Tag: Leisure

Why is it necessary to have a hobby?

It is necessary to have a hobby that helps us to grow as a person. Every individual is unique and that’s why interests and hobbies are different and the best way to develop a new is hobby is by trying something new. And the more we explore new things the more in-depth knowledge we gain. Hobbies not only helps us to manage our leisure time productively but also allows us to learn new skills.

There are endless benefits of having a hobby some of which are described below:

De-stress your mind:

  • Hobbies allow you to enhance your lifestyle and distress yourself while remaining mentally productive.
  • Having hobbies is always good for health as it reduces the risk of hypertension and depression.
  • Taking out your time and doing something that you love always puts us in a good mood and rejuvenate your mind and help prepare you to handle challenges in the future in a better way.
  • Hobbies that include physical activities create chemical changes in your body that help to reduce stress. 
  • Hobbies refocus your mind on to something that you enjoy doing.

Social interaction

  • Hobbies are a great way to meet people who enjoy doing the same things as you.
  • There’s nothing more rewarding than finding a person with the same interests– it puts friendship on the fast track.
  • The internet provides numerous groups and forums to connect with people that enjoy doing the same things that you want to do.

Enhances creativity

  • The skill of being creative is today’s necessity. It helps us grow as an individual.
  • Some hobbies require creativity and if you develop creativity through your hobby, it can be beneficial. 
  • Creativity can help you experience new things at school and work.

Builds up Self-confidence.

  • It can take some time to develop your hobby so that you may be able to tell that you are skilled. But, the journey of experiencing your hobby is very rewarding in itself.
  • With the exposure to different types of activities these days, it doesn’t matter which activity you choose. Whether you are pursuing a craft, sports, skill development, your hobby should allow you feel like you are good at something you like. That is where your confidence level starts to boost up.
  • If you’re good at something, you’ll start feeling pretty confident in yourself and this is precisely what hobbies encourage.

There are so many activities that one can count on as a hobby such as cooking, crafting, baking, sewing, fishing, gardening, writing, hiking, the list is endless. No matter which idea you choose to go with, there is no better day to start than today.

References:

Why Hobbies Are Important
https://www.skilledatlife.com/why-hobbies-are-important/

https://online.kettering.edu/news/2019/04/15/why-hobbies-are-important

https://www.peaceinnovation.com/blog/working-to-live-the-importance-of-hobbies?format=amp

Leisures in Modern times

Leisure is an important part of life. Leisure is not idleness nor non activity but it implies an activity which is meaningful, fruitful and enjoyable. Leisure time is a time of personal fulfilment and pleasure. It is freedom from monotony, boredom and drudgery of life. It is a time when one pursues what one likes most. It is as important as the work itself which forms our means of livelihood.

The modern age of automation, better standard of living and longevity has further broadened and liberalized the concept of leisure. The wonderful scientific and technological inventions, discoveries and developments have reduced the hours of working and consequently man has now more time to enjoy leisure and hobbies. But to make a meaningful use of leisure time is nothing short of an art. Very few people know how to make best use of the leisure time. One needs to develop a proper perspective to make most meaningful and satisfying use of the spare moments.

Different people spend their leisure in different ways. Some people have no definite idea or plan in this respect. Some others may treat this period as a time of rest and sleep. To many others it is a time of some creative and aesthetic pursuit and inner fulfilment and growth. They play music, grow plants, write poems, practice meditation or render social service. To many it is time for simple entertainment and they go to theatres, see movies or exchange visits with friends and relatives.

But in this age of electronics most of the people spend their leisure before their television sets. The craze and popularity of television is rapidly increasing further and further. A great part of their free time is being spent in viewing programmes on the idiot box. There are interesting serials, spicy films, dances, chat shows, interviews, various types of information, latest news, weather forecasts, analysis of events and happenings and many more things all the 24 hours of the day. There are scores of channels to choose from. One has to do nothing. There is neither mental exercise nor physical activity. You have to just sit and watch things happen on the small screen. Even children are great TV enthusiasts. They have cartoon films and other programmes to keep them glued to their TV sets.

Such a craze and popularity of TV has created many social, psychological, physical, family and mental problems. It has marginalised reading, social activities and outdoor hobbies to a great extent. It is particularly harmful for children. They spend 3-4 hours or more daily in viewing television programmes. Consequently, they grow mature before their age, acquire lots of knowledge but never grow wisdom and lose much of their valuable fun, pleasure and enjoyment peculiar to childhood.

These days leisure has grown into a big business and industry. People have invested huge sums of money in developing luxury hotels, motels, holiday homes, video games resorts, golf courses, places of water sports, fun and health clubs. There are package tours, chartered flights and other attractions to make your spare time really interesting, enjoyable, exciting and memorable.

Our life is now far more free and leisurely than it was for our forefathers. But this abundance of leisure and spare time may turn into a curse if not used properly and wisely in some pleasant, enjoyable and healthy hobby. It is after day’s hard work that one enjoys one’s leisure the most. Rest is sweetest only after exhaustion. Leisure provides us with a rare opportunity to satisfy our inner spiritual and aesthetic demands. But problem is how many of us are really well equipped to meet these demands?

LEISURE HIDES THE SECRET OF PRODUCTIVITY

“Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

WHY NECESSARY?

Leisure means respite from work. It is essential for men tired with work. A little leisure refreshes the tired limbs and makes him fit for another period of work.

