Hobbies in Relation to Health and Lifestyle
Hobbies in relation to health and lifestyle are not considered often enough by many. The hobbies of people are often reflected in everyday life whether consciously or unconsciously. A person’s genuine interest naturally spills of to the home, the work area, and even in personal belongings. This is because hobbies are pleasurable activities engaged in on a regular and consistent basis and therefore forms part of a person’s wholeness.
What is a Hobby?
A hobby is any activity pursued with absorbed interest. Although it is commonly engaged in during leisure time, many hobbyists find themselves unable to strictly limit their hobby activities in this time frame. The primary defining factor of any hobby is that it is taken up in a leisurely phase that affords enjoyment and fun. The basic essence of a hobby is destroyed once doing it is accompanied by pressure and hard work.
The term “hobby” is believed to have originated from the word “hobyn” which was a small-sized light horse characterized by an easy pace. For some reason during the early days, the pursuit of a leisurely activity was compared to riding a toy horse. The word carried a negative meaning that pertained to obsession or overindulgence in an activity that did not carry much importance. In time, a more positive meaning evolved where hobby became synonymous to the pursuance of a specialized activity mainly for pleasure.
The Different Hobby Forms
Hobbies can be categorized in several general categories including collecting, games, outdoor recreation, sports, performing arts, crafts, and other creative endeavors. Depending on a person’s interest, enthusiasts can choose to collect anything from stamps to vintage cars. Playing card games, board games, and video games is also considered a hobby.
Outdoor recreation and sports activities such as fishing, backpacking, and competitive sports are likewise considered hobbies. Singing, dancing, and acting are hobbies that can develop into professions with considerable practice and training. Scrap-booking and jewelry making are common home-based hobbies. Hobbies that lean towards visual art include photography, painting, and sculpting, among others. Since anything that can provide pleasure to its doers can be considered a hobby, many consider common activities such as cooking, gardening, and reading, their hobby.
Benefits of Having a Hobby
A hobby is said to promote good health and well-being. This is made possible by the positive effects provided in engaging in a pleasurable activity of one’s own choice. It is able to restore balance in a stress-filled environment since it “forces” a person to forget other concerns while engaging in it. Some see their hobbies as a temporary escape that allows them to replenish their strength to make them more able to face challenges after the temporary respite.
It can also provide a sense of accomplishment when a certain collection is completed or when a special embroidery project is given as a gift to a loved one. The benefits of having a hobby is only obtained when there is genuine interest in pursuing it. A hobby should have a personal meaning to the person who takes it up. Otherwise, it merely becomes an additional task to perform.
Living with a Hobby
A hobby is usually reflected in the lifestyle of the practicing enthusiast. It is common to see decorative items in the home or things in the office providing a glimpse of a preferred hobby. This is considered a positive extension of an enjoyed activity into everyday life. They can provide hobbyists with something to look forward to during weekends allowing people to go through the week with more enthusiasm and joy.
My Say
Life cannot be all work. Leisure has to form part of it for it to be truly enjoyable. Rather than looking at a hobby as a useless activity to use up time, it should be welcomed as an opportunity to do something constructive and personally enjoyable. Many have found out that business opportunities also abound in hobbies. Hobbies in relation to health and lifestyle should be carefully considered for maximum enjoyment.
Yaniconquistadora (@YaniMetrado)
I believe that life is not all beer and skittles 🙂 Better form a hobby and create something memorable out of it so as to simply enjoy life.
Teresa Martinez
Hobbies allow us to do something we like but productive.
ronleyba (@ronniedare)
When your hobby can give you good income, it becomes your work. When your work is your hobby, then for sure, you enjoy doing it. And when you enjoy doing your work, it becomes your hobby. Bottom line is, if you are happy with your work and you love doing it, it can be your hobby and you make money from it. Hope my comment make sense. Cheers!
Teresa Martinez
It does and very well said.
mommyjem
Doing your hobby is also good stress reliever and other people consider it as a job.
Teresa Martinez
Engaging in a fun hobby certainly relieves stress.
Kaye Figuracion
My hobby is to collect bags and lipsticks. These two give me a different level of happiness.
Teresa Martinez
If it makes you happy and no one gets hurt, then enjoy it.
Mye
My hobby is my job and it’s a good thing for me. A creative outlet where I can earn from and something to keep my sanity.
Teresa Martinez
That is good. You get to earn from something you enjoy doing.
Melandria Romero
beautiful hobby. i love to collect postcards and first day cover , i only have several stamps.
Teresa Martinez
In a way, postcards are related to stamps so you may just end up collecting them as well especially if you collect used postcards.
Gigi Beleno
I used to do cross-stitching as a hobby but now my hobby is being online 24/7 LOL.
Teresa Martinez
Whatever makes us happy as a leisure activity, we can always adopt as a hobby unless it is harmful to ourselves and to others.
jsncruz
A man without a hobby isn’t truly living, I always say. I’m glad that my work and my hobby fit seamlessly together! Always thankful for that 🙂
Teresa Martinez
You’re lucky that your job and hobby fit together. Very few have that advantage.
Fashion and Beauty Blog
Hmmm, this is something to reflect about. My hobbies don’t really involve my health. I used to do a lot of collecting when I was little, until it already became “HOARDING” now that I’ve matured. (Make up hoarding, anyone?)
But then again, although my hobby does not directly concern about health, it’s nice to learn that my hobbies indirectly affect my health by making me happy and feel good about myself. =)
Teresa Martinez
If your hobby gives you fulfillment and does not harm you in any way, then it is good for your well-being, especially in the psychological sense.
joy felizardo
Stamp collecting might not be for me though. but hobbies are plenty. I used to do cross-stitching and puzzles in more that 1000pcs…and a lot more. Now blogging is what keeps me busy.
Teresa Martinez
We enjoy a hobby only if we genuinely like it so as long we like doing it and its not harmful to ourselves and to others, then so be it.
LadyMomma
I think I’m such a boring person..I don’t have any hobby and I don’t have a social life too 🙁
amayachika
I miss collecting stationeries and stamps.
Teresa Martinez
Might be time to indulge in it again unless you have some hobby occupying your time now.
Ness
I suddenly remember my stamp collections. But I lost all of them when Ondoy hit our house. Super sad..
Teresa Martinez
That’s too bad. Maybe you’ll find the time to start a new one.
Franc Ramon
It’s always good to have a hobby since its always a welcome diversion from the rigors of everyday life.
Teresa Martinez
That is true. We need something to make us stop and enjoy life more.
Bella Morcen (@bellamorcen)
I miss my hobby when I was high school. SCRAPBOOK!
Teresa Martinez
Oh, you can still pursue that, what with all the scrapbook materials now available in bookstores.
Rossel
Reading your post made me think what my current hobbies are. I used to draw/sketch landscapes but since I got hooked into blogging, I don’t have much time to do that anymore. My last one I did was 3 years ago (if I am not mistaken).
Teresa Martinez
I hope you find time to do drawing and blogging.
Rizza Javier (@beingwell20)
I hope this little blogging hobby of mine would be profitable in the future, as well. hihihi…
Tess Chancellor
Hobby can be turn into an income. I see some business who started from hobby and look at them now, successful and even helps other get a job.
Teresa Martinez
Many successful businesses started out as hobbies.