KEYLA HOLMES
campus editor
keyla.holmes@my.tccd.edu

Hobbies are meant to be fun, not stressful. You don’t always need to complete a plethora of tasks to be productive, and hobbies certainly shouldn’t be approached with this mindset. 

For many students, school and work consume most of one’s time and energy. A lot of us are constantly on the go. In the midst of studying for that exam, and clocking in to work all evening, it’s important to remember the value of downtime. 

You’re not lazy. You’re just human. 

 Being able to decompress is necessary for a person’s health and success. According to the website Mental Health Partners, most Americans experience moderate to high levels of stress. Forty four percent of them have said that their stress has increased over the past five years. 

Cultivating time in one’s schedule to invest in things you enjoy is how students can show up to school and work feeling better about themselves, and the tasks they need to take on.  

 When students don’t make time to let loose and release stress, it can affect one’s health. 

People can be at an increased risk for anxiety, depression, digestive issues, headaches, high blood pressure, strokes, and other physical and mental health problems the American Psychological Association website states. 

It can be difficult to create room in one’s schedule to chill. Especially because stress can cause people to have a tougher time assesing what their bodies need. 

Picking a hobby can feel like another mental task to take on. However, whatever activity you choose doesn’t need to be anything costly – whether that be financially or in regards to your time. 

While many students may be nodding their heads up and down, I hope they also know that hobbies aren’t meant to be performative. What you do in your downtime should feel replenishing and catered to your wants and needs. 

If you like yoga, great. If you like gaming, wonderful. If you like yoga and gaming, spectacular. Just know that you don’t have to play games and do yoga everyday.  

Creating time for the activities you want to partake in is important, you just have to remember that they’re meant to uplift and fulfill you.  

They’re methods of restoration. They’re not chores on a to-do list.  

I measure productivity as: How well did I tend to my wants and needs today? Did I study to ensure that I’d be properly prepared for that test? Did I read last night, so that I could clear my mind for a better night of sleep? 

Refocusing hobbies and even our responsibilities to align with a mindset of ‘how can I help myself’, can bring a new sense of purpose behind all of the little things we accomplish each day. 

If you need to connect with nature by taking a walk, that’s completely sufficient if it’s what you need. If building lego sets is what you need after classes or work, honor that. A good hobby is one that is right for you. 

Your worth is not determined by what all you accomplished on any given day. It’s not based on whether you went to Pilates, read, crocheted, journal and scrapbooked. 

If all you did after a long week was lay in bed and watch your favorite show —  I think that’s more than enough.