Girls Positivity Club celebrates ‘National Hobby Month’
January is National Hobby month, a great time (especially in the new year) for the whole family to try something new, do something you love, or return to an old hobby you miss or haven’t thought of in a while.
Melissa Jones, founder of Girls Positivity Club shares great ideas to help you get the most out of your hobby.
The benefits- Having hobbies (even when you’re busy) allows you to take your mind off the pressures of work/school or other daily stresses. It gives you time to do something you enjoy and look forward to, which is good for your mental and physical health. It also sets a model for your kids that there should be a time when you do something because you enjoy it and it makes you happy.
Schedule it- I know it may sound crazy, but if you only do hobbies “when you have time,” you’ll never fit them in. Don’t put pressure on yourself to do it for hours a day if that doesn’t work for you. Start small and build it into your life how it fits for you.
Try hobbies on for size– Sit down and think about what you love to do. What sparks passion in your life or makes you curious to try? If you try something out that doesn’t light you up or make you look forward to doing it, try something else until you find the right hobby, and let yourself be open to trying multiple hobbies.
You may enjoy a hobby for a while and then want to move on to something else. Let that be ok for both you and your family. The important part is to keep trying and have some fun!
Looking for a hobby?
Try a class– yoga, writing, painting, cooking,
Volunteer somewhere you love– if you love pets, you may enjoy volunteering to help out and look forward to it. Giving back can be a hobby you enjoy.
Cook– try making some new recipes if you enjoy cooking
Garden– start learning about gardening if you plan to in the spring, and get those starters going with a grow light.
Read or write a book/story– take time to listen to, read, or create your own story.
Travel– start researching where you’d like to travel or plan a trip and learn about where you’ll be going. Set a goal to visit someplace new locally each month.
Do this with your kids and make it a family activity. Ask them about their hobbies and if there is anything they’d like to try separately or with you.