The stresses and anxieties of the adult world make it vitally important to have outlets for these negative feelings. Hobbies that give you the opportunity for self-expression, rewards outside the workplace, broader social groups and support networks, or simply the ability to forget and escape from those stressful situations for a bit are an important and healthy coping mechanism – especially at the current moment!
Unfortunately, acquiring new hobbies as an adult can be difficult. We have less time to spare, more calls on our attention that can make it seem like diverting from the ‘important issues’ in our lives is irresponsible. We also tend to be more set in our ways: it’s hard to break the mould and find something new to do when you have thirty or more years experience of your own likes, dislikes and habits!
Today we’re taking a look at how you can find new hobbies and discover the satisfaction that they could hold for you.
Back to Childhood
One source you can mine for hobbies is your own childhood. While nostalgia isn’t always healthy, it’s worth reflecting on the possibility that there are interests you once passionately held that have fallen by the wayside of life. If you enjoyed sewing when you were younger, but haven’t practised the skill in many years, it’s worth looking for embroidery kits for adults to get you started again. A youthful interest in dinosaurs or the Roman Empire could be a fruitful thing to revisit, with an adult education course or simply with a change of reading matter.
Sources of Stress
It can be useful for you to reflect on exactly what is causing you stress and trying to find activities that speak very directly to those causes. If you find your office job smothering and you worry it’s harming your health, an outdoor hobby could be the solution: planning camping trips or weekend rambles are good outlets in stressful times.
If you’re experiencing stress because you have to do a lot of ‘emotional labour’ at work, concealing your emotions to present a ‘professional face’ to the public, colleagues or managers then it could help to look for a hobby that allows for this self expression. Finding a local amateur theatre group could give you the opportunity to express a more authentic self, and deal with some of the frustration your job causes to mount on a daily basis.
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