Hobbies are activities that people take up in their spare time to relax and enjoy. They can be casual where they are infrequent or short-lived or serious where they are very committed and long-term. The activities can be creative or practical, such as sewing or making jewelry, or both. They can also be social like playing games or taking part in a book club.
Hobbies can be used to develop skills and knowledge in a particular area, to meet new friends or to help relieve stress. Some hobbies are physical and involve sports or fitness, such as cycling or yoga. Others are creative such as writing a novel, painting or photography. Others have a technological aspect such as programming or 3D printing. Some hobbies are project-based and involve completing something for a specific period of time such as a quilt or a science fair model. Some are artistic such as designing and making a costume or making sculptures out of paper.
Having a hobby gives you a focus and a reason to be active, which in turn can reduce or eliminate boredom. Hobbies also have the effect of reducing stress by helping you to relax and by diverting your attention from day-to-day concerns.
Hobbies also make you more interesting to others. They give you something to talk about at parties or over the water cooler and they add layers to your identity, richness to your self-concept. They also provide a sense of pride and accomplishment.
