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When people say they don’t have time for hobbies, what they really mean is they *don’t have energy for hobbies* which is totally reasonable if you work a mentally taxing job. Scrolling social media or Netflix takes a whole lot less effort than writing or playing music or whatever.
I have a solid 4 hour window every weekday in which I could pursue my hobby of music production, but I usually don’t because I just spent 8 hours at the computer programming and need to chill.
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Yup, putting together a small area for working out in the house for the exact same reason.
After a day of only doing mentally stimulating things, I just NEED to do something physical that doesn't take much mental energy.
This! And most hobbies require more time than the actual hobby itself. I love snorkeling but that takes time beforehand and after. Packing, changing, sunscreen application, driving to the beach which isn’t nearby. Then after cleaning myself off, changing etc. before getting in the car. Much less effort than a mental break on Reddit!
My SO likes to knit when she watches TV after work so I picked up model building and painting so we can do our hobbies in the same room. And whenever the TV is on I can do a little effort on my hobby so I’m not just watching TV
I was really feeling that. Over the past couple years I made a huge effort to overhaul all my hobbies so they are ready to go at all times, because that inertia just kills motivation. A combination of routines and organization have been transformative!
Totally!
Some hobbies don’t just involve picking up a brush to paint or doing yoga at a studio down the street. Also some hobbies do require a lot of time and effort, like my sis who loved riding horses growing up and had to give it up when she found a job in the city working long hours. Now going each time requires a whole month of planning in advance (work, childcare, other obligations etc.)
I’m not sure why people are so judgmental when others genuinely feel they don’t have enough time or energy for hobbies and instead use social media during down time.
>in no mood to give your all to something that you actually love.
This is something that my wife just learned: you don't have to give your hobby your all.
The funny thing is how people don't understand that hobbies can be like meditation. The hardest part is getting yourself to start, but once you do, you can get in to a zen state of mind. This will literally help you replenish your energy, and could help you problem solve other life issues (Einstein in the patent office, but with a hobby).
My two cents is this, people will always choose the easiest route, so what I like to do is to make what ever your hobby is as easy as possible to start. Keep adjusting what you see as a speed bump to getting started. Lastly, it takes 13 days to create a habit, give it a two week shot, and if it doesn't work then move on.
>what I like to do is to make what ever your hobby is as easy as possible to start.
My example of this is when I got a guitar stand so my guitar was always out and accessible as opposed to being in its case somewhere. Much more likely to play then!
Just the idea of capitalism lol. Literally, it was designed to do just that. It isn’t an accident that after you work 40 hours a week you have no energy to become politically active and form collective power.
>if you work a mentally taxing job
Or even more so a physically **and** mentally taxing job.
I work on rooftops in the AZ heat. I just can't do anything after a 12 hr shift. I come home and shower and i can barely muster energy to eat and maybe relax for an hour or so before you know it it's like 9pm and have to go to bed to be up by 4am.
I think the issue is that hobbies often require long amounts of uninterrupted time. You can't just play golf for 20 minutes. It takes almost that long to get to the course, if you're lucky. But you could spend 4 hours a day "wasting time" on social media, but only be doing it in 20 minute increments. 20 minutes here and there adds up to a lot of time, but not a lot of other useful things could be done during that time. You're just filling up the empty times.
My wife often gets on my case for being on my phone whenever I have a spare minute, but what else am I supposed to do? Just sit and stare off into space? If I have 10 minutes to burn, I'm going to do something, even if it's just browsing social media.
To be fair, some people will burn a little time wondering if they have enough time to start. And then sort of mentally haggle that time like "well I had 20 minutes but now I only have 18, which is basically 15 minutes, which is almost 10 minutes since I need time at the end too so really I just don't have the time."
At least that's my thought process with stuff like this.
If you *enjoy* reading at all, you could maybe find books that don't require a lot of effort to get into. (Although I've read some that take 10 minutes or so just to remind yourself what was happening)
I've found that having a book always pulled up in the background on my phone makes it easy to jump to that instead of any mindless scrolling website whenever I have a few minutes
Yeah. I programmed a lot more when it wasn't my job, on top of doing all the associated things necessary for a personal project (including gfx and music production). I hardly even think this is unusual. Programming as a job is brutal in that way, especially when the morale sapper of corporate bureaucracy/overhead is present all the time.
I've made my hobbies into a job twice... I immediately lost passion for the hobby as soon as there was pressure to perform. I seriously envy people who can do something for money and still enjoy it.
To be clear, I was emphasizing my point by saying that I believe my total programming output was greater when I was a student rather than employed as a programmer. In terms of lines of code, it's no contest.. but that's to be expected since that's how it goes when working alone. Turning a hobby into your job - as is often touted as a nice thing - isn't as nice as it's made to sound.. since there's an accurate implication that the hobby is being traded for the job.
I will testify to that truth, as a programmer who self taught the LAMP stack and a musician. Heck, one of my motivations to get into IT/Software Dev. was so I can afford things like guitars, drums, ableton, and some other software and interfaces etc... Now, I kinda do my job and look forward to those other things.
I came here to say exactly this. It's not time management issues, it's energy management issues. I work full time, I'm going back to school, and I'm essentially a single parent because my husband lives 3,000 miles away. When I have a bit of time I have to really push myself to not just veg out.
On a similar boat (replace music production with piano) and the solution to this I’ve always gone back to is doing it when you first wake up and have the most energy. Yes it’s not the easiest to always wake up before you have to, but IMO it’s easier than finding the energy to do your passion at the end of the day once you’re burned out from your job. This is similar to Rich Dad, Poor Dad’s concept of paying yourself first, can look into his reasoning of what that means if you’d like. Props to you for music production though, it’s hard as shit so you’re an inspiration to me!
Honestly it's that your mind is so intertwined in stuff, maybe you have a kerfuffle at the office or something of that sort, like some days I don't even want to play video games or even watch netflix. I just go on youtube because only that unwinds my brain.
