How to have a true hobby, not a side hustle

Americans have roughly 5 hours of leisure per day. However, watching TV takes up more than half of those hours. Then, when we do make use of those leisure hours, our hustle culture makes us turn our leisure activities into a race to see who can do it the best.

It is perfectly fine to do a hobby just because we want to relax.

One mistake people make when starting a hobby is picking something aspirational rather than something they enjoy. When you pick a hobby, stay true to what you enjoy. If you like cooking, try to take your current skills up a notch. If you like writing, try a fiction workshop.

If you want to try something totally new, start small. To hold yourself accountable, enlist friends in the effort.

A hobby is not a side hustle. It is important to develop hobbies outside of our economy with no financial motives attached.

Since a leisure pursuit is an outlet for stress, the pure pleasure of engaging in a hobby should be enough. A hobby not only helps to refuel us for a busy work life but also helps us to practice deep focus.

If you find yourself losing many hours to your devices, don't pick a hobby that is screen-based. Screen time has been linked to depression and anxiety. Phones can also prevent our ability to focus.

Try and engage in active, or outdoor hobbies like bird watching, hiking, or dancing.

Change your location or routine. A change in your environment can be good to reinvent your routine. You may be inspired to try new hobbies as a byproduct of the change.