Most Americans—nearly 90%, according to one recent survey—have a hobby. But a majority of us spend less than five hours per week pursuing our hobbies, the same survey found. Meanwhile, the latest statistics show that we spend more than two hours per day on social media, while TV and other screen-based entertainments also take up a significant chunk of our leisure time.
“One thing that separates a hobby from other kinds of leisure is that it involves the acquisition of skills, or learning,” says Daisy Fancourt, a professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London. “Hobbies provide a sense of accumulation and growth—of stretching ourselves to improve or to meet new goals—and that can help us fulfill our needs for meaning and purpose.”
“It can be hard to define what is or isn’t a hobby,” says Jessica Bone, a senior research fellow at University College London who has studied hobbies and their role in mental health. “But, first off, it’s not a paid activity—it’s something done for its own reward or pleasure, not for money—and it involves an active element. So you’re actively creating something or investing your energy and resources in something that builds your skills or competencies.”
“Hobbies can help build our self-esteem and confidence,” she says. “They give us an opportunity to use our brain or social skills or abilities in ways that our jobs might not provide.”
A lot of the research literature on well-being distinguishes between “hedonic” and “eudaimonic” forms of happiness. While hedonic wellbeing often stems from minor and fleeting pleasures, such as the enjoyment people get from eating delicious food or watching something funny, eudaimonic pleasures refer to experiences that provide a deeper, more profound sense of accomplishment or contentment.
“They support the more authentic dimensions of life and create conditions for self-actualization,” says Yazdan Mansourian, a senior lecturer and leisure researcher at Charles Sturt University in Australia. “People are not only doing what they enjoy, but becoming who they really want to be.”
While many of us recognize the benefits of hobbies and are willing to devote time to them, a common problem remains: Finding a hobby that you actually want to pursue.
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While she’s an enthusiastic proponent of art-based hobbies, people should keep an open mind about what might click. “I recommend that people start by giving themselves lots of new arts experiences,” she says. You could take some painting or dance classes, for example, or learn to play an instrument. “You don’t know if you’ll like it until you try it.”
Keep in mind that the goal of a hobby isn’t achievement or excellence: It’s about deepening your engagement with something you find fascinating and enjoyable.
And, for that matter, part of the fun.
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