I consider a hobby to be something I loved to do as a child, but later grew up to understand, due to various circumstances, that I might not be able to pursue it anymore fulltime. It’s something that still brings me joy and makes me engage with parts of myself I thought I had buried a while ago, while getting busy with more important things like academics or work.
Now, of course, a hobby doesn’t have to be something that I’ve been doing for a while, it can also be something new that I have been wanting to try out now, as a student or an adult!
But I get it, sometimes life can be too much with just focusing on academics or work. It’s difficult to add hobbies to the already packed schedule and thrive at everything. But the fact that you’re even here, reading this blog to understand how you could possibly balance things out means you’re halfway there! And this effort won’t go unnoticed.
I’m by no means an expert on this. I’m just a 4th-year university student currently balancing studies, a part-time job and some extracurriculars. However, doing all this has allowed me to strengthen my sense of time management. Therefore, I am happy to share some tips and tricks that have worked out for me!
My current hobbies include learning more about pre-history, going to the gym consistently and getting better at identifying geographical locations! Yours can be anything you have an interest in, like knitting or snorkeling! 🙂
Welcome to Time-Management 101 (at least my version of it).
Making a visual schedule
I’ve noticed that having a set schedule with all your tasks and activities for the week helps a lot in terms of planning and understanding where you could have time to fit in your hobby. You can also colour-coordinate your schedule if you’re feeling extra whimsical! I also like to have an assignment/to-do tracker (example given below) that helps me plan ahead for when I can spend more time towards my hobby.
Being consistent with it
(yes, even if you have that one show you need to catch up on!)
It’s very easy to sometimes skip doing your hobby when you have other priorities. However, ignoring your hobby consistently often turns it into a skill you used to know. I’ve personally gone through this, and the regret of forgetting this skill is painful (like when I lost most of my ability to engage with and read Japanese). Being consistent and ensuring that you take time out of your schedule to do something you like is rewarding, not just because you like doing it, but also because it keeps you grounded and helps alleviate stress from other priorities!
It’s a hobby, not a chore
Contrary to the previous point, your hobby is still your second priority. Spending too much time on it to the point that it conflicts with your studies and work might not have the best outcome. A hobby, at least in my opinion, has to be something you enjoy doing, not something that might add to your workload. So, being mindful of that and setting boundaries will help ensure that you can: 1. Continue to do the hobby for fun and, 2. Use it as a break from your daily mandatory tasks!
Start small, but keep at it
This is not really a point on time-management, but more so to help you understand why you’re doing this activity in the first place. For example, learning about specific geographic locations on the side wasn’t an easy task, and I wanted to give up when it got hard. At times like this, taking a step back and taking it easy might be the way to go. Don’t give up just yet! Keep at it for a while, even if it’s a smaller dedication, and you’ll eventually see a lot of progress!
I hope these points have given you some guidance or motivation to get into a hobby that you find interesting. Please let us know in the comments if you have something in mind you’d want as a hobby! 👀
