Awaken your sense of self and happiness with a new hobby

Have you ever been asked if you have a hobby and thought, “Hmm. Good question.”?

Maybe you replied that you like to watch TV, or go online to read the news, or catch up on social media.

These are “passive leisure” activities. A little time spent on passive leisure activities is OK when we have some downtime. But as a steady diet, do these time fillers energize us — or do they just fill time?

Flow is the goal

We're actually much more invigorated by "active leisure."

Active leisure activities and projects can promote a "flow" state – when you're so totally immersed in the activity at hand, you lose track of time and can forget your worries for a while.

When you're engrossed in a hobby you enjoy, you're focused on something positive and external. That can be a healthy distraction from your own internal dialogue. Think of it as the playful/curious part of your brain that's engaged rather than the part that can overanalyze or judge things.

Hobbies you find enjoyable and/or stretch your skills help promote this pleasant state of mind and that's why they're so important.

Hobbies can also help you …

• Structure your time.
  Having a pastime or activity you enjoy can help you get your chores tackled more quickly. When you want to get back to the watercolor painting you've been working on, you'll probably be able to whip through the day's mail or handle other paperwork more quickly.

• Gain new social connections.
  Social connections are so important, and prior to COVID-19, many hobbies got us out and about to meet new people and form friendships over common interests. Those days will return.

  In the meantime, find new ways to connect with others. If your book club or other group isn't meeting right now, see if there are other ways to connect with folks who share your pastime. If you're a chess player, you might head over to chess.com.

• Cope with stress.
  Turning on the TV can provide a distraction from stress you might be experiencing, but it doesn't recharge you or buy your self-confidence or self-image. A hobby you love is more than a distraction. It's a part of you – something you're energized by. And that zeal can carry over to other areas of your life.

Finding your hobby

If you're searching for a hobby to enrich your life, keep in mind that while a hobby can help you stretch your skills and give you a creative outlet, it shouldn't feel like work.

Maybe you love to organize things and can help a friend with their clutter. Or maybe you could draw or paint all day. Whatever it is, it should be something you thoroughly enjoy.

Here are a few more tips:

• Think about what you used to enjoy doing …
  … but stopped because the responsibilities of everyday life got in the way. Go back to that time and pastime and see if you still enjoy it.

• Think about the last time you were so absorbed in an activity …
  … that you lost all track of time. Recall the activity itself, or the aspects of it that made it so enjoyable for you.

• Look around your home.
  See if you have a long-forgotten project. Something you started but didn't complete. It might be a fulfilling hobby waiting in the wings.

• Go back to your childhood.
  It's not unusual for people to feel they haven't been in a flow state since they were a kid. If that's you, what were the hobbies or activities that occupied you for hours? Maybe you liked to color. Or build things. Or weave friendship bracelets. Revisit your childhood and those early core interests for hobby ideas.

• Go outside.
  A safe and productive thing you can do now is go for a solo walk or a socially-distant walk with a friend.

• Think about the future.
  Think about life after COVID-19 and what skills or hobbies you'd like to bring into it. Do you want to host your best dinner party ever? Experiment with some new recipes. If you're planning a vacation to Italy, start learning the Italian language.

Try some of these tips to find a hobby that fills your life, not just your time. You might find something that inspires you, helps you unwind, challenges your brain – and overall, improves the quality of your life.