Hobbies are an important way to keep a healthy balance of recreation in our lives. Our bodies and our minds need a chance to recuperate. If we don’t have good hobbies to break up the monotony of all the work, work, work, eventually we will crash and return to unhealthy behavior like doom scrolling. Our bodies and minds need a break, and if we don’t give ourselves a break, eventually our body will take a break itself. We will eventually break one way or the other. It is much better to get ahead of the game by scheduling our hobbies into our daily routine. Opportunities abound to adopt great hobbies. And now, with the simple method of ABC, it has never been easier to choose your hobbies.
To maintain a healthy balance of recreation in your life, all you have to do is remember ABC. A is for Activity. B is book. C is for craft. Everyone needs to have all three of the ABC’s of hobbies in his or her life at least once a week to maintain a balanced lifestyle. The goal of this article is to encourage you to examine your daily routine to see if you have met your need for the ABC’s of hobbies.
An activity is something like hiking, biking, horseback riding, skiing, sailing, exercising, weightlifting, playing sports etc. An activity is something that gets you up off the couch and out of the house. It requires movement. It means going somewhere to do something. However, and activity should not be confused with “things that need to get done around the house.” Hobbies are things that you do for fun. They are not things that “have to get done.” Weed whacking, while it requires movement and getting outside, does not qualify as “recreation.” In general, manual labor will not count as recreation – with the exception of gardening. Gardening is a good, healthy activity which many consider to be a hobby. It definitely counts as recreation. Cutting the grass is work. But planting flowers is a hobby! Similarly, feeding the animals or watering the crops are examples of chores, not hobbies. (A side note for all of you Catholics out there: I am not talking about the distinction between work you can and can’t do on Sundays here. Not all hobbies are necessarily things that you can do on a Sunday. For example, building a log cabin in the backyard is an excellent hobby but, in my opinion, not something you should do on a Sunday. You should choose your Sunday activities in accordance with the guidelines of the Church.) Watching TV, playing video games, “doom scrolling” are not activities. Rather, activities should be things that get you away from screens and electronics.
It is important to always have a book to read. We should always be furthering our education. We should plan to continue studying our whole life. I am talking about an actual, physical book with paper pages. Some people like to listen to audio books, or watch podcasts on the internet, and there is a time and a place for that. But how long has it been since you have actually read a book? A book can be anything from the encyclopedia to self-help to novels. Newspaper and magazines don’t count! There are so many books out there! We can spend a lifetime reading, and hardly put a dent in the wealth of information that is available to us. However, if you are going to read a book, read a good one. Start with the classics. There is a reason they are called “classics.” Everyone should read the whole Bible at some point. We should also make it a point to read spiritual works and lives of the saints from time to time. But don’t waste your time on cheap romance novels that you find next to the video game section at Walmart. Having a book to read as a hobby should not be confused with mandatory reading for school or work, etc. It should be the reading that you do “for fun!” Also, I would encourage you to do your spiritual reading or Scripture reading as a “devotional” in addition to your book that you are reading for “recreation”
Finally, you should have a craft. A craft is something that you do with your hands that requires some art to produce. Doing something with your hands is therapy for a tired mind. Examples of a craft include but are not limited to: painting, woodworking, sewing, playing a musical instrument, building model airplanes, making Christmas tree ornaments, pottery, whatever! Sorry, eating is not a “craft.” Neither does drinking count as a craft, even if the name of the beverage consumed has the word “craft” in it. However, baking or winemaking or any other kind of foodcraft definitely counts as a craft, as long as you don’t make the excuse that cooking dinner counts as your “craft.” God created human beings to be producers, not consumers. He made us in His image and likeness, and that is why He gave us the ability to cooperate in His creative act of building things. Thus, having a craft is more than just a hobby. It is the exalted privilege to imitate our Creator.
Everyone needs the ABC’s of hobbies to keep his or her life balanced. Let me encourage you to re-examine your schedule today to see where you can fit these things in. Don’t let any obstacle or excuses prevent you from practicing your hobbies. If you have kids, bring the kids! Read out loud to the kids. Teach your kids a craft! If you feel you are too busy to have a hobby, ask yourself, “too busy doing what?” Life is not about just about doing work. Life is what happens when you take a break from all the work and find time for the ABC’s of hobbies.