How can you cultivate a hobby? (Pic: EdexLive Desk)
Opinion

On leisure and pastimes

How to cultivate a hobby?

Dr Lalitha Balakrishnan

A hobby is usually  a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Cultivating a hobby is important because it promotes mental well-being, provides relaxation, and encourages personal growth. Engaging in hobbies allows individuals to have their “me time”. This serves as a  stress buster  and helps  find fulfilment beyond daily drudgery.

Hobbies make you forget your anxiety and depression by focusing attention on enjoyable activities. They elevate your  mood and help restore sanity in  the cluttered mind.

Pursuing hobbies helps build new skills and nurtures creativity. This  leads to greater self-confidence and a sense of achievement.

It can be said that having a hobby offers balance in life, making daily routines less monotonous and more meaningful. It creates opportunities for relaxation, exploration, and lifelong learning.

Some of the best hobbies for youngsters include creative, physical, and social activities that promote growth and enjoyment. Exploring a variety of these hobbies allows youngsters to find what truly excites and motivates them, enriching their development and creating joyful life experiences.

To quote my example, while at school I used to maintain a scrapbook – collecting, cutting and pasting ( in the real sense) whatever was interesting to me – about a place or a sport. This became my “go to“ for research on those topics. That habit /hobby made me an ardent researcher and information gatherer in later years. The journey that began in an informal way gathered momentum through my academic career and with development of ideas, meaningful collaborations and    contributions from my side, has made me author over a hundred  research papers and four books. Apart from that reading about various sports has made  me watch those matches with more than academic interest and with an involvement that has made me enjoy those games passionately.

Do you have a hobby and how has it impacted you?

Do share it with us.

You can e-mail to voices@edexlive.com

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