As we get older many of us shift our focus to things like work, finances and our children.
It is important to maintain balance in our lives as we get older by spending time doing activities and hobbies that we enjoy.
Check out our list below to learn about the many benefits of having a hobby as an adult!
Relieves Stress
Having a hobby is a great way to shift focus from stressful things in our lives, to things that we enjoy spending our time on.
Many hobbies are naturally stress reducing such as playing guitar, meditation or going for a walk.
Check out our full post of stress relieving hobbies here for more ideas!
Gives You a Sense of Purpose
“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something.”
Winston S. Churchill
Hobbies and leisure activities in our free time offer unique avenues into determining what our purpose is.
Pursuing something that is meaningful to you and doing it with passion is the best way to find and define your purpose.
Presents New Challenges & Experiences
Pursuing our hobbies offers new and exciting opportunities that we may not have the chance to experience otherwise.
When we challenge ourselves with our hobbies, we put ourselves into situations that offer us the new and rewarding opportunities.
Improves Problem Solving Abilities
Problem solving takes continuous practice like anything else, if you want to get good at it!
A unique hobby helps you practice problem solving in creative ways that your job and family life may not.
Going through the steps of learning new skills and figuring out the holes in your knowledge along the way will improve your problem solving skills slowly but surely.
The more ways you practice problem solving, the better suited you’ll be for new problems in the future.
Self-Improvement
As you spend time pursuing your hobby, naturally you will see your skills improve over time.
You will learn how to problem solve and handle difficult tasks in new and exciting ways. These lessons bleed into other areas of life.
Learn about the World and your Community
Having a hobby naturally boosts our curiosity about the world and people in our community.
To learn more about your hobby you may join a local group, communicate in an online forum or go to events with other like-minded people.
Naturally the more time you spend communicating with others, the more you learn about the world.
Learn about Yourself
Pursuing a hobby that interests you helps you to learn about yourself.
You will learn how you learn, how you perceive problems, and ultimately the things that you find worthwhile.
Taking the time to pursue your interest and engage in your passions will ultimately lead you to a better understanding of who you are and who you want to be!
Enrich Your Life
Having a hobby is a great way to enrich your life and keeps your free time exciting and unique. We all get stuck in a rut sometimes.
Having a hobby to turn to will keep things interesting and open many doors to make you a more wholesome and well-rounded person.
Provide Extra Income
Many people have hobbies that have the potential to make them some extra cash on the side!
We recommend being careful with this; you don’t want the thing that you love to do to end up feeling like work!
That said, if you can find balance between enjoying your hobby and profit…Go for it!
Want some ideas for hobbies that can lead to income? Check out our post on starting a side hustle!
Promotes Mindfulness and Flow
Flow, or being “in the zone“, is a state of being where you are fully immersed in what you are doing.
Rock climbers experience this when they are climbing. They aren’t thinking about their taxes, what’s for dinner, or work tomorrow. They are fully immersed in climbing and thinking about the rock they are holding onto.
This state can be achieved in many hobbies, when you are totally focused on the task that you have presented yourself with.
Learn more about flow state here:
Prompts “Good Stress” (Eustress)
Eustress, or “good stress” is the feeling we get when we are eager and excited about something we are doing. We feel “stres” but there is no harm or danger present.
The butterflies in your stomach before you perform at an open mic, or pre-race jitters before your first 5k race are both “Eustress”.
“Eustress helps us stay motivated, work toward goals, and feel good about life“
Dr. Michael Genovese
Boosts Confidence & Self-Esteem
As your skills improve at your chosen hobby, you may become more confident in other aspects of life as a result.
Working hard at improving your skills in your hobby will boost your confidence and self-esteem.
Helps Reduce Depression
Finding meaning and passion in a hobby or pastime can reduce depressive symptoms in adults.
This is especially with hobbies relating to physical fitness or exercise. Exercises like hiking or walking release endorphins which naturally reduce depressive symptoms.
"Exercise and leisure activities (social and self-focused) are receiving increasing attention as alternative non-pharmacological approaches to treating depression." Source
Helps Strengthen Relationships
Hobbies are great when shared with our partners! Find a pastime or leisure activity that you both enjoy and make some memories together!
According to a 2014 study, “Adults with higher quality social relationships may be motivated to engage in health-promoting behaviors such as leisure activity and, in turn, reap more health benefits. Their social networks may value and so encourage participation in leisure activities as a vehicle to maintain health…”
Make New Friends
Getting involved in the community that surrounds your hobby is a great way to make new friends!
Find like-minded people who are passionate about the same things as you by joining a club, a forum on Reddit, or a social group through MeetUp.com.
Can Keep You Physically Fit
Many hobbies such as snowshoeing, hiking and skiing are also great for your physical fitness.
There are so many hobbies out there that can improve your physical fitness and be enjoyable at the same time.
Find a hobby you enjoy doing and you may trick yourself into getting a stellar workout!
Makes You a More Interesting Person
No one wants to hear about how you went to work, came home watched television and then went to bed. Sure we all have days like that, but having a hobby that you are passionate about will make you a more interesting person!
Enrich your life and learn new skills with a hobby if for no other reason than to make yourself jus a little more interesting at parties.