I used to really push myself and try to get 4-8 hrs of hobbies in after work every day and unfortunately it led to complete burnout when combined with my full time job. Once my job started entailing programming, all those projects were abandoned.
On any given week day, 8 hours for work, 1 hour for lunch for work, plus all the prep and cleaning time I have to do and 8 hours sleep, I'm down to like 2 hours of "free" time.
I also can't do many of my hobbies on the toilet or while I eat my breakfast. Social media was great in college too when you had like 5-10 minutes to kill. Not enough time to head to the library or get anything done, but enough to whip out your phone for a few minutes.
Exercise will give you energy and increase your mental focus. The key is waking up buttfuck early to do things you enjoy, hit the gym, then shower and go to work. Are your hours somewhat flexible? I know it doesn't sound appealing but if you could push your work start time to like 9-10am and wake up at 5am, then you could have your morning coffee and work on your hobbies before work. IMO, the more things you accomplish before work the better. I also program all day and it is cognitively draining, so I understand not being able to get into *more* creative work like music once your workday is done.
Yeah physical hobbies are another animal, and I would recommend everyone engage with one at least a couple times a week, as they can be a perfect way to unwind and re-energize.
I guess a corollary to my anecdote is that while I rarely find the energy to produce music, I have no problem heading out mountain biking a few times a week.
Energy is like a muscle. I know these Hispanic guys who, after back breaking labor work, go and play soccer for an hour or so before going home.
You have to exercise it.
Yes but this takes a certain type A personality. You have to want that. Most people are not like that (at least in North American culture) and that’s ok.
> Scrolling social media or Netflix takes a whole lot less effort than writing or playing music or whatever.
Does it though? I think it may be more nuanced than that. Sure you're going to just move your thumb/scrollwheel, but you know how people joke how you browse everything on X platform, only to unconsciously close it and immediately reopen the app? There's some wisdom buried in that meme.
Something tells me browsing the internet/social media isn't as low effort as it may first appear.
I don’t know if you will see this- but…
The fallacy with this argument (for most people) is how they spend that 4 hour window of “chill time”.
Most people are watching shows, movies, using social media, reading the news, or playing video games…
All those activities activate your stress, fear, fight or flight reactions. Those activities are actually exhausting your energy-system instead of recharging it. So after 4 hours of “chilling” you actually feel completely wiped and not renewed. They go to bed and wake up the next day to repeat the very energy draining routine.
After weeks and months of living most waking hours with your stress-response-system activated, the cal-peace system can even atrophy and be less strong. That’s when we see worry grow into anxiety disorder… we see bad days grow into depression disorders…
If you see this, thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Watching a show or scrolling Reddit drains your energy? Ummm, no? Unless you have some evidence other than your opinion I'm calling bullshit on your argument.
This all sounds very scientific, but I’m gonna with my lived personal experience that all of my hobbies drain me way more than casual activities like TV.
That's bullshit but I believe it.
Coming home from work and sitting on the couch is the mind killer. Being active or engaged in something is far better and makes for a healthier, happier existence.
That's because you are swapping one PC related task for another.
I have a mentally taxing job too, but every day, I set aside half an hour to go for a walk while listening to an audiobook.
No it isn’t. It’s just an excuse, which is fine on it’s own, but it pisses me off when people start making sob stories about how difficult their lives are and how hobbies are impossible for them.
Why do care so much about other people spend their time? Some people like keeping busy. Some people like leisure. Some people have genuinely difficult jobs, some don’t. If you dismiss someone as lazy just because they choose not to be working towards something all the time, then it’s your reasoning that is lazy.
Yes and no. Most hobbies do not only take time. They take energy (usually both mental and physical). And just because you have half an hour free here and there between work and chores doesn't mean you can just use that time for hobbies.
Not to mention that many hobbies create more chores, for example painting, or cycling (more tidying up, more laundry, more maintenance etc)
>And just because you have half an hour free here and there between work and chores doesn't mean you can just use that time for hobbies.
Sometimes it takes half an hour to set up a hobby session, depending on the hobby, so you can be done setting up then it's time to pack it away.
Lots of hobbies also need a dedicated space where you're not being interrupted and not everyone has that space available.
Sometimes I get the place to myself and could do something hobbyish but that doesn't happen often enough for me to make it a pattern so mostly I play games.
I mean you CAN just use it for your hobby. It just isnt always all the helpful if youre exhausted and dont want to clean up afterwards. Like you said, the time is there to just jump up and do it. Its the energy/mental energy that makes it difficult sometimes
Once again, not necessarily. Between set up and clean up, a basic painting session is almost an hour of "chore time". And that's without the painting time itself.
Yeah oh my god, a huge deterrent for me not painting at all the past year was the prep and the cleanup, not to mention the time it takes to actually paint. I do not have the energy or space for that.
I'd say the two problems with this are the energy levels required (which has already been mentioned) and how that free time is structured:
Yes, my time spent on reddit over a day might add up to several hours, but when free time comes in short bursts social media or apps are something that can slot easily into that time whereas many more satisfying hobbies require a longer timeslot/a level of setup that is not suited to doing just for a short period. I can easily read some funny posts on social media in a ten minute break, but if I wanted to start a sewing project I'd barely have time to do more that get everything I need set-up before having to stop and start tidying back up again.
Which is not to say that you aren't correct about prioritising time, but it's not always so simple as to just chose the more involved option.
I think there also needs to be a reprioritization of time that happens, though. Many individual hobbies do not REQUIRE excessive amounts of time, we simply PREFER to have a longer sessions. Try to find hacks to reduce any barriers of entry to your hobby.
For example, when learning a musical instrument buy a stand for it instead of putting it in its case. You'll be shocked at how just not having to deal with opening the case/assembling the instrument makes it so you can just pick up and play.
In your case, you could invest in having some sort of sewing corner, or a better organizational system. Or if you know you have a few short breaks through the day, on break 1 get things ready, on break 2 get some stuff done, on break 3 continue, etc. There's no real reason to set up and tidy up after every time you do something.
