What is a Hobby?

A hobby is an activity that people pursue outside of their work, often during leisure time. It can be a way to relax, explore new interests and create art or craft. Hobbies can also help improve mental health and physical fitness, such as by reading or doing jigsaw puzzles.

Some hobbies can be solitary activities like reading or painting, while others can involve people from clubs and other groups, such as photography or choral singing. Those that require specialist equipment or expertise can be expensive, but it is possible to keep costs down by working with what you have or by finding free resources, like books and open source software. Many hobbies can be a social experience, but some are very solitary, including nature observation and gardening.

Finding the right hobby for you can be challenging, and different people have very different tastes. But it is important to try different things until you find something that really engages and excites you. If you have children, encouraging them to develop a hobby from a young age can help them learn new skills and develop healthy habits for life.

Having a hobby that you enjoy can help relieve stress and it can be a great way to meet people with the same interests. If you’re not sure where to start, why not look at the ways you already spend your spare time and see if they could become a hobby. For example, if you love to watch stand-up comedy and have always wanted to do it yourself, why not take an improv class?