Why you don’t always have to be good at your hobbies

Hobbies are good for our mental well-being and in many cases also contribute to better physical health, which has been scientifically proven several times. And to reap those health benefits, you don’t even have to be good at your hobbies. Always wanting to get better is not necessary at all: sometimes it is even nice to mess around a bit and see where it ends.

Especially when it comes to sports or creative hobbies, it seems important for many people to get better. Every painting must be more beautiful, every moment of power must be heavier and every song sung must be purer. With those thoughts, however, you put yourself in a certain position Busy that takes the fun out of it. Of course, you can get better, but you don’t have to. The power of a hobby is not in the end result, but in it process.

I’m not good at my hobbies and that’s okay

I myself experienced that pressure for years, with the result that I quickly resumed hobbies gave up. Because I didn’t get any better at it, but I did have the feeling that this was how it should be, I lost the fun in it. Now I know better and have finally found hobbies that make me realize that it’s all about the process – from gymnastics and surfing to spending hours in the kitchen and reading novels.

In gymnastics I have been practicing the same for half a year – with very slow progression skill and in surfing I still don’t get much further than the beginner waves. But you know? I don’t even care if I don’t make much of it. Because despite that I look forward to my hours in the gymnastics hall every week and I drive when I can full of enthusiasm towards the sea. I’m not going to become an Olympic champion anyway, so I better enjoy it fall and rise.

Another example? For years I thought that loving reading was also reading heavy literature. I read with pain and effort classics and literary stories that did little for me, because only then could I call myself a reader. Complete nonsense of course, I now know that too. Since I took that pressure off and read what I feel like, even if it’s a sappy novel that goes viral on TikTok, I’m having fun reading it again. And that’s fine, because I’m doing it for myself own relaxation.

Why you don’t have to be good at your hobbies

No pressure to make your hobby your job

In a society in which much seems to revolve around money, it is regularly said that you should make your hobby your job. Each side hustle generates extra income and earning money by doing something you enjoy is a positive argument. Well, there is of course nothing wrong with it if it is your dream, making your hobby your job, but by putting a certain pressure on it, we almost forget what hobbies are intended for in the first place: having fun and relax. And that goes a lot better when your hobby is not your greatest talent.

Not always wanting to perform

If you only practice hobbies that you are extremely good at, the pressure to perform on the lurk. If you normally run long distances, a short run quickly feels like doing nothing. If you normally make paintings worthy of sale, then an hour of relaxed messing around quickly feels like a failure. Without those expectations, enjoying the process is a lot easier.

Want to try new things faster

Once you realize you don’t have to be good at hobbies, you lower the threshold to get on something new to start. And that in turn is very good for our mental health, according to science.

Suzanne about the power of your energy system and how to recognize your own blockages