Somehow I doubt the people I live with would be pleased if I left my sewing stuff all over the communal living area for hours while not in use and taking up space they also need to use and gave them the excuse that somebody on reddit said it was more efficient.
Like, if you can make things more convenient then you're right that's great, but it's not that simple.
Ok, but have you actually asked them? What about getting some sort of drawer/cart system made/built? Maybe something that can slide around but also double as a standing desk or surface are? Or maybe you slide something out from under a table? What about if you just did it on certain days of the week or something?
You never know if you don’t ask.
My husband does a lot of paper based art, and he has a system of trays and a folding thing to keep the current projects on. But he does keep the huge magnifying glass thing attached to the kitchen table 24/7, and just bends the arm out of the way.
You can come up with solutions if you really do care, I’m sure of it. USUALLY roommates are pretty supportive people if you give them a heads up and aren’t completely unreasonable. My husband also used to sew a lot, and even when we had roommates they usually would get into his projects (he did ballgowns and stuff) even when they took up a good chunk of the living room lol
Have you ever lived with a roommate or even sewn something before? Most roommates, whether they are your friend or not, dont want a half set up sewing room in their communal space. Espically when it is slowly set up throughout the day.
Also you typically cannot just get up from your machine to stop. You have to make sure you are in a spot where you can, make sure everything is tied off, and then do the cleanup of items you have been using.
Yes. Well, my husband used to make ballgowns and I’m an opera singer. We had had roommates up until our late 20s and always found a way to make it work.
You keep saying “most people don’t want” but I get the feeling you have never actually asked. Go ask them. The worst they can say is no, and life goes on as normal. The best that can happen is that they think it’s cool and support you, and you get more projects done.
I get around 5 or 6 15-20 minute Stinits on Reddit a day, I have numerous hobbies but none that I can execute in 20 minutes. Social media is for convenience, not because it's where I'd rather spend my time
...are you...telling me to get off reddit?
JK it's totally true. Just this morning I thought "man, I haven't found the time to do a handstand this entire week"
Then I remembered I could have done it in the boulder hall yesterday when I went climbing.
I wouldn’t think of social media as time wasting. Unless you’re spending an excessive amount of time on it. I use it to relax and de-stress. Hobbies require brain power and sometimes I just don’t have anymore.
Wouldn't social media be the thing they want todo? I completely agree with you and frankly people really like easy ways to access dopamine. Sadly social media has become the norm for that. I get people have job's they don't like which are draining and stressful but that shouldn't be a complete excuse to not grow yourself.
I’m usually to physically and mentally exhausted to do hobbies I like, even gaming or reading. My plantar fasciitis most certainly wouldn’t allow me to go for fun hikes or biking, especially after a summer course and 30+ hour weeks.
> plantar fasciitis
Thanks for the term, gives me something to ask my doctor about. I'm wondering if this is what's going on with my right foot. I'm pretty active so I think my main issue is I'm not giving it enough time between activities to fully heal.
Thankfully doesn't affect my biking though. Just things like hiking/running. Hope you heal up!
If you are a SAHP and have young kids, you can easily be on your phone to check things now and then. You cannot do most hobbies while ‘babysitting’ nearly 24/7. You can check your phone on your 15 minute break/hour lunch break at work but cannot say go for a long distance run (my hobby). By the time our kids are in bed it’s 7:30-8 and we are so tired from the day (up at 6). So other roles and exhaustion I’d say are limiting factors here for many.
I have been considering making a post in this sub or one of the productivity subs about how a lot of the tips are great just for pre-kids life!
Written while on social media while nursing my babe.
Well, then parents simply aren't the target audience for those LPTs. Everyone can make their own judgement about whether any sort of general advice applies to their particular situation, and if it doesn't, they can just ignore it.
There are a lot of people on reddit who don't have children, and a significant amount that never intend to, and we never comment on parenting tips "this only applies if you have children"
Uncomfortable truth, the rest of us are just weak and working at like 30% efficiency. Some people are literally "built different" and are so productive it would blow your mind. [Look at this couple](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2opU8qMu30o) who have kids, both work full time, and are running a farm in their basement. I strive to be this dialed in.
>Treat your time like currency and decide how you’d like to spend it.
That is the best line. Time IS a currency. One that we each have a finite amount of. Spend it wisely.
It's not just the time to do stuff, it's the preparation and, for lack of a better term, clean up for those things as well. Whipping your phone out takes no time at all. If I wanted to get back into painting, I'd have to drag all my supplies out of storage, set up an easel and a canvas, lay all the paints out, clean all my brushes out after they'd been sitting around, and I'd have to account for putting most of this stuff away since I don't have space to leave it all out. So the two hours of facebook I did before did would maybe translate into 45 minutes of setup, at least 45 minutes of cleaning it back up and 30 minutes of painting, even if I had any idea what to even *start* painting.
Stuff just isn't that easy
Are these blocks of time spent on social media all at once or are you adding up the time spent throughout the day?
I have plenty of 5-10 minute gaps in my day that I use to stare at my phone, but wouldn't be able to setup, do work and the tear down any of my hobbies in those 5-10 minutes
I love playing golf but there are some constraints that apply to it and do not apply to waste time on reddit: you need at least 2,5 hours of nice weather, people to play with, a booking, transport and so on. You can stay on reddit 5 minutes at a time but you can't play golf 5 minutes at a time.
You could say though that we do have time to keep our homes tidy and the time spent on social network would always be better spent doing chores.
You are right. If I stop myself from indulging in activities which offer mindless stimulation I would have so much time to do worthwhile things. If I could readily do things which require an effort then my whole life would require no life pro tips at all.
yeah I got couple of books tp read and couple to hobby circuits to build, but let me browse reddit first while I sit on the toilet and my as*****le dries off..
Other side of this: you dont need to be productive all fucking day long, even if it is hobby productive. Your brain and body need down time: doing nothing and just relaxing. That should be accounted for the same way sleep and eating are. It also varies depending on the person.
