Hobbies

Cultivate hobbies for happiness, next year. A hobby is a regular activity enjoyed during one’s leisure as recreation. It is an activity that provides fun and relaxation. It is an ancient activity of humans: Caesar Augustus was an avid coin collector. It is said the Persians, Greeks and Romans used scale models of forts and coast defence lines to plan battles. Kids played with toys like train sets. They grew up to engage in more adult hobbies like these war games. The term ‘hobby’ comes from the 16th century word ‘hobyn’ which means small horse or pony. The original object, a ‘Tourney horse’’ was made of a wooden basketwork frame with an artificial head and tail, so that a child could experience riding a real horse. George Orwell observed about the English, “the addiction to hobbies and spare time occupations... We are a nation of flower lovers, but also a nation of stamp collectors, pigeon fanciers, amateur carpenters, coupon snipers, darts players, crossword puzzle fans…” Hobbies often involve meeting an interesting community of others involved in the same activity. Events are often organized around these activities, as are magazines and websites. As a result, a hobby creates an enjoyable network of friends and associates. A hobby usually results in a feeling of achievement. The pleasure of a hobby lies in making something of value or achieving something of value. These activities involve five broad categories: collecting, making and tinkering (embroidery, can restoration), activity participation (fishing and singing), sports (gulf, running) and liberal art hobbies (languages, cuisine literature). However a number of hobbies remain solitary. The intellectual and physical stimulation a hobby provides is a clear attraction. Research proves that hobbies impact healthy aging. Hobbies provide adults with play. An absorbing hobby can greatly improve your life satisfaction levels. The unconditional and gentle relationships, you could build through hobbies can fill your life with happiness breaks. So find and pursue an absorbing hobby in the year ahead.