S01E18 - Love Yourself Through Hobbies

[Theme Music]

Hello and welcome back to Carry On with Criselda, the podcast that encourages and provides suggestions on balancing our thoughts and emotions while we carry on with our daily lives.  I am your host, Criselda.  Be sure to stay till the end for a special, lighthearted message.

Well, today is Valentine’s Day.  If you celebrate, then Happy Valentine’s Day.  If you wish you could escape the day because you are feeling cynical or lachrymose about everyone parading around with their heart-shaped gifts and flowers, then consider listening to my previous episode (Episode 17), on looking at Valentine’s Day from a different perspective.  But do it after this episode.  Since you’re already here and all.  Well, I am glad, if you are listening to this on the 14th, that you have chosen to spend this day with me, so thank you.

You know, I find myself in an interesting predicament week after week.  I now have this podcast in which I try to bring you different topics that have to do with our thoughts, our emotions, and our behaviors and how to balance it all so that each day we are getting better and better, living the best way we can, in balance and at peace within our parts of the world, within our circle of those we associate with, and within yourself.  So, if you are here listening right now, you’re searching.  You need guidance and support, someone to validate you and let you know that everything is going to be okay, in which I would very much like to be that person for you.  You feel stuck in your life, you don’t know why you can’t seem to break certain habits even though you made a decision that you would stop, or you are a self-saboteur, which then leaves you with self-guilt.  You want to learn how to get out of your own head sometimes.  You want to conquer yourself.  I’ve been there.  I like to think I’ve fully conquered that but, in all honesty, I still deal with struggles in my thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.  Now I want you to know, that after years of dealing with all different sorts of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and finally making real concerted efforts, I have been able to quiet it down a significant amount.  I honestly think too, that a part of it can be attributed to age.  Because the older I get, the less certain things matter as much as they used to.  Which, let me tell you, is a nice position to be in.  But I do know that life is life. There will always be something to deal with, but it can, and it does get easier.  It may not go away completely but it can be quieted.

And if you are where I was about twenty years ago — angry, sad, depressed, cynical, manipulative, selfish, on and on, not in that order and not all at once, then sometimes you need a good distraction, even for a bit.  Working on yourself is hard work and it can get tiring.  So, my solution when you need to put the brakes on yourself?  Get into a hobby.  Do you have a hobby or several?  Hobbies can actually be therapeutic in many ways.  Even when you are engrossed in a hobby, although it doesn’t feel like you are working on yourself, you really are.  Allow me to list the different benefits of hobbies.

It improves your mental and physical health.  Engaging in leisure activities can reduce stress, improve your mood, and enhance cognitive function.  I’ve mentioned before that I love painting.  I do mostly acrylics.  I only really started at the onset of 2020 with all of the lockdowns.  My mother hosted painting get togethers for family at her house as a way to get through it.  And it was there that I realized that I have a latent talent for it.  I only wished I could’ve taken art class in high school or college for I wonder how much better I could’ve been by now.  But oh well.  It was something new and exciting for me to delve into.  I found myself not able to wait until the next time that I could continue on a project that I was working on.  It was truly a peaceful time for me and I found it quite meditative.  For when I was in the midst of painting, I didn’t have any worries.  I wasn’t in my head.  I wasn’t in my way.  I simply enjoyed the flow that painting allowed me to be in.  Talking about this is the push that I need to get back to painting again.  My last painting has been sitting half finished for well over a few months now.  I’m really crazy because I have it sitting on a corner of a table that I pass by every day and I see that it’s undone and I really want to finish it because I have about three more painting ideas waiting after I finish the current one.  And that’s the important thing.  We need to make time for it.  Our minds need it.  It is beneficial to our mental health.  I hope you have a hobby you can turn to.  If you don’t, I’ll offer some ideas you could consider to take up as a hobby in just a bit.

Hobbies can also build skills and knowledge.  They often require learning new skills, which can help you develop new abilities and expand your knowledge base.  I learned a few new things as I got into painting about the different brushes, paint colors, and techniques.  I still have much to learn but I’m glad to know what I know now.

Hobbies also boost creativity and imagination.  Pursuing creative hobbies can help you tap into your imagination and develop a more creative outlook on life.  Being creative is so fulfilling.  And there is something about it that makes you want to improve upon it.  When I first started painting (yes, I’m going to talk more about painting), I started off by looking up paintings on YouTube to emulate.  Which was fine, I needed a guide on what to do and how to do it.  But then after a while, I wanted to make my own paintings, rather than copy someone else’s.  The problem was that I could not for the life of me, come up with my own concept.  I must’ve waited for well over a year of wanting to come up with my own ideas.  I was disappointed from time to time.  I could not understand why I wasn’t creative enough.  Then, at some point I got into meditation which really helped me to clear some things in my mind.  That must’ve been just what I needed because then I finally had the inspiration for an idea, then a second, then a third, which is the one I need to finish.  I now have a total of six ideas so far that I’d like to complete because I have this deep desire to keep going.  Which is why I said that hobbies enhance creativity.

They also create a sense of purpose.  Having a hobby can give you a sense of fulfillment, especially if you are passionate about it.  As I said earlier, it is a great way to take a break from the cacophony of our thoughts.  Set it aside, and encompass yourself in a hobby that will bring about something that is greater than you.  When you find a hobby that you really enjoy, it does bring about a purpose that no negative thought or emotion can penetrate.

Depending on the hobby, you can build relationships through it.  If the hobby includes or requires participation in group activities or clubs, then it can help you build social connections and friendships.  Which would then be a great way to talk to like-minded souls about the very thing that brought everyone together.

Lastly, hobbies provide a sense of accomplishment.  Completing projects and goals related to your hobbies can give you a sense of pride and satisfaction.  That is what I had with my last two paintings.  So, what am I waiting for with this last one that is half finished?  

And if you have a hobby, what are you waiting for?  Time to get back in and self-soothe.  If you don’t have a hobby, here are some ideas.

1. Arts and crafts.  Examples are painting, drawing, sculpting, knitting, crocheting, and woodwork.
2. Outdoor activities.  Examples are hiking, camping, fishing, and gardening.
3. Sports and fitness.  You could run, do yoga, swim, or weightlift.
4. Collecting.  Such as stamps, coins, or antique items.
5. Music and performing arts.  Learn to play an instrument, sing or act.  I’ve tried all of these which were fun.  And speaking of music, I just have to share what I’ve been listening to lately.  I like a variety of music but recently I’ve been listening to a channel on YouTube called Lofi Girl.  And this one video in particular, which is eight songs long, I am so in love with.  The artists are Tonion and Xander and I will replay that video over and over and over.  It is fantastic music to chill out to while you are hobbying and I will link that video in the show notes for you to check out.  You can also find them on Spotify, YouTube music and a few other music apps.
6. Reading and writing.  Books, poetry, journaling, etc.
7. Technology and gaming.  Examples are computer programming, video gaming, or photography.  Uh, a sidebar here.  Just don’t get into any video games that would enrage you.  Otherwise, what’s the point?  That is the complete opposite of therapy.  Might I suggest a game like Animal Crossing?  I have personally played this and I find it quite relaxing, especially the music that plays after 10pm.
8. Cooking and baking.  Which I imagine would include experimenting with recipes.  Cooking and baking is after all an art and a science.
9. Travel and adventure.  You could explore new places or try new activities.
10. Volunteer work and community service.  There are many examples here like working at a homeless shelter, an animal shelter or volunteering at a local park.

I hope these gave you some good ideas on something you could immerse yourself in the next time you need to step away from your thoughts for a while.  Know that it’s not meant to be used for escapism.  Not at all.  We still must do the work within ourselves to be better at conquering ourselves.  However, just as we need to take breaks in other things; that’s why we go to bed at night, that’s why we stop and eat, we sometimes need a moment to engage in something away from our thoughts so that we can find rest, peace and clarity.

If you are able to comment in your podcast app, please, let me know what your hobby is or what you are working on.  Or, if you got inspired by any of these examples, what are you going to consider taking up?  You can also leave a comment on my website, carryonwithcriselda.com.  I’ll have the link for you in the show notes.  Until next time, carry on.

Did you know the average time it takes to follow a podcast is about the same amount of time it takes to get Rick rolled?  Numerous podcasts are forced to survive on a daily basis on what little followers they can scrounge up.  Carry On with Criselda is no different.  Your support can make all the difference in this podcast's life.  Hitting that button only once is all it takes and you can ensure the continuation of content that will provide value to kind-hearted people like yourself.  Consider contributing by hitting the follow button to Carry On with Criselda and enrich the life of this podcast and yours too.  Then you can brag to all your friends how you are better than they are because you care more than they do because you followed and made a difference.  Thank you.

[Theme Music]