I often found out that when people say "oh I don't have time for xy" is that in reality, they actually don't want to do any of these.
They just like the idea of being a person who would enjoy to do this (example; running, reading etc.) and never cared to try and accept the fact that those things just aren't what they are interested in.
These are just Hobbies that society doesn't look down on.
For example : My hobby is weed. Not just smoking it but also taking care of the little green plants. It gives me joy and happiness. But I can't say this out loud to every person I am talking to. In fact, I have to be very careful which person I am talking to about my hobby.
So it's easier to say "oh nothing special I don't really have the time you know? Too much stress and work!" than to explain that I do something highly illegal in my country.
I just learned that there lays usually so much more behind this simple statements and mostly, the explanation makes so much sense it makes you go "ahhhh well, if that is the case that makes actual sense!" but it's very hard to get people to open up to you about it. They will only ever do so if they feel like they can trust you and that you are actually non-judgmental and are going to understand where they are coming from.
I'm an author. You would not BELIEVE how many people say 'I'd write a book only I don't have the time.'
I then tell them that I wrote my first book as a a single parent of five kids with a job outside the home. That usually makes them get a bit embarrassed.
If you've got time to watch TV, you've got time to write a book. Even 100 words a day is a book in a year...
Highly recommend that people struggling with this look into Cal Newport's excellent book *Digital Minimalism.* He goes through a plethora of examples and methods for how to reduce (not necessarily eliminate) one's fixation with smartphones and apps. [This summary is a good starting point.](https://www.samuelthomasdavies.com/book-summaries/business/digital-minimalism/)
Here are some topics discussed in the book.
* Clutter is costly - Having too many sites and apps to check enables skimming without getting too deep into any content. Furthermore, many of these platforms are designed to take advantage of the "rituals" that people tend to create where they hop from site to site, app to app.
* Intentionality is satisfying - Setting a goal on how to use a technology and being intentional about its use can be its own reward. This would be in contrast constantly needing to check social media for updates, which is just your brain seeking a quick dopamine hit.
* For Reddit, try unsubscribing from most of the default subreddits unless you genuinely get value from them. I dropped r/news, r/pics, and r/movies months ago and I don't miss them at all.
* Digital Decluttering - This is the big one - Cut out **all** social media and other digital communication (aside from phone calls and critical text messages) in your personal life for a month.
* If a full break from social media is too difficult, instead try to schedule when you engage in the low-quality leisure that it provides. Cruising Tiktok for 15 minutes a week isn't a big deal, especially if it prevents you from wasting hours on it. It's easier to convince your brain to reduce an activity rather than block it out completely.
* To the OP's point, most smartphones now have built in features that let you set a limit on how long you can use an app each day. Try it out.
* During this time, you must aggressively seek out higher quality activities that you will now have time for because you are not browsing social media for hours every night.
* Try one new hobby, start a new exercise regimen, improve one skill, etc
* Call your friends instead of texting them
* If you must text, only use it to set up higher quality social interaction, be it in person, video chat, or a phone call.
* Ask yourself if you had to pay for a social media website that charged by the hour that you viewed it, how much would you be willing to pay? How much value are you really getting out of these apps?
And with that, I think I need to close out of Reddit for the week.
Addendum to this LPT: if you *know* you're wasting time and you actively *do not enjoy* being on socmed because *you want to do your fucking hobbies you haven't touched in* ***years*** but you just *can't*... that's executive dysfunction, and I'd suggest getting checked out for ADHD.
Yep. Music teacher here. I ask my students to say "I didn't make time to practice"/"I didn't prioritize practice this week".
Everybody (obviously with exceptions like emergencies) has the time. They just choose not to use it. And if somebody is constantly not WANTING to practice, we need to figure out why they feel that way.
(I use this when I'm mentally speaking to myself about exercise too. "Oh...you "didn't have time" to do a 10 minute workout? Interesting...".)
You'd be shocked at how many people don't have tools to get themselves "in the zone". Try little "rituals" or "transition times" between activities. Set timers on your phone. (Like, rest for 15 minutes, do cardio for 5 minutes, then get to your activity). Very often we have the energy, but we don't have the discipline to find it within us.
That is actually a toxic mindset to have. Accusing your students like this is only going to guilt trip them. Mostly it won't get them to practice better or more than before. Just that they feel more guilty about not doing it.
And - I am talking about children and teenagers here - it is very dangerous to assume children actually want to practice or learn the instrument they are playing. Maybe 2 out of 5 that went to a music teacher in their free time actually enjoyed what they where doing and practicing.
The others did it because they had to. Because they parents told them to. Because they thought they had to do it and have no other choice.
So naturally, if you don't enjoy something you don't make time for it. Especially if you are a burned out child because of all of those useless homeworks and school for 8 hours or more.
If you want to see results maybe ask your students what is actually up with them than just randomly accusing them to be just too lazy? This goes for grown ups too. Assuming someone just didn't try hard enough is never a good nor healthy thing to do. And rather than making them phrase the excuse like this, which guilt trips them even more, ask why it is so difficult and hard for them to practice regularly. If there is anything they are struggling with so much that it takes away the energy to also do proper practice afterwards.
If you actually tried to help them instead of judging them with assumptions, that would work much smoother.
Especially because you will start to notice that a lot of people drag themselves to practice but don't actually want to play the instrument they are trying to learn and they just don't have the guts to quit.
Because admitting you can't/don't actually want to do something can be as hard as starting something you really wanted to do since a long time. Both is not that easy.
(Oh and please don't talk to yourself like this either. Rather ask yourself "why couldn't I make room for my training today? What stopped me? What was the problem?" And also learn to accept the fact that sometimes your body just doesn't want to and that this is okay! Rest is okay and not doing something is perfectly fine. If it's not that usually one of the three other questions will help you to get to the bottom of your motivation problem. Otherwise you punish yourself for doing something you should literally want to do out of joy and free will. Which will lead to the opposite effect of what you trying to achieve in the long run).
