The importance of Hobbies.

What a month this has been?!?

We’ve had broken bones, manic work weeks, limited sleep and utter exhaustion. On top of that I haven’t had the time to do anything active and as you’ll read, I haven’t been allowed to do anything remotely active for the last 3 weeks.

March has shown me that having hobbies is so bloody important. 1) It gives you a purpose, 2) It helps to release excess energy and tension that you didn’t even realise you were holding, and 3) Without it, you just have work… literally just work, work work.

So long story short, earlier this month, on March 15th, I was wandering down the corridor at work and found myself walking (what I thought was carefully) on the wet floor. Next thing I know, I’ve slipped over and slammed my elbow on the hard floor. Ouch! Thinking it was all grand, and just a bruised elbow and a dented ego, my lovely friend Rachel gave me an ice pack and some paracetamol for it, and on we went to the Quiz Night being held in the hall.

Saturday morning I woke up in more pain and a lump the size of an egg coming out from my elbow. So a trip to the Walk in told me that I had severe bruising and a chipped elbow and I would have to be in a sling for at least 2 weeks and not do any sport/physical activity for at least 4…

Ask anyone who knows us, and they’ll tell you that we live for sport. So, not being able to do anything for 4 weeks is torture. So much so, in fact, that yesterday morning I went back to Trampolining; I couldn’t help myself… I survived, just about! My elbow is still sore and I can see (and feel) it’s not quite there yet but I am doing so much better.

Hobbies are different for everyone, and everyone has different reasons for doing them. Some want to burn off excess energy, some do it for health reasons, whether that is mental, emotional or physical, and some purely want to be creative, without there being a deadline attached.  But overriding everything in my opinion is that people have hobbies for fun.

I thought I would use this blog to talk about some the hobbies I have and how they help me, sometimes without me even realising it.

1. Trampolining

As I have written before, trampolining is one of my most favourite things in the world to do. It keeps me active and fit whilst also giving me a great sense of achievement every time I go. Recently I have begun double backs on the trampoline and I cannot describe the feeling, the exhilaration I felt the first time I landed back on my feet. In trampolining you are literally flying and can learn something new every time you are up there. I honestly don’t think I will ever get bored with it! The last 3 weeks have taught me, not to take this hobby, and especially this one, for granted. I have literally been bouncing (excuse the pun) around with all this energy and itching to get back to doing something. Now I am back, I don’t intend on taking anymore time out.

2. Family and Friends

Does this count as a hobby? Maybe, maybe not; but I will write about them anyway. Spending time with the people I love and care about is hugely important to me. I don’t care what we do, as long as I am with them. Work can sometimes take over our minds and lives, and suddenly time has run away and we haven’t spent any proper quality time together. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that work is not the be all and end all, and in reality it is just a small part of our lives.  Going out for a coffee, chilling out around the house, or doing something like climbing through the trees on a Go Ape course, with my favourite people is the best! Must, must, must do these things more often :).

3. Reading and Writing

When I can, I do lots and lots and lots of reading! I can’t get enough. In the Christmas holidays I read 4 and a half books in 2 weeks. It is so lovely to just sit down and escape from life, and your thoughts with a good book and a cup of tea. Stories have always intrigued me and a whole range of books appeal to me. Books I know for many people are a form of escapism and it is no different for me. It doesn’t matter what you are trying to escape from, somewhere out there, there is a book to suit you and the situation you are in. For example a book that changed my life was Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses. Never before had I read a book that was so many different things all at once; exciting, informative, upsetting and eye-opening to name but a few. A book that sucks you in, keeps you engaged, turning the pages, to then spit you out the other end, questioning what you have just read and thinking about it for days on end, is well worth the emotions it makes you feel and the time it takes you to process all that you have read. There is no better hobby for when you just want to chill out, and best of all, ESCAPE!

Writing is something I haven’t done very much of, but it is something I want, and need to do more of; hence the start of this blog. I’m not the best writer and I most likely never will be but I love it! The concept that, what is just an idea in your brain, can be written down, to form stories, letters, diaries and even blogs, rearranged and then maybe published (not always but sometimes) for people to read is just mind-blowing. Writing can be used for so many things, for personal use in a diary or private blog to talk about feelings that cannot yet be expressed to people around them or maybe to write a book for people all over the world to devour and enjoy. The possibilities are endless and that notion moves and motivates me. This is one of my favourite hobbies to do, and I know I need to do more blogs (sorry about that) and one day maybe I’ll even go bigger and actually write something more than 1000 words. But for now, this is enough 🙂

Three of my main hobbies written about and I am done. I’ve come to the end of another blog and I am proud. I still hold onto the hope that I will write more than one a month but that will still depend on time and work unfortunately!

If anyone is still following and reading and would like to see me write about something please let me know? For now though it is looking like my next blog will be based around being in the great NYC! Bring it on!!

Sinead xx