Learning doesn’t need to stop after childhood. People seem to have this idea that once you’re an adult and you’re set in a career, you don’t have any more growing to do. But this isn’t true. If you look back five years, you were probably a different person than you are now. You’ve experienced different things, you’ve learned different things, and life itself has changed.
We stay young by continuing to learn, grow and change. Here are a few ways that learning new hobbies and skills can help you, plus some ideas for what to learn next.
It makes you more interesting
“What are your hobbies?” Do you have an answer to this question?
Your hobbies say something about you. There’s no such thing as a boring hobby, as long as you enjoy it. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to monetize your hobbies, either.
Hobbies are what round you out as a person.
It’s sometimes said that every person needs at least three hobbies in life, one to make you money, one to keep you fit, and one to stay creative. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, though, and in reality, it helps to have lots of hobbies.
For example, reading is a hobby. As you read, you essentially have conversations with the author. You learn from them, their stories and their views. Even if you don’t agree with what you read, you have exposed yourself to someone else’s thoughts, imaginations and opinions, and you grow from that.
It improves your health
Hobbies are great for your physical and mental health.
Learning to cook is an obvious one. If you can’t cook at all, you rely on frozen or ready meals and takeout. This is expensive, but it’s also usually pretty unhealthy. Ready meals might have added salt and sugar to make them palatable, while restaurant meals and takeout can be loaded with salt, fat, and sugar. Sadly, that’s why they taste so good.
But if you learn how to cook, you have more power over what you put into your body. Even better, you end up with delicious food all the time, and the satisfaction of making it yourself.
Another hobby that is great for your health is pretty much any kind of exercise. Whether you hike, go to the gym, or play a sport, if you move, you will be better off.
It boosts your career
Some new skills can also boost your career.
For example, learning how to write or code can open you up to new avenues in your career, or maybe even give you the opportunity to start your own business. While you don’t have to love what you do for a living, it definitely helps.
Other skills can help you as well. For example, most workplaces need certain soft skills, like first aid. While this might not directly help you in your job role, it can be helpful to have on your CV or in the event of an emergency. Besides, something like hands-on cpr training can help you potentially save the life of someone you love. Volunteering is also worthwhile — anything that helps others is rewarding.
These are skills that it’s worth knowing for work and everyday life.
It helps your social life
Not every hobby is the same. Some hobbies are very personal and you can practice by yourself. Other hobbies are only really possible in a group.
A major benefit of some hobbies is that they form communities. Even something like reading, which seems like a purely solo activity, can help you make friends and bond. You talk about what you read, you swap suggestions and ideas, and you might even segway into other hobbies like writing or consuming other media together.
Other hobbies involve playing a game with other people or working together to reach a specific goal. Video gaming can be a solo activity, depending on what you play, but you can also play some games with a group of friends.
Hiking and traveling are a lot of fun alone, but they can be even more fun if you have other people to go with.
You can find online communities of people with similar interests and hobbies as you, and make lifelong friends this way. The more you do and get involved in, the more your social life could improve.
It adds fun to your life
There’s one pitfall that people struggle with when it comes to skills and hobbies. This is even more prevalent nowadays when people make money from their hobbies.
Some people think that you have to be really good at something to enjoy it. But you don’t need to be the next Taylor Swift to sing or play instruments, and you don’t need to be the next Monet to enjoy painting. Hobbies can simply be fun.
Trying to become an instant expert puts a lot of pressure on you and drains the fun out of everything. Part of this issue might stem from social media and a world of keyboard critics. If you post a video or artwork that you’re proud of online, it can be so disheartening when a bunch of people tear it to shreds.
But hobbies are about having fun. You will get better the more you practice, but that isn’t all that matters. Even if you never become good enough to start a band and become a rockstar, you might be good enough to play a few songs and enjoy yourself.
Besides, at the end of the day, you will be healthier, happier, and so much fun to be around.
Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.