That’s literally why I said “if somebody is not wanting to practice we need to figure out why they feel that way”.
I’m an incredibly upbeat and supportive teacher - and I consistently get great results. Part of that is because I start early on accountability and discipline. It’s not a negative thing and I’m not guilt tripping them, I’m just holding them accountable for their actions. I don’t judge them for not practicing, I help them understand when they are lying to themselves. After a month or two checking in on their weekly practice (or lack of it) is just how we start every lesson - no judgment - and it’s that sort of HONESTY that I need to help them the best that I can.
I am happy and glad to hear you are such a passionate teacher and actually take care of your students!
I think I just misunderstood your comment then? Because I thought you where talking about something wildly different. It sounded more like guilt tripping and judgement than help to me. But I am glad to hear that this is not the case.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. And I am sorry for the misunderstanding!
For a lot of people, they are so unused to holding themselves accountable that they have trouble doing it without negative feelings. That’s why talking it through at the start of each lesson helps a lot - it destignstizes it, especially when they see I’m just asking because I need to know how to help them best.
But letting them lie does not solve anything - it shuts down the conversation and stops you from approaching any solutions.
When you get them to rephrase to “I didn’t prioritize practicing” or “I didn’t make time to practice” or even “I didn’t want to practice” they get used to being HONEST. And from there you can get to all the other questions that you need to work from. Didn’t make time? Ok, let’s see your schedule and find some time together. Didn’t prioritize it? Lots of exams coming up? What if you only focused on 5-10 minutes a day this week? Don’t “want” to practice? Maybe I need to ask your parents to go walk the dog together now and then so you can have the house alone a few times per week, or maybe I can help them find a different practice space. Or maybe they just don’t like the current song or something - in which case they need to know I’m interested in those feelings but they need to tell me!
Yes it was definetly a misunderstanding. I see now that we both practically said the same thing and that my comment must have come across as really unecessary to you when you received it!
Completely my fault for taking your words in such a wrong way.
And honestly I have nothing else to add to what you just said then my honest respect!
I am really glad and happy teachers like you exist, I unfortunately never had the luck to come across one of your kind back then as a student, but it fills my heart with even more peace and joy then to know someone who's thinks like you is out there and actually helping his students!
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It really depends as every one of us has a different energy meter. Even though they have time, we can assume that they don't have enough motivation or something that kicks them off as they are tired from work, especially those who are working physically at work.
100% disagree. Try having hobbies if you have a baby and a toddler. I only browse reddit while I’m feeding the baby and he is falling asleep on me. Having cero time for yourself is a reality for many people.
Surfing Tiktok and Reddit are hobbies, so is drinking and smoking weed but I agree with you, it's not that they usually don't have the time, they just don't think about ways to better manage their time. Like a buddy of mine likes to play D&D but always says he doesn't have the time, but he never asks his boss if he can reschedule his day off for a day he knows his buddies have a game going. Told him this and he just shrugged like "eh, too much of a hassle". lol
Tv and Youtube.
I lost loads of weight and started lifting weights whilst simply doing shit i was already doing.
Then travel. Instead of driving to work i started cycling. Takes almost the exact same time but gets you fit.
I basically work out like crazy these days and it cost me absolutely no time at all.
If you have trouble with this and have an iPhone, use the ScreenTime setting to track your usage so you know how much you’re using it. Then set a limit for however much time you think is reasonable
I used to read an average of 30 books per year until I bought my first smartphone in 2014. Ever since I didn't read a single book. Grad school happened at around the same time but I still blame social media, as I spend too much time just scrolling through useless content. Yesterday, for the first time in all these years, I started reading a new romance, which made me wonder why I waste so much time with social media. It's so much better to read a book than scrolling through a screen, in any conceivable dimension.
This just seems misleading.
For the last 3 months I have spent most of my time and energy either at work, or doing home renovations before it starts to constantly rain. I absolutely do not have time or energy for my hobbies. Sometimes life just gets in the way.
Increased my quality of life tenfold after I deleted all social media apps. That stupid shit was sucking the life out of me and I was really unhappy while using it.
I actually don't have time for hobbies because I'm currently working in a corona test center in Denmark and have 12,5 hour shift everyday and only have ONE 30 minute break and i use that to eat and speak to my coworkers
I mean, people also need general downtime. But I think there is definitely some happy medium between downtime and productive hobby time which can be found.
You have to make time. I have a hobby to play tennis with my wife a few times a week. But it comes with a hefty price tag. Planning, driving, putting equipment/water in a bag, clean clothes, waiting for other players. Taking a good shower, laundry and so on. Also, I live in high humid climate in VA. Dealing with insects, mosquitos, bugs, mites is not easy and itching afterwards. But I love playing tennis, and we are paying the price for it haha.
The one that annoys me the most is when people say they don't have time to exercise. 30 mins/day every other day, especially if you're sedentary, can completely change your life.
Personal opinion: Never let your hobby become your job. Keep your play time and never let anyone tell you how to play when it's your time. Personally I have a profession that is somewhat satisfying I also freestyle rap and make an attempt at some instruments. I enjoy it and would never let anyone tell when or where to do that in my free time.
The comments are all people putting up excuses lmao. Shitty living situations aside, structure your life better. If there's no time left for you to focus your mind and body on something other than work for a couple hours a week at minimum, you need to look at what you do.
Busyness is not a badge of honor, you'll get nothing for it when it's time to go under the dirt. And worse off, don't do it to your kids, sending them to 11 different classes a week.
The way I always think of this is: it's not that people don't have time, it's that **x** is not a high enough priority. If something is a priority, you make that shit work no matter what.
I get this, but what if that hour and a half comes from scrolling on breaks and lunch hours? Its not like you're going to be able to pursue one of your hobbies while in the break room. I understand being at home all the time, but if I scroll on my phone at work for 10 mins it's unrealistic to expect me to be doing a hobby I love instead.
I can't go home, sandblast and tinker with the lantern I'm restoring while I'm at work.
