How hobbies can create serious stress

Cameron Madden
MSMU Class of 2028

(3/25) I am sure that if you were to go around and ask anyone for any kind of advice, most will tell you to do one thing: focus on your hobbies! It is commonly understood that doing the things you enjoy can positively impact your mood or make you better as a person, especially if a hobby of yours enhances a skill or strength. In fact, many readers out there now may take comfort in reading these articles; to which I of course say thank you, but also must point out that this counts as a hobby of yours!

What concerns me about hobbies, however, is how it both overshadows whatever stress or problem that is ailing a person, as well as puts too much reliance and pressure on working with said hobby. I think many people may wonder how a reliance on your hobbies could be bad for you; after all, hobbies are considered to be expressions of ourselves applied to our external world. I would say that reliance on hobbies possibly has the ability to ail us further in our struggles. This can be the result of many conditions, but difficulty and expectancy are some of the most dangerous symptoms of hobbies. Not to mention, increasing stress and creating distractions for the things in our lives that we really should be more focused on. Another issue is found arising in a person’s lack of a hobby, or at least one they enjoy; meaning, someone may find a hobby they don’t actually enjoy but are forcing themselves to put effort into it.

On the first point, there are many hobbies out there which take a great amount of effort, and skill. Generally, those that need the most effort are the most appreciated, and often the most impactful on one’s life. Take for instance the likes of any musician; they can put as much effort as they want into their music, and generally the more work that is put in, the more reward and reverence they get. You don’t get the same kind of skill like the Beatles without learning to be good at music and hone your skills! Many people want to reach the best extent of their hobbies, which is admirable, yet also highly dangerous. I am sure there are plenty out there reading this who have attempted a hobby that they had truly wished to be good at; and I am also sure that said people have ended a hobby in bitter defeat or have found it hard to come back to. For those out there who experience this, please do not pursue a talent or hobby soley because you believe it could be fortuitous or grand. Do not force yourself into something you are not good at, expecting that you will eventually learn, if it’s not something you will enjoy. Be patient, and most importantly, enjoy the hard work and the end result if you wish to pursue it!

Another point of contention is in the amount of time that is taken up by hobbies. This mostly goes out to the younger generations, but regardless, it can generally become a problem when you find yourself too engrossed in your hobbies, wherein you can find yourself skipping out and missing important activities and/or obligations. For instance, a person can be really into video games to the point where they wish to professionally play, or loves reading so much that they are constantly in the library with their nose in a book for enjoyment. The issue here lies in if per say, this person starts skipping classes, or ignores social and personal matters that they need to address. It is important to take time to invest and grow your hobbies, but it is also just as important as to know when to stop and to continue other matters and obligations in your life. This pairs well with the last point; you should not put an overbearing amount of pressure on the things you like to do at the expense of anything else, like your job, family, or social life!

The final point is to ensure that the hobbies you pursue are ones that you actually feel comfortable with and can enjoy for yourself. There are a countless number of people out there who are associated with certain activities or hobbies due to pressure from others, or indecision on what they enjoy. I remember when I was younger, I wanted to play soccer in middle school. Did I have any history or interest in it? Nope, but I thought it would be good for me based on very tenuous excuses. When I started playing, I honestly did not enjoy my time but still rode out a whole season of soccer due to my wish to play it. I realize now looking back, I never actually wanted to play soccer, but I did want to be more active. It made me unsure and stressed over what I actually want to do, and whether or not I could pursue more challenging hobbies. Regardless, I found my answer based on reflection: I enjoyed nature, and found walks to be therapeutic, therefore I replaced soccer with going on walks; something that I love doing to this day. If I had pushed myself into learning soccer more, and kept on playing, I know I would not have been happy and would have wasted years into something I cared nothing about.

I find it important to remember that hobbies are one of the most important aspects of a person and life in general. Without them, we would barely have any discernible quirks and identities that make us who we are, nor would there be much expression or easy avenues for personal growth. I do find it pertinent however to tell you that hobbies are not the full answer to any stress or restlessness. Hobbies can be dangerous and damaging if done for the wrong reasons, as well as putting too much pressure on and effort into them. It is also important to realize which hobbies are ones that calm you down, and that you really enjoy, so that when you need to ease up or have a good time, you can easily go into a healthy hobby without pressure or stress.