What are your hobbies?

Hiiii 👋🏾

I always look forward to seeing you on our SELFHOOD Sundays.

You know the deal… (if you haven’t already) grab a beverage, and settle in.

It’s time for your monthly dose of self-exploration!

Today we’re talking hobbies. Ya’know, those things you had loads of as a kid, that died an awful death in your twenties… but I’m convinced are making a comeback in our 30s.

I know for a fact, 2020 did a lot for the sourdough scene.

And TikTok has done GREAT things for #coffeetrends

…yes! coffee can be a hobby 😅

As always, I have a lesson, 3 questions, and a dare for you.

[A LESSON]

Before we get into it, ‘hobby’ is one of those words that carries different meanings for different people. So to ensure we’re speaking the same language - for the purpose of today’s newsletter, this is the definition I’m working with:

Hobby: something you do for fun, (and not for a fee).

That ‘not for a fee’ part is important. Now more than ever - those things we once used to do ‘just for fun’ - creating videos, baking, photography, fitness, drawing etc. are transforming into things we now do for money.

And in my world, a ‘hustle’ and a ‘hobby’ carry two very different energies.

Not a judgment, just an observation. It’s through my own experience with this, that I discovered what you may gain in revenue, you often lose in enjoyment.

So today’s focus in on the things you do, purely for the joy of it…

Have you ever stopped to think about what your hobbies (or lack thereof) say about you?

Despite being coined ‘leisure activities’ hobbies are more than just how you pass the time— conscious or not they’re a reflection of how you spend your energy, money, and attention.

They’re an intro into the different parts of yourself. Whether you’re into cooking, collecting, writing, climbing, or gaming, these pursuits tell the story of what you value and how you express yourself.

I learnt this for myself last week during a conversation I had with my good friend and business partner, Yihua, (who is also a serial hobbyist).

It was only a 30-minute conversation, but I was taken aback by how much more I learnt about him, just through discussing the hobbies that make up his life. Things I thought I understood.

You can watch here. 

Too often we dismiss hobbies as unimportant, juvenile activities. We tell ourselves we don’t have the time, or convince ourselves that we’ll give it a go “in the future”… which is SUCH a shame.

Not only do hobbies provide a richness to life, but they can also serve as a cognitive buffer against stress-related illnesses.

And in this day and age… we need all the buffers we can get.

According to findings from a study on self-complexity by Patricia Linville, people with a more complex self-representation— those who see themselves through a variety of roles, such as a friend, professional, runner, climber and volunteer—are more resilient to stress.

When we face negative events, such as a breakup, the emotional impact can spill over into related self-aspects (especially if the identities were integrated). E.g. for someone with only a couple of core self-identities (e.g., "girlfriend" and "friend"), this spillover can be overwhelming, making the stress from the incident harder to contain.

However, if those self-aspects are diverse and less interconnected, the negative event's effects remain more contained, allowing unaffected aspects (e.g., being a runner or a volunteer) to act as buffers against stress.

While this doesn't guarantee better overall health, it suggests that having a wider array of self-concepts can help us navigate tough times more effectively.

And a great way to build and diversify the parts of yourself… is through 🥁 🥁 🥁 hobbies. 

I go into more detail about it during this podcast episode - Multifaceted or Fragmented?: Understanding the Chameleon

And if the scientific argument didn’t convince you…

HOBBIES = FUN!

[3 QUESTIONS ]

1. If you were to list out the identities that currently dominate your day-to-day? e.g. mother, employee, son, entrepreneur, runner… how many do you have?

   How’s that buffer looking? 👀

2. What are the hobbies that make you feel most alive?

3. What hobby would you love to explore but haven’t tried yet?

[A DARE]

I dare you…

To take the next 7 days and give more attention to that one hobby you love, or to try something completely new. It doesn’t have to be a huge time or financial investment—just enough to start exploring a new side of yourself.

See how it feels to invest your energy in something just for you.

And if you could do with a little help finding a hobby - we’ve provided a little guidance HERE and HERE

As always, if you have thoughts, insights, or any hobby stories to share, I’d love to hear them. Hit reply whenever you’re ready! 🙂

See you on a Sunday.

L

P.S. We adore the community we’re building with this newsletter and we’d love to invite a few more folks. Do you have 2 friends you think might also enjoy some Sunday self-exploration?

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