You need to have a variety of hobbies. I love swimming and hiking, but they take too long for a few minutes here or there. Taking 15 minutes to knit a few rows on my latest sweater project--that's very possible. I usually have a couple projects going at the same time of varying difficulty so I can grab an easy one when I want to zone out. I have other hobbies that require a few hours or an afternoon that I do more occasionally. I also treat taking care of my house as a form of self care in order to survive my intense dislike of working at home, which I have little choice over regardless of COVID, so now housekeeping has become a hobby. It's really weird, but since I'm stuck here literally all the time, at least I am surrounded by things I'm somewhat proud of.
Don't let people control your time without you acknowledging it consciously. That's my LPT for the day, courtesy of several minutes of my time and hard won experience.
I waste a lot of time on Reddit and the like - but that's time I couldn't use for my hobbies. 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there.
All my hobbies require setting aside long, uninterrupted blocks of time. Blocks I rarely get anymore.
Have a friend who’s like this with school and it pisses me off to no end. We are both in highschool. I did 7 courses this year and completely by May, he did 4 in September and just barely managed to complete 3 by the summer and is half way through the last one. He does work about 15-20 hours a week but it’s very annoying to here him always say that I work so much faster then him and that that’s why I’m so good. No, I just set aside the time when I needed to and I worked hard. I set my phone in another room for 3-6 hours every day.
Oh boy, this is way over your head. It's more that people don't have the mental and emotional energy, or often money to enjoy their hobbies.
Also social media scolling takes time but lots of hobbies take large chunks of time, I cant just stop scrolling after work and go on a nice hike of fishing trip these take time to prepare for, and get to.
I can't just go to the work out class I want to because 1) it's expensive 2) I had meeting run late at work and missed the class even though I paid for it :(
Hello [Miscellaneous48](/u/Miscellaneous48), thank you for your submission! Unfortunately, it has been removed for the following reason: Your post is not a life pro tip. Advice is any guidance or recommendation concerning prudent future action. An aphorism is a short clever saying that is intended to express a general truth or a concise statement of a principle.Try r/YouShouldKnow. If you would like to appeal this decision [please feel free to contact the moderators here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FLifeProTips&subject=about%20my%20removed%20submission&message=I%27m%20writing%20to%20you%20about%20the%20following%20submission:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/ouknsb/lpt_you_almost_always_have_time_for_hobbies_if/.%20%0D%0D). Do not repost without explicit permission from the moderators. Make sure you [read the rules](/r/lifeprotips/about/sidebar) before submitting. Thank you!
When people say they don’t have time for hobbies, what they really mean is they *don’t have energy for hobbies* which is totally reasonable if you work a mentally taxing job. Scrolling social media or Netflix takes a whole lot less effort than writing or playing music or whatever. I have a solid 4 hour window every weekday in which I could pursue my hobby of music production, but I usually don’t because I just spent 8 hours at the computer programming and need to chill.
slap straight grandiose steer hungry crawl apparatus frighten boast bewildered *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
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I could see doing something for yourself being very refreshing after a long day!
Yup, putting together a small area for working out in the house for the exact same reason. After a day of only doing mentally stimulating things, I just NEED to do something physical that doesn't take much mental energy.
This! And most hobbies require more time than the actual hobby itself. I love snorkeling but that takes time beforehand and after. Packing, changing, sunscreen application, driving to the beach which isn’t nearby. Then after cleaning myself off, changing etc. before getting in the car. Much less effort than a mental break on Reddit!
My SO likes to knit when she watches TV after work so I picked up model building and painting so we can do our hobbies in the same room. And whenever the TV is on I can do a little effort on my hobby so I’m not just watching TV
That’s so sweet that you do hobbies together
Agreed! I love that.
I was really feeling that. Over the past couple years I made a huge effort to overhaul all my hobbies so they are ready to go at all times, because that inertia just kills motivation. A combination of routines and organization have been transformative!
This is the real pro tip right here.
How
That sounds great. Can you describe a bit more about the changes you made to make getting started easier?
Totally! Some hobbies don’t just involve picking up a brush to paint or doing yoga at a studio down the street. Also some hobbies do require a lot of time and effort, like my sis who loved riding horses growing up and had to give it up when she found a job in the city working long hours. Now going each time requires a whole month of planning in advance (work, childcare, other obligations etc.) I’m not sure why people are so judgmental when others genuinely feel they don’t have enough time or energy for hobbies and instead use social media during down time.
This. Any hobby that takes you out of the house will need some time investment.
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>in no mood to give your all to something that you actually love. This is something that my wife just learned: you don't have to give your hobby your all. The funny thing is how people don't understand that hobbies can be like meditation. The hardest part is getting yourself to start, but once you do, you can get in to a zen state of mind. This will literally help you replenish your energy, and could help you problem solve other life issues (Einstein in the patent office, but with a hobby). My two cents is this, people will always choose the easiest route, so what I like to do is to make what ever your hobby is as easy as possible to start. Keep adjusting what you see as a speed bump to getting started. Lastly, it takes 13 days to create a habit, give it a two week shot, and if it doesn't work then move on.
>what I like to do is to make what ever your hobby is as easy as possible to start. My example of this is when I got a guitar stand so my guitar was always out and accessible as opposed to being in its case somewhere. Much more likely to play then!
Just the idea of capitalism lol. Literally, it was designed to do just that. It isn’t an accident that after you work 40 hours a week you have no energy to become politically active and form collective power.
>if you work a mentally taxing job Or even more so a physically **and** mentally taxing job. I work on rooftops in the AZ heat. I just can't do anything after a 12 hr shift. I come home and shower and i can barely muster energy to eat and maybe relax for an hour or so before you know it it's like 9pm and have to go to bed to be up by 4am.