VARIOUS WAYS OF SPENDING SPARE TIME

  • Set of woman doing leisure activities relaxing at home, vacuuming the house, having coffee, exercising at a gym and gardening,

Modern life is full of cares and worries. We have to work very hard with little or no success. Some work in factories from morning till night, some work in offices for seven, eight or nine hours a day every person has to work hard to earn his or her living. But human body is not a machine. It cannot work continually for hours together it requires some rest. Even a machine is given rest. Otherwise, it breaks down. That is why leisure is so essential. Like machines, our health will break down completely if we have no regular leisure. It always helps us regain our lost energy and refreshes so that we may continue to do our work next day with more vigour both mental and physical.

ITS USE AND MISUSE

So, leisure we all must have. But it does not mean complete cessation of work. Our limbs may stop working; but our mind is never idle. Once the tension of physical labour is gone mind has time to relax and engage itself in finding enjoyment in some entertainment or recreations. Leisure does not mean idleness. It can be utilised by engaging oneself in recreations. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So, work must be followed by recreations that brace up the mind and spirit.

CONCLUSION

Leisure varies from one person to another. Some utilise it in light reading, while other in their particular hobbies, like playing at cards, or at instruments there are some who go to the stress or cinemas for entertainments, while there are others who take evening walks. There are some who simply sit tight and enjoy the pleasure of doing nothing Whatever may be the mode of enjoying leisure, we must have it. Otherwise our life would become dull. We will lose interest in life. Life has to be lived and lived fully and joyfully.

IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A HOBBY

We live in a fast paced world. The world around us is changing so quickly that we barely have the time to accept those changes. While the things around us change and our lives with it, we need to have something that stays constant. Something that brings us calm every time things go too fast or too slow. Something that helps us relax when we get a break and ensures that we are enjoying life in that moment. The thing being referred to here are our HOBBIES.

Having a hobby enriches your life. Sometimes they provide you with calmness and relaxation but there are times they turn into something bigger and can also become a career path. Whatever the case maybe but either way having one does significant good. Hobbies act as an escape from an already chaotic life. This is the time when you discover yourself because you are at content doing the thing you love the most. They push your creative boundaries and you enter a state of trance where everything makes sense. It offers many new challenges and opportunities to grow. Your hobby could be as small as just doing a routine task but for those moments you are in a state of peace.

Having a hobby does not only enrich your day to day lives but also have a significant impact on your professional development. People talk a lot about work-life balance but when they actually get a break, they find themselves watching television, using their phones or worse- thinking about their job deadlines while they should be enjoying their leisure time. What people don’t realize is that they need this time to rejuvenate so they can bounce back to their work life with a fresh mind. Let us assume that since you were a kid you enjoyed writing your tasks down, you enjoyed collecting coins or stamps, now as you grow up these little hobbies have turned into something bigger. Your habit of writing stuff down now helps you prioritize your tasks and collecting stamps gave a boost to your organizational skills which now come in handy at work. Sometimes when the hobby is impressive and fits in with your career goals, you can also put it in your resume.

Keeping the professional life aside, hobbies are an asset for your personal growth. It not only helps in relieving stress but also encourages you to take regular breaks and gives you time to restore your mind. It is very important that you disconnect yourself with the world for a few moments everyday. Some people meditate but there are other ways. You could start learning an instrument or paint or draw or learn how to cook or read a book, just something that keeps your mind away from the stress and helps you relax. Your hobbies don’t have to be productive. You can do something as minimal as building a soothing playlist or make origami or you could dance it out but what’s important is that you do something.

So, let’s start doing something new today, something that brings us joy. Let’s take it one day at a time. Go cook something, build something or learn something. It might take a while for you to get the hang of the it but learning something new is always exhilarating. Everyone needs an escape from reality and hobbies can help you get there. Find something that tickles your creative side and get started. You will be amazed to see what you were capable of all along. In the years to come, you would be so grateful that you started when you did.

Leisure : Uses & Misuses

 Leisure is defined by Google as the time when one isn’t working or occupied. As the old maxim says ‘All work & no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ The maxim has never lost its meaning & it will never lose its significance in our day-to-day life. One must learn to incorporate other curricular activities as well in their daily lives to improve the quality of their lives. The theory is not limited within an age limit so irrespective of that right from a kindergarten student to working professionals.

Disregarding the fact if one is occupied with work & has an occupied schedule one should find at least enough time to spend with themselves & their loved ones. Having a goal-oriented approach in life is okay & one must have that, but living out life, doing things that give you pleasure is also necessary. One can cite the root cause of depressions & other severe mental disorders due to lack of leisure time. A dry, constantly overburdened & monotonous life causes the spring of our life’s vitality will get dried up. It has a nourishing influence on life. Leisure in life is just like green parks & open spaces to a congested & crowded city.

https://www.pexels.com/

 Albeit, this shouldn’t be confused with idleness or shirking duties. Rather should be spent in meaningful & healthy pursuits. Finding joy in spending leisure time practicing your hobbies is one. You may try listening to some loud music or plug in your earphones while reading a novel. Some may prefer spending time composing poems or songs while others might find gardening interesting. Don’t hesitate to do anything that derives your inner peace & happiness. 

 In present times, binging TVs, Laptops & phones are the most popular & easily available means of spending leisure. People are just a tap away from watching films, web series, dramas, sports events, musical programs, quizzes, discussions, or even news channels. There are innumerable options to avail of them. The modern technology has certainly made people more informative & lazy on the contrary. 

 As it is rightly said, anything in excess isn’t good. So addiction to past time can prove to be harmful. Binging cricket matches on TV may prove to be harmful. This may cause a person to develop an absent-minded approach for serious works & duties. Similarly causing a student to deflect from his fields.