One of the things I love about Substack is the ability to foster meaningful connections, conversation, and community.
The goal of these facilitated discussions is to create a safe space and offer connection, encouragement, and support as we go through our respective life journeys, whether that be through suggestions, recommendations, light-hearted discussions, or intimate conversations.
How this works:
I'll pose a prompt/topic/question for discussion.
We will connect and discuss what is posed in the comments below.
Community Guidelines:
No promotions
Keep it H.O.T. (Honest, Open, & Transparent)
Discussion Prompt: I’ve been thinking about thisquote and note that our community member
There was a time in my life when I was so engrossed in self-help and hustle culture that I rejected most forms of rest and enjoyment for the sake of hustle, productivity, and progress. I specifically remember back in college when my friend invited me to the movies, and I was so anxious sitting through the film because I was thinking of all I had to do. I’m so thankful that the Lord delivered me from that toxic way of living and working. He used motherhood to show me how to rest and that there is more to life than just doing. It’s so important that we learn how to be and live too. One of the ways we can do that is through hobbies.
I shared in an old post that a huge part of learning to rest for me was rediscovering old hobbies. I always loved to read. I loved how you could be transported to another world with words, pages, and your imagination through a simple book. So I decided to start reading again but not reading self-help but fiction. Instead of focusing on learning and growing, I focused on resting and enjoying through hobbies.
According to a recent online study published in Nature Medicine, those who have hobbies report being healthier, happier, less depressed, and an overall greater life satisfaction. Research shows that having hobbies can also lead to greater connectedness and less loneliness, especially when shared in a community context. In her book, Holy Hygge, author Jamie Erickson echoed this sentiment after being urged by her mother-in-law to partake in seasonal hobbies that would nurture her heart, mind, and soul season after season. As we approach the summer months, I’ve been giving great consideration to hobbies and how engaging in them can help us to live intentional, whole, and fulfilling lives.
Discussion Question: What hobbies do you engage in for pure enjoyment? Do you have any seasonal hobbies? If so, what hobbies will you be partaking in this summer? If you don’t have any hobbies, what hobbies might you consider adding to your daily, weekly, monthly, or seasonal rhythms?
As of lately, reading and writing have served as my primary, core hobbies. However, I've been really interested in exploring what seasonal hobbies could look like. I've been wanting to tap into creativity lately, and I've always been interested in hand lettering, so I'm considering taking a stab at that or calligraphy. I think that would be a fun summer hobby!
For me they are reading, hiking, gardening, sewing, tea parties, plants, learning new things,playing guitar, being in nature. I read somewhere that you need 5 hobbies: One to make you rich, one to keep you in shape, one to stay creative, one to build knowledge and one to grow your mindset. I try to embrace that.
Oooo, I like the five hobby framework! But also, I don't know if I have the time to commit to five things. 😅😂 Is working out a hobby? I workout regularly. I don't think I consider that as hobby though. More of a daily rhythm.
For me actually, I just discovered that going back to my hobby (writing and reading) which I had abandoned for about 18 years, was the therapeutic healing I had been looking for all through my adult years.
Now that I’m back to writing and reading again, I feel healthier, I sleep better and above all, I feel I have a sense of purpose in my life.
Initially, as an African lady, culturally some of us were raised with the notion that “Your highest achievement, is to be a wife and mother”. After that, then what???
So yes, In my case, I can say, my hobbies are therapeutic activities.
I am with you, FSA! Reading and writing has been the healing I didn't know I needed in this season. And I can totally relate to the notion of being a wife and mother is the highest calling. I think that is also (unfortunately) preached in a lot within church contexts too.
So grateful to have seen my restack on your post Janelle! I too was once engrossed by self-help books to the point where it would cause me anxiety. I've learned to let go a lot more these days. Writing has been a hobby I've been getting back into, but even with it, I'm learning to not be so self-critical and let it ebb and flow with my inspiration. Reading fiction has been a wonderful breath of fresh air. I may consider dabbling into watercolor for the summer and I love the idea of a hobby being seasonal.
Yes, it really gave language to what I've been getting after -- enjoying life and enjoying things just for the sake of enjoying them. I've been getting back into reading and writing over the last year, and it's been so healing. I love the idea of summer watercoloring. I'm going to add that to my list. I'm considering calligraphy. I've always wanted to learn how to hand letter and doodle. The typical "arts" have never been my strong point, but I think it would be so fun to try.
It's so hard when the hobbies you loved in the past become a part of your career! It's great to do what you love for a living, but it's required me to look outside of writing (and sometimes reading) for enjoyment. So far, I've been loving thrifting, hiking, lake walks, hosting intimate gatherings, mixing cocktails/mocktails, and vertical gardening. I'm also beginning to love cooking which I *never* would have thought I'd say even a few years ago. It's so lovely to see how much can change over time when you embrace learning new things.
