Getting More Out Of Your Hobbies As An Adult

Oh my goodness, I love my hobbies! And with all of the stresses of the world right now, I have even more of a need for my hobbies and my ‘me time’ more than I ever have before in my life.

I have also made some small changes, and lowered my standards a bit in order to make it all work. In this post, I’ll share how I’m getting the most out of my hobbies as an adult.

No, that’s not me. But I did take the picture! And if you have been lurking around my blog for a while, you know that I LOVE to take my camera to the horse shows, and capture moments like this. Horses have always been my obsession. So it makes sense that some of my hobbies revolve around my love for horses. All right, if I am being completely honest, MOST of my hobbies revolve around horses.

And like many of you, my life is busy. I have a full time job, a part time side hustle with my blog, and a part time YouTube channel that hopefully, one day will be my full time job.

And yes, some of these are my hobbies. I do them for fun, and enjoyment. And you know what? I do not feel guilty at all for making the most of my time, and giving myself permission to be happy with the choices I make.

So here are my top three tips for you to get more out of your hobbies, as an adult.

Remove The Guilt From Having A Hobby

That’s right – you do not need to feel guilty for doing something you love! Look at me, do I look like I’m feeling guilty for enjoying my time in my craft room? Nope! And that is OK!

The first thing you need to tell yourself is that it is ok to want to spend some time on something you love to do. And, there is no end goal in mind. You are not spending time with your horse, or in your garden with an absolute end goal in mind. Well, I am sure you have a goal for whatever it is that your working on. But, there doesn’t have to be. Give yourself to do something you love and enjoy spending your time on. And if you don’t finish something in a set time frame, be ok with that.

Don’t feel bad about giving yourself some joy. You deserve to be happy! You deserve to spend some quality time on yourself. Working hard every day with what you have going on in your life doesn’t have to be 24-7. You need to take some time for yourself to relax, and recharge your mind. And having a hobby, and something to look forward to is a beautiful thing.

Focus On Quality Time

Instead of thinking about the length of time you are dedicating to your hobby, try to change your mindset to focus on the quality of that time you get to spend doing something that you love.

For example, me and my horses. Sure I would love to dedicate at least an hour or two every day to working with my horses. And by working, I thought that meant riding. But when I really thought about what was important to me, it was the time with my horses. And that didn’t necessarily mean riding them.

Getting More Out Of Your Hobbies As An Adult

It also doesn’t mean spending a ton of money to keep up with the equestrian world. Did I want that awesome high tech saddle pad with matchy matchy everything? Of course I did. But would it make a difference in the time I spent with my horse? Absolutely not. So instead of focusing on having the “stuff” that I thought I needed, and instead enjoying every moment with my horse, I have found I enjoy my time much more. I look forward to just going outside and cleaning the barn, because I love it. Or spending 30 minutes massaging my horse, because he enjoys it. It’s not about the stuff, or how much you accomplish. It’s about enjoying the journey of what you are doing.

Keep Learning And Keep Making

There is just something so satisfying at making something, and then displaying it, or giving that creation to someone as a gift. Such a good feeling! And when you are pursuing your hobby, you should continue to challenge yourself. Like my pumpkin making project.

I love decorating for fall. And I love pumpkins. But I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on buying premade pumpkins. Mostly because they can be really expensive. And partly because I don’t want to have the same thing that everyone else has in their fall decorating. I probably think this way because I am constantly looking for ideas in my brain to bring to life, and turn into a video.

So I challenged myself to come up with 20 different pumpkin ideas using Dollar Tree pumpkins.

And so far, I have made 15 different pumpkins! I am having so much fun crafting. And then I am also having fun sharing the process of creating the pumpkins with others who like me, have the same passion for pumpkins.

When you are learning for something you love, it’s fun. So challenge yourself to continue learning, and keep making things! This will truly help you to get more out of your hobbies, no matter how busy you are as an adult.

Getting More Out Of Your Hobbies As An Adult

If you’re feeling like you can’t make time for something that’s just for you, I encourage you to take small steps. Get your supplies prepared, set up whatever space you can, and find even just 10 minutes of time where you can sneak away.

You don’t have to finish anything big. Instead, simply focus on giving yourself permission to have a little bit of creative time as it become a part of your life again. And then continue to make time for yourself, AND your hobbies! Above all else, remember, it’s ok to take time for yourself and do something you love.