Is it Bad that I Don’t Have Any Hobbies?
Though it is definitely important for our mental health to have personal interests and activities that bring us joy, it does not mean that it has to be what we’d typically consider a “hobby.” For example, maybe what you really enjoy is taking walks, traveling, watching movies or exploring different coffee shops. In typical conversation, are we counting those things as hobbies? Probably not, yet they can be a great resource and great coping skills for stress and anxiety.
There are definitely mental health benefits from engaging in a hobby. In Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), we talk about how you can reduce the likelihood of experiencing symptoms of depression by:
Increasing pleasant events and positive experiences in your life.
Building mastery, which means becoming proficient in new skills.
If you engage in a hobby you enjoy, you get both of these powerful emotion regulation tools helping you at the same time - you get the positive experience of participating in the hobby you enjoy and you build mastery of the hobby over time, which builds self-esteem.
Hobbies also boost our mental health is because when we are engaging in hobbies we love, we often will enter a “flow” state. A “flow” state is a peak experience when you are fully in the present moment, you are deeply focused, and become one with the activity. Being in this state is incompatible with self consciousness or a sense of exclusion and gives us an experience of focus, clarity, ease and joy. Entering into a “flow” state regularly increases motivation, concentration and emotion regulation, which benefits our mental health long term.
Though having hobbies can help improve mental health by building mastery and self-esteem, improving our mood, and increasing our ability to focus, it does not mean that not having hobbies is an indicator of poor mental health. Many people find joy and cope with negative emotions or experiences through their personal interests that may not be a hobby, and that works well too! People may also receive the benefits hobbies provide in other ways such as through their work if they love their job or through their faith practices.
Another question that often pops up is, “are some hobbies better than others?” It’s important to focus more on what you enjoy rather than if it’s the “best” or “healthiest” hobby. If I say journaling is a “healthier hobby,” but you hate to write, then you are not going to experience all the benefits that hobby is meant to offer and that hobby may not be effective for you! That being said, hobbies that stimulate reflection (like journaling, meditation, yoga) or offer opportunities to exercise (running, skiing, playing sports) do have additional benefits that other hobbies may not.
When trying out and discovering hobbies that you may want to start, the first step is to reflect on what you enjoy. You can ask yourself questions like: Are you athletic? Do you enjoy being creative through art or writing? Do you prefer being indoors or outdoors? Do you want to be in a group or enjoy your hobby solo?
The second step is being willing to try new things! It’s important to focus on what you enjoy because intrinsic motivation is the key to sticking to it. Engaging in a community and having accountability through signing up for a group or class can be a great way to stick with it as well. If you are currently seeing a therapist - definitely explore your interests and potential hobbies in sessions and use your therapist as a source of accountability too!