Silly question hey, we all know what hobbies are, I am guessing that we have all had them from time to time. What about now?
Hobbies are often the first thing to go when we get busy, when work becomes a stress and a strain, or running a business becomes all consuming, or the general day to day living of life takes over. Hobbies are the things which we feel are a luxury, the thing that we can do without, dropping these immediately buy us more much need time, that one thing we cannot buy and cannot get back.
I know from my own experience, but also from working with my clients, that lost hobbies are often thought about, even reminisced about. That much loved hobby, which brought us so much joy and pleasure, time out where we can just be ourselves and nothing else matters. Does any of that feel familiar? Taking just a little time to escape? Having fun, just for the sake of having fun?
Sometimes we feel like we really don’t have the time, or just cannot afford the cost of a hobby, whether that is the gym or a fitness class, the cinema, an art or craft or any number of other hobbies, life gets in the way…
Using my own experience of when I first started my own business and was still working part time and studying towards my degree, hobbies became a thing of the past. With the exception of one, supporting my beloved Norwich City FC! Although, let’s be fair this is not always an enjoyable or rewarding one!
This may sound familiar to many of you I was working non-stop, because of the workload and time and financial restraints. Which meant I became tired, I withdrew, I found myself forgetting who I was and I had started living to work, it made me unwell and I wasn’t very good company, I had nothing to say and I had no energy. Back then I dare not take time for me; I felt that if I stopped, everything around me would fail. I am guessing you may have either felt like this at one time or another, or know someone who has.
Luckily I noticed this, my awareness was there and I started to make small changes, I made time for me. Just small things to start with, like a regular walk down the beach or meeting a friend for a coffee, it reminded me that there is a big wide world out there, one which I was a part of. I enjoyed breathing that fresh air into my lungs or chatting to friends, and it energised me, it made me happy, I felt freer.
I then started to swim regularly, whether I was busy or not, and I made sure I found the money. I became fitter and healthier, I was seeing more people and I started to feel better and more energised, I had more focus and gained more clarity in my studies and my business.
I then started to take even more time; meeting with friends, joining a yoga class amongst other things and what I found was the more time I spent taking care of me, looking after my well-being, and having fun, the opposite of my fears happened. I didn’t fail, I succeeded, I passed my degree, my business grew and continues to go from strength to strength, I am stronger, happier and healthier and everyone and everything around me benefits and I know my clients report back with very similar stories when they also dare to take back time for them!
Having heard my story, and knowing that many of my clients have similar stories, I want you to now ask yourself this – Can I afford not to? Can I afford to not make the time, or not find that extra money to do that thing which makes such a difference to how I feel?
So my challenge to you this week even if just for an hour, rediscover one of your hobbies, take that time for you, take time to notice the difference it makes to you, to how you feel and the impact on those around you. I would love to know how it goes.
If you feel like you would like some help, do please get in touch for an informal, no obligation chat, or maybe even book yourself an introductory session, 30 minutes of your time could just change your life!
Until next time!
Emma
