Try a Hobby!
By Rachel Ware
While January is hobby month (who knew?!), the end of summer vacation season also feels like a fresh start to incorporate new practices. Something I have started to do is make time for my hobbies. I have always had many interests and enjoyed learning new things, but over the years I placed less importance on putting time toward them. There were other areas of life I put as a higher priority. But in the spirit of reducing stress, it makes sense to put some time aside regularly to do some activities that just make you happy and energized.
So, here I am to make an argument for hobbies. I’m not sure anyone is against hobbies, but maybe they feel unproductive or not as enticing as watching something on TV or social media. However, hobbies could benefit your mental health by reducing stress and being a rewarding activity that builds motivation.
For me, that means crochet, language learning, drawing, and coding. A hobby could be anything, but finding activities that provide a sense of accomplishment just by working on them and not by results could help a hobby fit into your week in the chunks of time you can find.
While I can’t tell you which hobby will work for you, I can say that it doesn’t have to be alone. You can have a friend start with you or join a community group. I have seen groups for gardening or crafts like whittling, and certainly for sports. The internet is also a great resource, no matter if you are a complete beginner or returning. YouTube has tutorials for about everything. Whether you crochet a bag or grow a garden, I hope you can enjoy the process of trying out a new hobby. If you are interested in coding as a hobby, here are a few places you could start that I have used to enjoy coding in my free time.
This website https://mystery.knightlab.com/walkthrough.html has you solve a mystery while learning SQL.
Sololearn is an app with lessons a lot like Duolingo in different programming languages, which I used to learn the syntax of SQL before jumping into a project.
https://scratch.mit.edu/ is a great way to start to code at any age and create a cool game or interactable experience quickly while learning about the building blocks of programming.
Benefits of Hobbies References:
