Productivity is in, so relaxation is out?
We’re in a world obsessed with self-help, productivity, and wellness more than ever before. And now it seems to be coming for our hobbies too. We’re the generation of 20-year-olds that prefer a spa night in to a crazy night out – for the most part. But what happens when our hobbies become productive over actually being fun and relaxing?Â
A hobby is meant to be “an activity or interest pursued regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure“. When a hobby becomes a means of productivity first, we lose the whole point of starting a hobby in the first place. If it’s not productive, it’s competitive. With the job market getting more competitive each year, there’s almost a guilt in taking time for yourself, investing in your own peace and stability. That mystical work-life balance is getting further and further away as we shift focus from working to live to living to work, decentering our hobbies and instead focusing only on honing skills that get us through that interview door. Reading has turned into a competition of who reads the most or who reads the “best”. Running’s now about sharing your Strava and beating each other’s times or distances. Sometimes we don’t pick up a hobby unless we’re good at it. Why? Why can’t we be bad at something and still have fun?
I can’t paint or draw to save my life, but sometimes it’s fun just to doodle. I’m not doing it to hang it on my wall or post it as an artistic experience, I’m doing it to chill. I don’t crochet to start a business or go into textiles, I do it because it’s fun.
There’s never enough hours in the day, and sometimes it can feel like we’re wasting what precious time we have by sitting down and relaxing or having some fun. When essays are looming, work is calling, and there’s a million and one things on your to-do list, it can feel guilty to take some you time. That’s why so many of us productively procrastinate. And now hobbies are becoming the same thing.
But at the end of the day, if we don’t let ourselves recharge, then we can’t put 100% into our work. So don’t feel guilty for having a hobby and taking some time out of your day to relax. It’s good for you. And there are so many ways to get more involved with hobbies.
If you don’t want to go the uni route, we’re in the heart of the West End, and there are always little events or craft nights at local cafés, so get on Instagram and have a look! I know for a fact Kahawa Mazuri on Dumbarton Road has queer craft nights if that sounds like a bit of you.
And if you do want to go the uni route, there are so so many clubs and societies to join for your hobby! Obviously if your hobby is sports there’s a whole hoard on offer with GUSA. But if you’re into crochet or knitting, join the Stitch Society. If you bake, join the Baking Society. There’s the Art and Life Drawing Society or Art Society if you want to tap into your inner Picasso. Arts Crafts Society for those random craft jobs (like a bedazzled student ID!)
And that’s only a few. There are so many ways to develop your hobbies but remember you don’t need to be perfect at something to pick it up, and you don’t need to constantly improve to still find enjoyment. Sometimes we just need to pause, take a minute, and have a little fun – even if that means you end up with a scary-looking stick figure.
