Hobbies are so important. So read on to find out 10 amazing reasons to go out and get one!
In March 2020, the Pandemic brought our so-called normality to a standstill.
Like so many other couples, my husband and I found ourselves working from home in lockdown, and with daycares closed, we had to juggle our day jobs with a toddler.
So here I was, left to fend for myself in the dining room with a hyperactive, needy and attention-craving two-year-old boy.
Living and breathing work, work, work.
I’d only returned from maternity leave in late 2019 when the Pandemic arrived on my doorstep two months later. Learning to balance being a mum, throwing myself back into the IT industry and dealing with lockdowns was tough!
I will never forget the support my husband’s family, our managers and our teams provided us from 2020 to 2021.
But it was still a very challenging and stressful couple of years. My husband ended up in the hospital from terribly painful and reoccurring pancreatitis. I was separated from my immediate family in Sydney, and my little family was sick all the bloody time! The daycares reopened (hooray), but my little boy brought home nasty viruses every couple of weeks in 2021. My husband, our toddler, and I were continuously sick for seven to eight months. It was a vicious cycle.
By the end of 2021, I realised all I lived for was work, and something had to give. My husband told me something poignant: we should work to live, not live to work.
So what did I decide to change in 2022? I needed another purpose in life! And that, my friends, is creative writing, and I’ve not looked back!
"I don't live to work; I work to live."
So here is my list of 10 amazing reasons why hobbies are so important!
1. Finding another purpose.
A job is our means to an end. A way to make money and survive. But a lot of the time, I didn’t feel fulfilled.
I woke one day feeling tired and uninspired towards the end of 2021. I looked over at the latest book I’d been reading on my bedside table. I remembered how much I had wanted to be a writer as a child and was sad to think I’d never pursued this career. The next day I had a soul-searching conversation with a great friend who encouraged me to pursue writing. I realised you are never too old to start something new. As soon as I started, it felt so natural and being creative again after many years gave me another purpose besides work.
2. Mental health benefits.
As I mentioned above, 2020 to 2021 were very challenging, especially for my mental health. I also struggled with being a new mother and finding a balance between home life and work. Finding joy in my life and being present with my little family was hard. But as I began to write more and more, that hour or two after my son went to bed became precious. It helped me see through the sense of despair and start to reduce my feelings of anxiousness.
3. Work-life balance.
I was brought up to work hard. I am a first-generation Australian daughter of Vietnamese refugees, and it was ingrained in me that I must work to live. So I prioritised work above everything else. Working in a male-dominated field as an Enterprise Architect also meant I was desperate to prove myself. Not to mention that I chose to come back from maternity leave part-time. So I thought I needed to work twice as hard in my part-time hours to make up for working as a 24/7 mum.
But as soon as I picked up that pen to write creatively (well, my laptop, haha). I realised that I could balance my hobby, work and home. There is always room for me time! Subsequently, I started to put myself first.
4. Putting yourself first.
Do you genuinely put yourself first? The answer for me was no for a long time. But I discovered that when I took steps to pursue my hobby, I naturally started to focus on what brings me joy. I stopped trying to bend over backwards to please my husband, son, or colleagues. I stopped needing recognition and appreciation at work daily. I began to look forward to getting home and putting on my creative hat. I started noticing what I needed to look after myself, making me more present in my relationships.
5. Learning new skills.
The joy that I get from writing is immeasurable. I began to study, complete online courses, and watch creative writing videos on youtube non-stop. I soaked up everything I could to rekindle the passion I had when I was still in school. I learnt the art of editing novels, whether I was a planner or a pantser. I explored plot arcs versus character arcs and narrative arcs. Different genre structures and voraciously read about how to get published the traditional way.
By taking up a hobby, I have learnt many new skills that can be transferred, and it never felt like hard work.
6. Getting rid of bad habits.
Too often, I would collapse on the lounge after putting my son to bed or completing many chores with a big bag of chips. Ready to binge the latest ‘it’ show. Then after an hour, I would crawl into bed only to browse youtube or Instagram reels mindlessly for another hour. It is safe to say I put on weight, and my mental health deteriorated. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes in early 2022. It was my wake-up call that things had to be different.
7. Putting yourself out there but your way.
When I became a mum in 2018, I lost my sense of who I was. That
confident Enterprise Architect was replaced with a second-guessing new mum. I used
to get excited about attending conferences, perhaps speaking at them as a guest
or enjoying networking. But Mum’s guilt is genuine. I felt it when I dropped my
little boy off at daycare, and he’d wrap his little body around my legs,
wailing for me to take him home.
Over the last four years, lovely colleagues have encouraged me
to speak at conferences. To provide my perspective on being a woman in IT. Or
to share my knowledge in my field. But even though I was invited to. I never took
up the offers.
Starting to write has given me the confidence to put myself out
there again but on my terms. And boy, do I feel free.
8. Mindfulness
I needed a clear mind to create. For too long, I walked around with fog in my brain. Unable to experience true joy or know what to do about my mental state. It was wake up, feed family, skip breakfast, drop off toddler, go to work, pick up toddler, come home, feed the family, chores, watch TV, go to bed. Then rinse and repeat. I was too tired to set aside any me time.
Once I started writing and eating for nourishment, the fog lifted, and I also included exercise and meditation before each writing session. It did wonders for my soul.
9. Strengthen relationships and make new ones.
The brain fog lifted because I had another purpose in life and began to appreciate the relationships in my life more. I started to see some of the toxic and shadow behaviour traits I exhibited. It was confronting but definitely healing.
My husband started to see me happy and more balanced again. It did wonders for the strength of our relationship. And in writing, I have met some lovely people (although virtually) through the writer’s network both in the technical and creative industries.
10. Turn a passion into a side hustle.
Once you get really good at your hobby, you may find that you can make money from the new skills you’ve learnt. Bonus!
I’ve been following other writers through social media who started over a decade ago and have turned their side hustle into a highly successful freelancing business. Check out Elna Cain or Jeff Goins. Both have great success stories!
I have only started on this writing path. Let’s hope I can claim the same one day.
Final Thoughts
Surround yourself with people that encourage you. I was lucky when I joined JourneyOne. When I finally got the courage to share that I wanted to start a blog and write, everyone here was supportive and genuinely wanted me to succeed.
I also have to thank my husband for giving me the time to write and always taking care of our toddlers’ bedtime antics. No matter how frustrating it can be!
Having positivity around you is so important. But most of all, do what gives you joy.
In Conclusion
That is why hobbies are so important because nowadays, we need to find ways to put ourselves first. Hobbies promote well-being and improve mental health. They can influence your identity and play a role in your personal growth. As you can see, I speak from experience.
Do you have a hobby? Or how have you found a way to have a work-life balance? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below.
Great topic! For me, maintaining work life balance is about being really intentional.
I try to define the element of a given day/week/month/year that supports me professionally, personally, as a family and as a community. I measure the time I spend on each one, and then try to work out how to ‘tweak’ that so that the balance is more reasonable. My morning coffee is my daily me time, as is my monthly book club, coaching my son is family&community time, and I was always helping plan the next trip for family time as well. I love UWA alumni events with final year students and also mentoring graduates as other examples of how to give back. But I am very explicit in measuring where my time goes, and what I give up first when I get time-poor.
It means that whenever I feel like I have been running around way too much, I always know what parts of my day/week/month are for me, and then I feel better. Of course sometimes things get in the road, but having a basic plan helps a lot!
I love how much you manage to balance everything so well, James. Boundaries are super important to ensure you spend your time well.