Hobby horse

MINDFUL MOMENTS # 134

What does it mean to have hobbies?

It’s a very strange word, ‘hobby’, isn’t it? To me, it is one of those words that if you think too hard about it, or look too long at it, it suddenly seems nothing more than five strange letters strung together and loses all meaning.

Most people lose their hobbies, somewhere between finishing school and having a career. Maybe they’re picked up again during retirement, whether new or old, but what happened in between? And why is it important to have hobbies?

I remember learning about the etymology of the word ‘hobby’ (see, now I’ve written it so many times it looks weird) about a year ago. Then, recently, I was reminded of it by my friend who posts cartoons on Instagram and he did one about a hobbyhorse (see here; adult viewing is advised).

The word hobby is a shortened term from ‘hobbyhorse’ - those horses’ heads on sticks that you can still buy. What I enjoy most about the origin of this is that, by definition, a hobby was defined as “an activity that doesn’t go anywhere” (Eytmology Online). That, I feel, is the crux of having hobbies: that they are purely for our enjoyment and exist in a space outside of the need for betterment, financial gain or career advancement. Of course, some hobbies can end up being competitive or lucrative, but in their core, this is not a necessity of a hobby and having those aspects is likely to change the nature of our enjoyment.

When patients come to see me with low mood, I often ask about what they do for pleasure; do they have any hobbies? About half the time, I’m met with a slightly stammering non-response and look of bewilderment.

When I first started this newsletter, one of my primary goals was to help its readers explore a sense of purpose that exists outside of the 9-5. I had noticed how many of us seemed to exist as only identifiable by the work that we do to pay the bills. Having purpose outside of the 9-5 helps give us a sense of joy that is distinct from whatever has or hasn’t happened at work. Remember, hobbies are activities that don’t need to go anywhere; it’s something you do for you. Often, this is something that feeds the creative part of yourself - baking, sewing, drawing, calligraphy, making music - and I believe we all have that part in us.

Mindful moment: We are multi-faceted creatures. We do not exist in just one plane of activity; we are distinct from other animals in that we have the possibility of creative expression. If we can nurture that part of ourselves, we can discover feelings of enjoyment and contentment that are ours to keep coming back to. And, should we ever find ourselves struggling - whether with with low mood, stress at work or at home - this is something we will have to come back to; whose sole and purest purpose is simply to be enjoyed for enjoyment’s sake.

YOGA

Mindful Movement with Laura

Join us every Saturday from 11am-12.15 at the Cornerstone Community Centre in Hove for an all-levels vinyasa yoga flow class, meditation and mindfulness (mats provided or bring your own). £6 per class or £24 for 5.

Upcoming classes:

October 28th, November 4th, 11th, 25th (no class Nov 18th)

REFLECT

“Autumn - overlooked my Knitting”

- Emily Dickinson

Mindful moment: An amuse-bouche (although it feels wrong to use the words ‘amuse’ adjacent to a commentary about Dickinson…) from one of Emily Dickinson’s poems. Did she overlook her knitting, and allow her hobbies to fall to the wayside? Or did autumn look over her as she knit? What will autumn overlook you doing? If it feels difficult to start, could you use the Christmas gifting season to produce something for someone else, thus taking yourself out of the equation?

Have we met?

Welcome to the Community.

I'm Laura, a yoga teacher and NHS doctor. With this weekly newsletter I aim to help you incorporate mindful moments into your week. I want you to feel inspired, empowered and creative. I promise to always be authentic; to only include content that speaks to me and which, therefore, I hope will do the same for you.

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Thank you for reading! Until next time, Laura x