Life

I Am A Hobby Fanatic And Science Says That’s Good

by Isaac Muller  24 October 2023

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Last September, I picked up snowboarding. I spent two and a half weeks flying down the daunting, snowy Alps of Queenstown, New Zealand with a group of complete strangers from Perth (they invited me via a DM on Instagram — it was pretty insane). The whole time, I was on a massive high, hopping from one adrenaline-spiking activity to another. The more action I packed into that trip, the more energy I had. I can’t wait to go back.

A week later, I started cycling. I now ride everywhere — to work, to the gym, to beaches and parks. I love it. Another huge success.

And no, my driver’s licence wasn’t just suspended. I just love hobbies. I can’t get enough of them. I collect them like some people collect stamps. Drawing, hunting, surfing, hiking, reading. Hobbies keep me on my toes and out of trouble (most of the time). They energise and motivate me. They make me feel like an independent person in control of his own destiny.


I thought maybe there was something wrong with me, but it turns out my obsession with hobbies has been supported and endorsed by the scientific community.

Remember the pandemic lockdowns? Well, they were huge for hobbies, especially for people who felt isolated or challenged by their environment. I myself picked up callisthenics which was beneficial for my mind and body. According to the government’s Life During COVID-19 survey from 2020, 46 percent of Australians started doing more baking and arts and crafts while 43 percent started playing games and doing puzzles. 

Video games were especially popular. According to the National Library of Medicine in the US, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was at the top of the list. “Findings suggest that playing the game helped satisfy various psychological needs — autonomy, relatedness, and competence — as described by Self-Determination Theory,” they said.

As if reading my mind, the ABC was very direct with their recommendation in an article about hobbies: “If you reckon you don’t have time for a hobby, the expert advice is clear. Make some time.” 

They talked to Charles Sturt University researcher and senior lecturer Dr Yazdan Mansourian, who’s been studying hobbies for years. He says there are two types of hobbies, one done “for pure pleasure, for having fun” and the other is classed as “serious leisure”. Serious leisure hobbies can often stem into a career and become part of one’s identity but require skill development. Dr Mansourian also recommends not setting yourself up for failure by being “too ambitious”.

Sorry mate, but if there is one thing I love, it’s diving straight into the deep end and ignoring red flags. If mum sees my dumb idea and I cop an ear full, it means I’ve survived and have nothing to worry about. As for your two types of hobbies, I’m a serious leisure guy but instead of spending time developing the required skills, I just push myself off the side of a mountain and hope the hired snowboard takes care of the rest – sure, one of my bindings broke off mid shred, but I survived.

In the same article (where does the ABC find all these people?), Professor Rob Donovan who does research and program development in a range of health and social policy areas and founded the Act-Belong-Commit campaign, says hobbies can keep us active “mentally, spiritually and socially”. He says they even help give “meaning and purpose in life” and a “sense of resilience and capability”.

Professor Rob is making me sound like some kind of mentally, spiritually and socially stable genius with all these hobbies I’ve got. So, okay, yes, the ABC is clearly pro-hobby. But what about other places?

Well, I’m here to tell you that there are many, many articles about how great hobbies are.

This one, for example, says, “People with hobbies are happier, more relaxed and have good social relationships with others.” That sounds exactly like me!

If drawing or painting is your hobby, you’re in luck because according to Brittany Harker Martin, a professor at University of Calgary, art will improve your mental health and cognitive focus.

“There is a wealth of studies on the relationship between the arts, flow and mental health, and flow-like states have been connected to mindfulness, attention, creativity and even improved cognition,” she said.

Given all of this research and advice, we can’t afford to not have hobbies. (Though I realise that some hobbies are more expensive than others.) If you struggle with starting a hobby on your own, I recommend applying some peer pressure and picking one up with a group of friends. Or just pick a few people you don’t know, like the randoms I went to New Zealand with. They weren’t friends before, but they are now. In fact, if anyone else wants to invite me on an overseas trip, please DM me on Instagram.

Isaac Muller is a proud Palawa and Wiradjuri man and writer at Junkee. Follow him on Instagram. 

Image credit: @isaac.j.f.muller