Turning to hobbies can help us cope with stress, alleviate mental health issues, encourage an active lifestyle, and much more. But what if you don’t know what you'd like your hobby to be?
The NPR podcast Life Kit explored the importance of having a hobby in it's episode "You Need a Hobby. Here's How to Find One." Hobbies are things like needlepoint, making homemade pasta, and our favorite here at the Arboretum, gardening. According to Dr. Yoshi Iwasaki, Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health and Recreation in the College of Health and Human Sciences at San Jose State University, hobbies bring meaning to your free time. Does scrolling Instagram and TikTok count as a hobby? Probably not. A hobby creates connection, identity, and autonomy. It leads to a joyful life, a connected life, a discovered life, a composted life, and an empowered life.
https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2018/01/5-ways-to-bring-meaning-to-your-free-time.html
The Life Kit podcast offers several ideas on finding a hobby you’d enjoy, such as starting small and reaching out to an expert community for assistance with your beginning. We encourage you to try gardening with us to get your hands dirty, so to speak. Our volunteering events are open to the public and will get you familiar with campus and what it takes to keep things green. You’ll learn about the challenges and rewards of gardening, you’ll be able to ask questions of our experts, and you’ll meet new people as well.
If you’re interested in scheduling a volunteer event for you and your friends, for a class you’re in, or for your student club, drop us a line! We’d love to hear from you!