Hobbies and interests outside of school can be an important tool towards determining your happiness and productivity.

A hobby is essentially something you like to do – something which can make you happy. It should be an activity which, when you indulge in it, could cheer you up even when you are down and feeling low. 

It is important to develop healthy hobbies for your personal overall well-being, including your happiness. Ask yourself: what kind of activity can help me settle down my emotions, make me a happier and healthier person, and maybe even make me more productive?
 

Not Just a Pastime

Besides being a leisurely and fun pursuit, a hobby should ideally also be an activity that could make you feel relaxed and take your mind off mundane and stressful matters, particularly if you think you are a moody person. Everyone should cultivate a productive hobby that would help make you a happier and more positive person.

A hobby such as reading would be able to help you do that, because such an activity jogs your imagination and fills your mind up with something other than work or anything that makes you unhappy. Therefore it is important to think about what kind of energy your hobby generates, and how it could be a stress reliever.
 

Productive?

Some people use activities such as fixing things around the house as a hobby, while others may prefer to spend their time on sports. These are productive activities, and are also good stress relievers. A ‘fixer’ not only gets exercise from climbing up and down around the house but would also be able to get some things working properly again. Through sports, people can release stress through their physical activities while getting themselves in shape. Besides, physical activities are known to stimulate the production of endorphin, the ‘happy hormone.’

Having a hobby that you enjoy can help you to achieved a balanced lifestyle. Not only will it give you an outlet to relax and have fun, meeting others who are interested in the same hobbies can also help you extend your circle of friends.

A few fortunate people can even make a decent living from their hobbies! Hobbies such as baking, car repair and even rearing tropical fish can bring in extra income and could even become your primary career if you are good and willing to work hard.

However, always remember that while you are in school, a hobby is just a side activity and your schoolwork must always come first. Still, it’s perfectly all right to take a break once in a while and have fun with your hobbies.
 

Conclusion

It is important to develop a healthy hobby for your personal overall well-being, including your happiness. Ask yourself, what kind of activity can help me settle down my emotions, make me a happy and healthier person, and preferably also make me productive?

I strongly encourage youths today to get up from their behinds and go do something worthwhile, instead of listening to the iPod or text messaging friends the whole day! Click here for some suggestions of activities to get your hands ‘dirty’.

This article was published on 12 June 2012.

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