Sometimes life can feel like an endless cycle of responsibilities, and the need to meet others’ expectations of us is incredibly stressful. While everyone can agree that adulting is not for the faint of heart, it is our interests and passions that provide us with peace and a motivation to push through the day’s work.
Our hobbies are a source of excitement during even the most challenging of times. However, it isn’t always clear where to start when searching for a new hobby. Here are some easy ways to find new interests!
Look to Friends and Family
In spending time with your loved ones, you have certainly heard them speak of the things they do in their free time that bring them joy. Perhaps your friend has told you about how she roasts her own coffee beans or has taken a liking to sewing her own clothes. If you are on a mission to find a new hobby, perhaps you should start by dipping your toe into the things your friends and family are doing to occupy their time.
By asking your friend if you can tag along the next time he goes rock climbing, or whatever his passion may be, you are giving yourself a chance to discover something that you may end up enjoying for the rest of your life. Not to mention, by showing interest in a friend’s hobby, you can enhance your relationship with that person and increase the quality of the time you spend with them.
Discover Your Niche
Searching for a new hobby can be stressful because the list of things to try is simply endless. However, passions and enjoyable pastimes often fall under different categories. If you can find the one that suits you the best, pinpointing the hobby that is right for you will become less confusing.
For example, many hobbies such as golfing, hiking and yoga fall under the realm of physical activities. Those who love to stay in touch with their athletic side will likely find fulfillment in trying out one of these. Others are forms of visual arts, including painting, sculpting and photography. Perhaps if you have already gained a lot of experience in one artistic medium, you will enjoy indulging in another. By thinking more about your unique skill set and your existing interests, you will be able to narrow down your next love much more easily.
Learn From What You Don’t Love
As you try out new hobbies, you are bound to encounter a few that aren’t right for you. For every one that brings you joy, there will certainly be several that aren’t your cup of tea. Recognizing that it isn’t possible to enjoy everything under the sun is crucial. Additionally, it is beneficial to treat your failed attempts as educational experiences.
Perhaps you decided to try your hand at fishing, but you realized that patience is not your strong suit. This may be a sign that your ideal hobby is suspenseful and high-energy! Maybe your experience with a racing sport such as running or swimming was more stressful than expected. In this case, you may look towards occupations that soothe your mind and invoke a sense of peace. By identifying aspects of a hobby that you do not enjoy, you may just discover what it is that you do enjoy.
Which hobbies do you partake in? How have you gone about finding new interests? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us @VALLEYmag.
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