Graphic by Melody Qian ’24
At a place like Choate, where days are packed with classes, sports, clubs, ensembles, and homework, time for hobbies is few and far between. A true hobby is an activity that one does simply for enjoyment and with no ulterior agenda, unlike nearly everything else we do in today’s competitive world.
The sad truth is that in our generation, the vast majority of activities we do — both by choice and by force from others — is to benefit our future and not our present.
Have extracurriculars become an embellishment to your resumé rather than something you do for fun? Do most of us have an activity or idea that we are passionate about?
Science suggests that hobbies significantly improve our quality of life. Without them, we are at high risk for several problems in the future. Psychologists have found a positive correlation between hobbies and happiness; people who make time for their hobbies can live longer, have decreased risk of certain diseases, and achieve happier lives overall. Scientist T. F. Hughes and her colleagues found that engaging in hobbies for one hour a day may reduce the risk of dementia later in life. Another study, conducted between 1986 and 1995 at the Tochigi Cancer Center Hospital, found that women battling cancer had a much higher chance of survival if they had specific hobbies. There are hundreds of other experiments that have proved the benefits of engaging in activities simply for pleasure.
When I was in elementary school, I baked a lot. It was my hobby. I did not desire to become a professional baker, attend culinary school, or compete on any baking shows. I simply baked because I enjoyed playing with all the shiny metal tools, dumping around flours and sugars, and watching my creations magically transform through the oven window. The part I enjoyed most was devouring the cakes and cookies with the people I love (even when I was already full after licking the leftover batter from my blue rubber spatula).
Now, I feel guilty whenever I have the urge to bake or do any sort of “unproductive” activity. When my friends ask me to bake brownies with them, I think to myself, “Ugh, this will be a waste of time. I should be practicing the guitar,” instead of, “Wow, this will be fun. I will enjoy this.”
The constant hustle and bustle for efficiency and excellence have led me into thinking that I must always be improving at something; as if unless my actions can be quantified as some kind of success, they are not worth doing. It seems to me that having a hobby has become something to be ashamed of.
Even I — the girl who loves to bake out of pure enjoyment — have reinforced this mindset whenever I mock a friend for crocheting instead of doing their homework.
Many of us are trapped in the mindset that we need to constantly be grinding in order to feel fulfilled and prepared for our professions. However, without enjoying the present and engaging in hobbies that bring us joy, we are depriving ourselves of the best opportunity for a successful future. Taking time to do a self-fulfilling activity is not a form of laziness or even procrastination: it is necessary.
I encourage you all to start adding one hobby a day to your daily schedule. For example, try to always make time to read for 30 minutes right before bed. I know we must be realistic: sometimes, I have too much homework and skip my chapter that night, but I have learned to forgive myself when that happens. No one is perfect. Nevertheless, allotting this time for myself each day — time to have a hobby — has made me a happier and more fulfilled human being.
