“Do you have any hobbies?”
Many people could answer this question with crocheting, pottery, fish, gardening, birdwatching, or anything else that interests them. In contrast, others don’t appear to have any acceptable answers.
Bari Schwarz, a psychotherapist, said, “A lot of times, labels like the word ‘hobby’ can have the propensity to evoke anxiety in us. We can panic or freeze when put on the spot to confidently answer what we enjoy.”
Image Credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio
Many people don’t consider their interests hobbies because they don’t feel like they have any. Today, passions can seem like distant dreams in an age of stress and burnout.
Should hobbies be rethought or perhaps redefined it? Here are Schwarz’s and other psychology experts’ thoughts.
How Do You Define A Hobby?
Schwarz said, “A hobby at its core is an activity one enjoys in their spare time. So instead of feeling the pressure to list hobbies, if we were more simple to ask ourselves, ‘What do I derive pleasure from or enjoy doing?'”
Measuring results or progress in hobbies is unnecessary to make them “productive.” We live in a work-oriented, hustle culture where your hobby doesn’t have to be a “side hustle.”
Meg Gitlin, a psychotherapist, said, “The value of identifying things that bring you pleasure or restoration during downtime cannot be limited to hobbies, but there are many ways to achieve that.”
Image Credit: Pexels/Barbara Olsen
What Makes Hobbies So Pressure-Filled?
Gitlin noted, “I think we live in a society that is very comparative, and people feel that their lives are ‘not enough.'”
Our love of fashion, beauty, homes, and parenting experiences is compared to what we see on Instagram, and the things we do for pleasure have become fodder for comparison. Many images show people showing off their hobbies and taking them to the extreme, from impressive crafts to epic baked goods to wild rock climbing feats.
Despite The Pressure, How Can We Handle It?
Schwarz said, ” I recommend taking a step back and appreciating what we do for self-care are activities we enjoy and therefore are hobbies.”
Think about how you can maintain a sense of work-life balance. Don’t hesitate to do things that make you feel good. Maybe it’s attending wine tastings, watching movies, or trying new restaurants. Be careful not to indulge in hobbies just for the sake of them.