47 People Who Tried Unusual Hobbies And Eventually Got Really Into Them

In this day and age, "I'm too busy" has become a badge of honor, a sign of value and importance. We wear it with pride, convincing ourselves that we don't have the time to take up a hobby. But I want to believe that we can. And we can get a lot out of it as well.

"Hobbies help you structure your time," Jaime Kurtz Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at James Madison University in Virginia, writes. "According to Parkinson's law, 'work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.' More simply, things take as much time as you have. So, when the evening stretches out before you, unscheduled, you might find yourself laboring over that work project or answering emails into the wee hours. Chances are, if you had choir practice or a book club meeting that night, you would get those tasks done much more quickly. So, hobbies can seem to create more time by encouraging efficiency."

Hobbies also promote flow. "Left to our own devices, we often opt for passive leisure—TV and web surfing are at the top of most people's lists," Kurtz explains. "Sure, we all need to veg out from time to time. But we are so much more invigorated by active leisure, the sort of thing psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls flow activities. If you've ever lost yourself in a sport, art project, or other challenging, absorbing activity, you've experienced flow. Time flies, self-consciousness disappears, and you are fully immersed in the activity at hand. Hobbies, especially those that stretch our skills, foster this desirable and increasingly elusive state."

Hobbies can foster new social connections. Yes, some of them are solitary endeavors, but many get us out in our communities, meeting people we otherwise wouldn't, sharing our passions, and forming new relationships. Kurtz says social connection is a key component of happiness and a meaningful life, and hobbies have the potential to create precious new ties.

Not to mention hobbies help people cope with stress. "Imagine a rough day at the office, where you were harshly criticized by your boss. Coming home and turning on the TV may provide a brief distraction, but it doesn’t address your damaged ego head-on. Now imagine that after work you head out to your soccer league or pottery class. These activities are more than merely distracting. They remind you that that are many facets to your self-concept. Employee, yes, but also athlete or artist. As such, a blow to one aspect of your identity is less damaging. Simply put, your eggs aren't all in one basket."

Moreover, these benefits can spill over into other aspects of your life. If you can designate an hour a day or even a few hours a week for something you feel truly inspired by, it's only natural if some of that newfound zest carries over into your work and family life.