We’ve all had that feeling when talking to a friend, listening to their busy and exciting days and realising – “Oh no! I have no hobbies”. Well, you might be a boring person now but don’t sweat, because university is the perfect time to pick up new skills, from polo to yoga – you can be as busy as your overachieving friends.
My first tip is to find a friend to commit to something with you. Like me, you may also be prone to flake on plans simply out of pure laziness… so, find a friend and hold each other accountable.
You may be thinking, “I’m at university studying hard, who has time for a hobby?!” Well, that is exactly what I thought before I started using a diary to plan my days and saw the 6 hours a day I was not in lectures, tutorials or sleeping…
Perhaps you don’t even know what hobby you want to do. Again, do not stress. Being at university, there are thousands of societies – you will find at least one you want to do! If you want a relaxing activity, I think baking might be up your street; I advocate for the hot-headed academics and perhaps the Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show for all the Stockbridge second hand shop warriors.
If you are too shy to join a society, do not let that stop you from picking up a hobby. Solitary activities like running, reading and going to the gym might be seen as boring, but to do them frequently is impressive and worth commemorating.
As well as hobbies being something to gloat about, they bring benefits upon benefits. Of course sports make you healthier and fitter, reading enhances vocabulary and knowledge and dancing improves coordination and memory, but there are many more advantages to them. They give you a sense of purpose, structure and excitement to the day which I think is necessary in the dark winter months! Hobbies can also bring you out of your shell, force you to meet like-minded and friendly people, or perhaps even find a significant other!
After doing nothing in first year, I decided this year would be different. I started by going to any and every taster session of team sports, run clubs and academic societies to help find ones which somewhat interested me. The next step was to go regularly, which I found hard and was a struggle at first, but certain things – like the feeling after a recreational football match (even though we are prone to losing) – make it worth it.
And if you still aren’t convinced to start a hobby, remember that they massively improve your mental health, decrease stress and promote endorphins.
So, swap the screen time with a new hobby and watch your mood and productivity improve, and your personality sparkle.