Hobby Time

Sudeshna Rao embroiders on bedspreads in her free time, and in the last two years she has embroidered four of them. From buying fabric, threads to tracing design, she does it on her own. Whenever the stress at work seems to overwhelm this busy media professional she finds solace in her needle and thread. She says, “It is difficult to find time to embroider on regular days, with so much happening, but on weekends, I carve out time to embroider and it is an enriching experience. Somehow, the stress that I have accumulated over the week seems to disappear with each stitch I make, and I feel delighted when I see my hand-made bed-spreads.”

Hobbies have become extinct these days. Needless, to say we all are living hectic life these days. Between work and family, we have little time or energy left for hobbies, like crafts, painting or music. Without them life feels mundane.

Rahul Shandlik, is a busy IT professional and is the country-head of Oracle for a multinational. He was a bathroom singer all his life, but he did take up singing seriously though late in life, at the age of forty in a bid to overcome a personal setback. Today he wakes up an hour early to do riyaaz. “My riyaaz helps me to stay grounded and I can deal better with my work stress”, says Rahul.

Advantages galore

Squeeze them in; even it’s for just a few minutes at a time, because those moments can change your mood and your mind-set. “When people do things that make them feel good, like a hobby, it activates certain reward and pleasure areas in the brain that release ‘happy peptides’ like endorphins thereby pushing the happy button within us”, says AIIMS neurologist Dr. Manjari Tripathi.

Hobbies help us switch off. Information tools like computers, fax machines, the Internet, electronic mail and cellular phones are blurring the line between work and leisure, thus preventing us from allocating time specifically to each. Tied to these electronic leashes, people can’t really relax at home.

“Hobbies help a person to explore one’s inner self without being judged”, says Arti Anand consultant clinical psychologist with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. “They help an individual escape the daily grind and give respite from stress. The time that they spend on hobby is free of diversions and helps them relax completely ”, she elaborates.

Taking up a hobby helps rejuvenates you. Ayn Rand writes in ‘Why I like stamp collecting’, “In all those years, I had never found a remedy for mental fatigue. Now, if I feel tired after a whole day of writing, I spend an hour with my stamp albums and it makes me able to resume writing for the rest of the evening.”

Hobbies provide a calming sense of control, says Arti, because when you are pursuing hobby you are free from scrutiny. And research suggests this strengthens immunity. You may have little say at work, but when you’re fulfilling your hobby, you’re in charge. You get the credit — and satisfaction — of a job well done.

Less active pursuits

We know that physical activity extends life, but less active pursuits are good as well. Research in The New England Journal of Medicine found that those who pursued mind-boosting activities — such as crossword puzzles — lowered their risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.

Many hobbies are social. From dealing cards at bridge to swapping tips with other collectors, engaging with like-minded souls boosts immunity.

So keep indulging in your hobbies, because the time spent in their pursuit is well spent. Others may think you’re obsessed — you know otherwise.

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