This is the season of starting a new hobby and i thought these questions were intesting written by Daisy Fancourt in the Guardian newspaper last week on how hobbbies can enrich our lives
How long did I spend on a hobby last week?
Think about how many minutes you have spent versus what you wish you’d spent.
What aspect of health am I hoping to improve?
If you’re seeking a physical outcome, you want a physical ingredient. That might be something nature-based, a dance class, or a sport. You might want to be more socially integrated, so think about clubs. Consider what feeling you want to get out of it – a sense of purpose or giving back, a feeling of exhilaration, of calm or of fun. The more granular you can be, the more helpful the question.
What did I enjoy as a child?
Perhaps you loved being in the school choir, or doing cross-stitch. Also think about the alternative career you wish you’d had, where a hobby can be a way of getting some of that fix. Say you wanted to be an actor, you can do amateur dramatics, or people who wished they had worked with children could volunteer with young people, or look for an intergenerational activity.
Why don’t I currently have a hobby?
There are a few common reasons. Capability, so you don’t feel skilled enough. You don’t believe you’re “artistic”, for example. Perhaps you don’t know what’s available locally, or you might feel that it’s not socially acceptable – it’s not the “done thing” for someone like you. Or it could be to do with motivation, whether you really think this is valuable in your life – is it worth the investment, or maybe you don’t believe that it will benefit you. Unpicking why you’re not engaging with a hobby is important because then you can think about how to overcome that barrier.
What would help me get started?
Find a taster session, or watch some YouTube videos that show you how to do it. If you’re worried about going alone, ask a friend to go with you. If you don’t know what’s available locally, a social prescribing team can advise you (look on socialprescribingacademy.org.uk) or you could sign up for newsletters locally.
I myself am a history nerd and will be pursuing my interest this year. This is me on Arthurs Seat in Herefordshire. I want to camp overnight here and see in the morning of the summer solstice. Who's coming?
Comments