A hobby is an activity outside of a person’s professional job that is undertaken for enjoyment and not for profit. Hobbies can include sports, collecting, cooking, playing music, or art. Hobbies are usually completed during free time away from work and may or may not overlap with work-related activities. A person’s interests can change over time and a new hobby can replace an old one. Hobbies can range in level of commitment from casual where the activities are infrequent or short-lived to serious where they are committed to for long periods of time with specific goals.
The benefits of a hobby include learning new skills, meeting people with common interests, and finding out more about the world around you. Hobbies can also help improve a work-life balance and provide a sense of accomplishment and meaning. Hobbies can be as simple as walking in the park while listening to a podcast or doing daily crossword puzzles or as complex as writing a book or becoming a skilled woodworker.
Creative hobbies, such as writing or painting, give people the opportunity to express themselves in a way that they cannot through their professional jobs. They can be relaxing, social activities or provide an outlet for stress and anxiety. Hobbies can also help children develop skills and provide them with a creative outlet that is not academically driven like schoolwork.
Hobbies can also be a way to make money or a supplement to an income. For example, geocaching is a popular hobby where people hunt for hidden containers called caches that have log books for the participants to sign. Crafting is another popular hobby where people create things by hand, such as sewing or quilting.