I love how your hobbies evolved and expanded once one became your career. It's funny that you mentioned mocktails. I decided to cut back on alcohol at the beginning of the year for health reasons, and I've been wanting a low sugar alternative. I was just telling my husband that we should try our hand at recreating our favorite drinks as mocktails, so we can still have an occasional treat. You'll have to share some of your favorites with me!
Mocktails have become such a fun thing to look forward to most nights! I linked to some recent favorites in my last newsletter, but I'm also loving lavender lemonade lately. The viral sleepy girl mocktail is alright, but there are more fun ones out there. I also like the prebiotic sodas on the market too!
I've been loving the prebiotic sodas too! Mainly Olipop. Poppi is okay too. I have your latest newsletter saved in my inbox to catch up on. If I try any of the recipes, I will let you know!
As of lately, reading and writing have served as my primary, core hobbies. However, I've been really interested in exploring what seasonal hobbies could look like. I've been wanting to tap into creativity lately, and I've always been interested in hand lettering, so I'm considering taking a stab at that or calligraphy. I think that would be a fun summer hobby!
For me they are reading, hiking, gardening, sewing, tea parties, plants, learning new things,playing guitar, being in nature. I read somewhere that you need 5 hobbies: One to make you rich, one to keep you in shape, one to stay creative, one to build knowledge and one to grow your mindset. I try to embrace that.
Oooo, I like the five hobby framework! But also, I don't know if I have the time to commit to five things. 😅😂 Is working out a hobby? I workout regularly. I don't think I consider that as hobby though. More of a daily rhythm.
For me actually, I just discovered that going back to my hobby (writing and reading) which I had abandoned for about 18 years, was the therapeutic healing I had been looking for all through my adult years.
Now that I’m back to writing and reading again, I feel healthier, I sleep better and above all, I feel I have a sense of purpose in my life.
Initially, as an African lady, culturally some of us were raised with the notion that “Your highest achievement, is to be a wife and mother”. After that, then what???
So yes, In my case, I can say, my hobbies are therapeutic activities.
I am with you, FSA! Reading and writing has been the healing I didn't know I needed in this season. And I can totally relate to the notion of being a wife and mother is the highest calling. I think that is also (unfortunately) preached in a lot within church contexts too.
So grateful to have seen my restack on your post Janelle! I too was once engrossed by self-help books to the point where it would cause me anxiety. I've learned to let go a lot more these days. Writing has been a hobby I've been getting back into, but even with it, I'm learning to not be so self-critical and let it ebb and flow with my inspiration. Reading fiction has been a wonderful breath of fresh air. I may consider dabbling into watercolor for the summer and I love the idea of a hobby being seasonal.
Yes, it really gave language to what I've been getting after -- enjoying life and enjoying things just for the sake of enjoying them. I've been getting back into reading and writing over the last year, and it's been so healing. I love the idea of summer watercoloring. I'm going to add that to my list. I'm considering calligraphy. I've always wanted to learn how to hand letter and doodle. The typical "arts" have never been my strong point, but I think it would be so fun to try.
It's so hard when the hobbies you loved in the past become a part of your career! It's great to do what you love for a living, but it's required me to look outside of writing (and sometimes reading) for enjoyment. So far, I've been loving thrifting, hiking, lake walks, hosting intimate gatherings, mixing cocktails/mocktails, and vertical gardening. I'm also beginning to love cooking which I *never* would have thought I'd say even a few years ago. It's so lovely to see how much can change over time when you embrace learning new things.
I love how your hobbies evolved and expanded once one became your career. It's funny that you mentioned mocktails. I decided to cut back on alcohol at the beginning of the year for health reasons, and I've been wanting a low sugar alternative. I was just telling my husband that we should try our hand at recreating our favorite drinks as mocktails, so we can still have an occasional treat. You'll have to share some of your favorites with me!
Mocktails have become such a fun thing to look forward to most nights! I linked to some recent favorites in my last newsletter, but I'm also loving lavender lemonade lately. The viral sleepy girl mocktail is alright, but there are more fun ones out there. I also like the prebiotic sodas on the market too!
I've been loving the prebiotic sodas too! Mainly Olipop. Poppi is okay too. I have your latest newsletter saved in my inbox to catch up on. If I try any of the recipes, I will let you know!
Olipop is really good, agreed. I also like Aldi's off-brand prebiotic sodas which are a bit cheaper. You'll have to let me know if you try one!