In my days, I’ve met many miserable people. A lot of them had something in common: they didn’t do anything. They had no interests or activities they enjoyed in their free time. They’d rather shop around for any vice, relationship, drink or drug, to fill their void and end up in a vicious cycle of codependence and upset. Everybody needs a constructive pastime to occupy themselves, to avoid sinking into the pit of self. Since January is National Hobby Month, now is a better time than ever to find a hobby. A hobby can be as simple as solving jigsaw puzzles and coloring to something more articulate and involved like baking or playing an instrument. When I was at my most depressive, the search for people to fill my void for me only led me further down the uncertain and harmful path I was on. Deciding to invest in an electric guitar 8 or so months ago gave me an outlet I can’t go a day without. I still stink at it but pushing myself to learn a song I love just outside of my ability or picking a scale and trying to make a fun riff out of it for a few minutes each day channels whatever negativity I had been feeling into something positive. I can’t imagine where I’d be without a hobby, so I believe one of the best things someone can do for their well-being this National Hobby Month is to find their thing, a hobby of their own that gives them a way to express themselves and release emotions in a healthy and productive way.
-Jonathan Key
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