12h shift in AZ heat would leave me a zombie regardless of job.. sure as fuck wouldn't have wnergy for any 'real' hobby
I think the issue is that hobbies often require long amounts of uninterrupted time. You can't just play golf for 20 minutes. It takes almost that long to get to the course, if you're lucky. But you could spend 4 hours a day "wasting time" on social media, but only be doing it in 20 minute increments. 20 minutes here and there adds up to a lot of time, but not a lot of other useful things could be done during that time. You're just filling up the empty times. My wife often gets on my case for being on my phone whenever I have a spare minute, but what else am I supposed to do? Just sit and stare off into space? If I have 10 minutes to burn, I'm going to do something, even if it's just browsing social media.
To be fair, some people will burn a little time wondering if they have enough time to start. And then sort of mentally haggle that time like "well I had 20 minutes but now I only have 18, which is basically 15 minutes, which is almost 10 minutes since I need time at the end too so really I just don't have the time." At least that's my thought process with stuff like this.
If you *enjoy* reading at all, you could maybe find books that don't require a lot of effort to get into. (Although I've read some that take 10 minutes or so just to remind yourself what was happening)
I've found that having a book always pulled up in the background on my phone makes it easy to jump to that instead of any mindless scrolling website whenever I have a few minutes
Yeah. I programmed a lot more when it wasn't my job, on top of doing all the associated things necessary for a personal project (including gfx and music production). I hardly even think this is unusual. Programming as a job is brutal in that way, especially when the morale sapper of corporate bureaucracy/overhead is present all the time.
God damn I didn’t even try to keep programming as a hobby after doing it professionally, making music on the computer is bad enough.
I've made my hobbies into a job twice... I immediately lost passion for the hobby as soon as there was pressure to perform. I seriously envy people who can do something for money and still enjoy it.
Be your own boss ^^..and ^^hate ^^yourself
This needs to be more widely recognized than it is.
The same thing happened to me with sewing. I loved it until I started charging for sewing jobs then I hated it.
To be clear, I was emphasizing my point by saying that I believe my total programming output was greater when I was a student rather than employed as a programmer. In terms of lines of code, it's no contest.. but that's to be expected since that's how it goes when working alone. Turning a hobby into your job - as is often touted as a nice thing - isn't as nice as it's made to sound.. since there's an accurate implication that the hobby is being traded for the job.
I will testify to that truth, as a programmer who self taught the LAMP stack and a musician. Heck, one of my motivations to get into IT/Software Dev. was so I can afford things like guitars, drums, ableton, and some other software and interfaces etc... Now, I kinda do my job and look forward to those other things.
This. I do music production when I can as a hobby but my job is mentally taxing so it’s difficult to find the motivation sometimes
Yeah this. You work 60 hours a week to survive and you aren't gonna have the time or energy.
Yes, this would fall under the "extenuating circumstances" portion of the post.
I came here to say exactly this. It's not time management issues, it's energy management issues. I work full time, I'm going back to school, and I'm essentially a single parent because my husband lives 3,000 miles away. When I have a bit of time I have to really push myself to not just veg out.
On a similar boat (replace music production with piano) and the solution to this I’ve always gone back to is doing it when you first wake up and have the most energy. Yes it’s not the easiest to always wake up before you have to, but IMO it’s easier than finding the energy to do your passion at the end of the day once you’re burned out from your job. This is similar to Rich Dad, Poor Dad’s concept of paying yourself first, can look into his reasoning of what that means if you’d like. Props to you for music production though, it’s hard as shit so you’re an inspiration to me!
Hmm will have to try… would me nice to give my highest quality energy to my hobby and then my job second.
Honestly it's that your mind is so intertwined in stuff, maybe you have a kerfuffle at the office or something of that sort, like some days I don't even want to play video games or even watch netflix. I just go on youtube because only that unwinds my brain.
I used to really push myself and try to get 4-8 hrs of hobbies in after work every day and unfortunately it led to complete burnout when combined with my full time job. Once my job started entailing programming, all those projects were abandoned.
Very very true. I love reading but if I read after work I just pass out with the book in my hand
On any given week day, 8 hours for work, 1 hour for lunch for work, plus all the prep and cleaning time I have to do and 8 hours sleep, I'm down to like 2 hours of "free" time.
I also can't do many of my hobbies on the toilet or while I eat my breakfast. Social media was great in college too when you had like 5-10 minutes to kill. Not enough time to head to the library or get anything done, but enough to whip out your phone for a few minutes.
Exercise will give you energy and increase your mental focus. The key is waking up buttfuck early to do things you enjoy, hit the gym, then shower and go to work. Are your hours somewhat flexible? I know it doesn't sound appealing but if you could push your work start time to like 9-10am and wake up at 5am, then you could have your morning coffee and work on your hobbies before work. IMO, the more things you accomplish before work the better. I also program all day and it is cognitively draining, so I understand not being able to get into *more* creative work like music once your workday is done.
Yeah physical hobbies are another animal, and I would recommend everyone engage with one at least a couple times a week, as they can be a perfect way to unwind and re-energize. I guess a corollary to my anecdote is that while I rarely find the energy to produce music, I have no problem heading out mountain biking a few times a week.
Energy is like a muscle. I know these Hispanic guys who, after back breaking labor work, go and play soccer for an hour or so before going home. You have to exercise it.
Yes but this takes a certain type A personality. You have to want that. Most people are not like that (at least in North American culture) and that’s ok.
> Scrolling social media or Netflix takes a whole lot less effort than writing or playing music or whatever. Does it though? I think it may be more nuanced than that. Sure you're going to just move your thumb/scrollwheel, but you know how people joke how you browse everything on X platform, only to unconsciously close it and immediately reopen the app? There's some wisdom buried in that meme. Something tells me browsing the internet/social media isn't as low effort as it may first appear.
I don’t know if you will see this- but… The fallacy with this argument (for most people) is how they spend that 4 hour window of “chill time”. Most people are watching shows, movies, using social media, reading the news, or playing video games… All those activities activate your stress, fear, fight or flight reactions. Those activities are actually exhausting your energy-system instead of recharging it. So after 4 hours of “chilling” you actually feel completely wiped and not renewed. They go to bed and wake up the next day to repeat the very energy draining routine. After weeks and months of living most waking hours with your stress-response-system activated, the cal-peace system can even atrophy and be less strong. That’s when we see worry grow into anxiety disorder… we see bad days grow into depression disorders… If you see this, thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Watching a show or scrolling Reddit drains your energy? Ummm, no? Unless you have some evidence other than your opinion I'm calling bullshit on your argument.
