset at the end of the day.  It’ll help wash away the drudgery of a bad day and help you relax and sleep better!

Hopefully, this has helped convince you that finding time for a hobby could be good for you also!

Cornerstones

This is one of my cornerstone documents.  If you liked what you read here, check out some of my other cornerstone articles found here.