5 Hobbies to Zen-ify Your Life
If you’re looking for some relaxation in your life, downtime is an important thing to consider – as is what you’re doing with it. If you spend every waking minute of your free time scheduled to the teeth with projects, it’s not going to feel very free after a while. This is something I have been guilty of in the past, and it left me feeling way too stressed – which is a horrible way to spend your time away from work obligations. 0/10 do not recommend. Over time thought, I’ve picked up some hobbies which I’ve found really soothing to my high-strung sensibilities. So, if your time off leaves you feeling more frazzled than fresh, consider picking one up and injecting a little bit of zen into your life.
1. Cooking
I used to hate cooking when I lived alone. Like many people in Uni, I wore my lack of cooking skills almost like a badge of honour that told the world, “I’m too busy/important/ to care about something so trivial.” It wasn’t until I moved in with my current partner and started cooking for the both of us that I really discovered my love of it. I’d always liked baking, but cooking opened up a whole new level of relaxation as far as hobbies go. Like anything else, it was a learning experience. I burnt a lot of chicken, and had to throw out my fair amount of risotto
s. But I learned to appreciate the process. And soon…I became hooked. I started reading cookbooks like they were novels, pouring over recipes and attacking them with voracity. I experimented with countless new ingredients, and grew to love the process of hunting them down. Most of all, I learned to appreciate the process – following directions, putting my own twist on the details, and most of all enjoying the sensory experience…the sight, smell, and most of all, the taste, of my creations.
2. Reading
Reading has probably been the greatest and most enduring passion of my entire life, and I can’t recommend it strongly enough. It teaches you so much – empathy, understanding, and appreciation for people in situations, cultures and places completely foreign to your own. It also forces you to slow down and really concentrate on what you’re doing. Whether it’s a means of learning something new, or merely your favourite form of escapism, it’s a hobby that anyone can pick up, and if you’ve never been a reader – it’s time to start.
3. Writing
There’s something really comforting about making sense of the chaos of your own reality by writing it down – imposing a certain sense of order, if only in your own mind. But it doesn’t have to just comprise journalling. You can write anything – stories, poetry, song lyrics, or journalism, whatever strikes your fancy. But whatever it is, it helps you take the time to collect your thoughts, frame your reality the way you understand it, and create something that no-one else could.
4. Music
Even if you think you have no talent, and even if the idea of actually performing your music for anyone else fills you with the ick, music can still be a relaxing, fun and fulfilling past-time. It forces you to concentrate on the task at hand, to practice until perfect, and to enjoy the process. And the reward? You get to create something beautiful and enjoy the sweet sounds of your own relaxation.
5. Exercise
Before you write off this suggestion, hear me out. I used to hate exercising too. It was something I did because I felt like I had to, and every minute of it was about as pleasant in my mind as having my teeth pulled. That was until I discovered exercises I actually liked. For instance, I used to run. I ran because I felt like I should, not because I enjoyed it. In fact, I hated every single second I spent running. I quickly grew to associate fitness with that feeling, and gave it up altogether. It wasn’t until later, when I joined a gym and started trying other things that I really discovered my love of fitness. Now I enjoy lifting weights, doing yoga, hiking and dancing and fitness has become not only something I don’t hate, but something I actively look forward to. Once you find the perfect fitness fit for you, you’ll start to see it not as a punishment, but as a kickass form of stress relief and relaxation, with added health and well-being benefits. Plus once you get used to the awesomeness that is endorphins? There’s no going back.
