5 Fun Hobbies

Are you looking for a way to feel like you are getting the most out of your free times? Good hobbies can strengthen your mind, keep you active, and enrich your experiences.
Here’s a definition for “hobby” that I found from Cambridge Dictionary: “an activity that you do for pleasure when you are not working.” I think that hobbies can also be done to bless other people, but serving is also something that gives pleasure, so I can’t argue with that!
I’m going to share some of my personal favorites when it comes to down time activities. Keep an eye out for more ideas in the future, I’m always up to trying out new things!

1. Writing
Writing is so nice because you can write anything! Obviously… that’s what my website is all about, haha! You can write your thoughts in a journal to collect them and even learn more about yourself, write letters to loved ones to encourage them, create worlds and characters through stories (as I did with my best friend when we were younger – I will share the series if it ever gets published), share what you know with other people, and so on.
This is really nice to do if you feel like your brain is holding on to too much and getting bogged down. Writing is a tool of communication (I love tools like that!) and can help you remember things in the future (future-self-communication).
If there is something you’ve been wanting to write about for years – something you have learned about and want to share with others (or compile for yourself), but you always end up with writer’s block, let me encourage you to try the following:
– Find a quiet spot each day
– Have a “writing ritual,” which could be anything, making a cup of tea, some writers light a candle, etc. (Find what gets you in the right mood to write, maybe even use music!)
– Set a timer and don’t get distracted

2. Theatre
Have you ever been in a play? Was the setting at school or maybe a community group? There are a lot of perks to theatre (though also things to watch out for as I will discuss in future theatre posts). First perk: you become part of a family. Your fellow cast members and crews involved are all part of a team, and you must learn to work together to make something wonderful. Second, it pushes you to go out of your comfort zone and can be a very stretching experience. Third, you must learn to understand another person – your character. You have to remember who you are but also learn about the life and experiences of this person you must portray. The theatre is a way to hone many skills and build life-long friendships.

3. Reading
So, maybe theatre isn’t your style, but you still want to open your mind to other people’s experiences. Books are wonderful ways to learn about humanity – in any genre! Whether the book is fiction or nonfiction, there is much to learn about philosophical musings through the ages. There are always certain themes and messages that are trying to be communicated in narratives – if you like to write you will end up sharing your own, even if it is on accident!
Also, there are books that simply teach skills – those are awesome! I love to learn (and also DO), so reading books like that and writing a list of how to use what I’ve learned right after has helped me get a lot more done in my spare time (like starting a blog! Did you know there are lots of books out there on it?)
So there is much to gain from spending time in a book. In fact, they are the reason that I learned how to spell so quickly – I was a bookworm when I was four. There are many perks for this hobby.

4. Textile art
That sounds pretty fancy, eh? It just means creating woven cloths or using them. Creating could mean weaving, knitting, knot work, or crocheting, and using could be sewing the created woven materials. I love creating and am hoping to get better at sewing in the future. I am currently working on a beginner’s crochet course, so be on the lookout if you’re interested!
This is a great hobby if you believe homemade gifts are special and you like to be creative (or are like me and need to cultivate creativity!). I find it very rewarding to work on projects as much as I can, I like to be productive and keep my hands busy on meaningful things. I brought knitting to all of my college classes, when I go shopping, road trips, and when I watch movies. I was also in charge of a knitting/crochet donation club at my college for two years.

5. Gardening
This can be as easy or hard as you want it to be. There are a lot of variables involved (gotta love science), but it is an incredibly rewarding hobby. I will write more in-depth on this in the future, but having something living that you can go outside and work on is really great if you don’t mind getting a little dirty. I was never into flower gardens, I liked growing vegetables that I could let my family eat or go out and snack on, but growing flowers is beautiful and certain flowers can be picked for bouquets each year because they will grow back in the spring.
Gardens take a lot of work, but get you outside and made to really notice nature. This is a good hobby for any age.

I hope I’ve given you just a couple ideas about ways you can enjoy your free time without feeling like your life is being wasted away by only working and sleeping. However, I would like share a word about the danger of hobbies. 

Hobbies should never become your escape.

This can happen so easily with all of the above (except possibly crafting). Making your hobby a way to forget about life problems can turn it into an idol, with the same discontented motivation as drinking or doing drugs during hard times have. Good things can be done for the wrong reasons, and doing hobbies to “cope” isn’t healthy. Doing hobbies to live intentionally, bless others, and enjoy life are good reasons. If your hobby becomes your drug, your escape, then if you are ever kept from doing it you will feel as though you are in danger (“It’s the only way I can stay sane,” “I need it!”) just as with withdrawals. Spiritually, you only truly need the Lord. Physically, you need to take care of your body and not overwork it. Talk to someone who can help if your job is becoming too much for you to handle. This could be a financial coach, your employer, etc.

Let me know what your favorite hobbies are or what you’re thinking about trying next!

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