4 min read Advice

Why You Need Hobbies, Interests, and Should Read the News

I recently attended the annual meeting of a professional association I am a member of. I usually avoid these meetings. They are slow, dry, and often unproductive. A lot of talking, not a lot of doing. But this time I had to attend to cast a vote for new directors.

While sitting there, I could not help but notice something. The average age of attendees was in their 50s. The directors were mostly in their 60s. There was talk about needing “new blood” and “refreshing” the association, but when it came time to vote, nothing changed. The same people stayed in place. The same ideas carried forward.

That was frustrating, but it was not the part that stuck with me. What stood out was the conversations. As I spoke with more people, I quickly remembered why I dislike these events. Most of the members lived to work. There was very little going on outside of their jobs. No hobbies. No interests. No curiosity beyond their field. No one talked about anything besides work.

And then it clicked. A lot of them do not want to retire because they have nothing to retire to. That is a dangerous place to be. This is why you need hobbies, interests, and some awareness of what is happening in the world. Work should not be your entire personality.

Why You Need a Hobby

There is the obvious anecdotal reason above, but there are also very practical ones.

  1. Stress reduction - Work stress compounds. Hobbies give your brain a break and help reset your baseline.
  2. Your brain needs variety - Doing the same type of work every day narrows how you think. Hobbies introduce new inputs and keep your brain flexible.
  3. Burnout prevention - If your only mental loop is work, you never really disconnect. Hobbies force a context switch.
  4. Physical benefits - If your hobby is active, you get the added benefit of better health, energy, and longevity.
  5. Non-work connections - Hobbies often introduce you to people outside of your industry. That alone is valuable.

Unlike the folks I met at that meeting, I have a lot of hobbies and interests. Probably too many, which is its own problem. I am actually looking forward to retirement so I can spend more time on them, not because I want to escape work. 

I also find it odd when people say they do not have a hobby. A hobby does not need to be complicated. It can be:

  • Walking
  • Reading
  • Cooking
  • Building something
  • Learning a random skill

When we lived downtown Toronto, walking was our hobby. We would spend hours exploring the city and finding places we did not know existed.

Why You Need Interests Outside of Work

Hobbies are what you do. Interests are what you think about. They matter just as much.

  1. They keep you from becoming narrow - If all you consume is work-related content, your thinking becomes predictable. Interests expose you to different ideas.
  2. They improve problem solving - Your brain connects ideas across domains. That is where better solutions come from.
  3. They make you more interesting - This one is underrated. If all you talk about is work, conversations get repetitive. Interests give you range. They help in:
    • Work settings
    • Client interactions
    • Social environments
  1. They reduce overthinking - If work is your only mental outlet, your brain keeps looping on it. Interests act as a circuit breaker.

Also Read the News

This is the third piece most people ignore. I am not talking about scrolling headlines or arguing online. I mean intentionally staying informed.

  1. It helps you understand the world you operate in - Interest rates, inflation, policies, and industry trends all affect your life whether you pay attention or not.
  2. It improves decision making - Better information leads to better decisions, especially when it comes to money and career.
  3. It builds awareness and perspective - If you read from multiple sources, you start to recognize bias and filter information better.
  4. It gives you an edge in conversations - Being informed makes you more credible. People notice.
  5. It helps you spot opportunities - Not everything in the news is negative. A lot of opportunities show up there first.

Final Thought

Work is where you earn. Hobbies are where you grow. Interests are what keep your mind active.

Staying informed keeps you grounded in reality. If you ignore everything outside of work, you end up with nothing to step into when work is gone. And that is not a great position to be in.

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