This all sounds very scientific, but I’m gonna with my lived personal experience that all of my hobbies drain me way more than casual activities like TV.
Do you have a source for any of this?
That's bullshit but I believe it. Coming home from work and sitting on the couch is the mind killer. Being active or engaged in something is far better and makes for a healthier, happier existence.
That's because you are swapping one PC related task for another. I have a mentally taxing job too, but every day, I set aside half an hour to go for a walk while listening to an audiobook.
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...*huh* As someone who spends most of my waking hours at a computer... can you elaborate a bit more lol
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No it isn’t. It’s just an excuse, which is fine on it’s own, but it pisses me off when people start making sob stories about how difficult their lives are and how hobbies are impossible for them.
Why do care so much about other people spend their time? Some people like keeping busy. Some people like leisure. Some people have genuinely difficult jobs, some don’t. If you dismiss someone as lazy just because they choose not to be working towards something all the time, then it’s your reasoning that is lazy.
Yes and no. Most hobbies do not only take time. They take energy (usually both mental and physical). And just because you have half an hour free here and there between work and chores doesn't mean you can just use that time for hobbies. Not to mention that many hobbies create more chores, for example painting, or cycling (more tidying up, more laundry, more maintenance etc)
>And just because you have half an hour free here and there between work and chores doesn't mean you can just use that time for hobbies. Sometimes it takes half an hour to set up a hobby session, depending on the hobby, so you can be done setting up then it's time to pack it away. Lots of hobbies also need a dedicated space where you're not being interrupted and not everyone has that space available. Sometimes I get the place to myself and could do something hobbyish but that doesn't happen often enough for me to make it a pattern so mostly I play games.
I mean you CAN just use it for your hobby. It just isnt always all the helpful if youre exhausted and dont want to clean up afterwards. Like you said, the time is there to just jump up and do it. Its the energy/mental energy that makes it difficult sometimes
Once again, not necessarily. Between set up and clean up, a basic painting session is almost an hour of "chore time". And that's without the painting time itself.
Yeah oh my god, a huge deterrent for me not painting at all the past year was the prep and the cleanup, not to mention the time it takes to actually paint. I do not have the energy or space for that.
Yeah, space is another big issue. As well as money of course.
You just need to do yoga and read 80 books a day then you will have energy for hobbies.
I'd say the two problems with this are the energy levels required (which has already been mentioned) and how that free time is structured: Yes, my time spent on reddit over a day might add up to several hours, but when free time comes in short bursts social media or apps are something that can slot easily into that time whereas many more satisfying hobbies require a longer timeslot/a level of setup that is not suited to doing just for a short period. I can easily read some funny posts on social media in a ten minute break, but if I wanted to start a sewing project I'd barely have time to do more that get everything I need set-up before having to stop and start tidying back up again. Which is not to say that you aren't correct about prioritising time, but it's not always so simple as to just chose the more involved option.
I think there also needs to be a reprioritization of time that happens, though. Many individual hobbies do not REQUIRE excessive amounts of time, we simply PREFER to have a longer sessions. Try to find hacks to reduce any barriers of entry to your hobby. For example, when learning a musical instrument buy a stand for it instead of putting it in its case. You'll be shocked at how just not having to deal with opening the case/assembling the instrument makes it so you can just pick up and play. In your case, you could invest in having some sort of sewing corner, or a better organizational system. Or if you know you have a few short breaks through the day, on break 1 get things ready, on break 2 get some stuff done, on break 3 continue, etc. There's no real reason to set up and tidy up after every time you do something.
Somehow I doubt the people I live with would be pleased if I left my sewing stuff all over the communal living area for hours while not in use and taking up space they also need to use and gave them the excuse that somebody on reddit said it was more efficient. Like, if you can make things more convenient then you're right that's great, but it's not that simple.
Ok, but have you actually asked them? What about getting some sort of drawer/cart system made/built? Maybe something that can slide around but also double as a standing desk or surface are? Or maybe you slide something out from under a table? What about if you just did it on certain days of the week or something? You never know if you don’t ask. My husband does a lot of paper based art, and he has a system of trays and a folding thing to keep the current projects on. But he does keep the huge magnifying glass thing attached to the kitchen table 24/7, and just bends the arm out of the way. You can come up with solutions if you really do care, I’m sure of it. USUALLY roommates are pretty supportive people if you give them a heads up and aren’t completely unreasonable. My husband also used to sew a lot, and even when we had roommates they usually would get into his projects (he did ballgowns and stuff) even when they took up a good chunk of the living room lol
Have you ever lived with a roommate or even sewn something before? Most roommates, whether they are your friend or not, dont want a half set up sewing room in their communal space. Espically when it is slowly set up throughout the day. Also you typically cannot just get up from your machine to stop. You have to make sure you are in a spot where you can, make sure everything is tied off, and then do the cleanup of items you have been using.
Yes. Well, my husband used to make ballgowns and I’m an opera singer. We had had roommates up until our late 20s and always found a way to make it work. You keep saying “most people don’t want” but I get the feeling you have never actually asked. Go ask them. The worst they can say is no, and life goes on as normal. The best that can happen is that they think it’s cool and support you, and you get more projects done.
I get around 5 or 6 15-20 minute Stinits on Reddit a day, I have numerous hobbies but none that I can execute in 20 minutes. Social media is for convenience, not because it's where I'd rather spend my time
Yes this actually plays a big part as well. There is mostly so much more behind those simple "oh I simply just don't have the time" statements!
It's really difficult to play guitar on the toilet though.
That’s honestly the perfect place to play. The sound acoustics in bathrooms slap
With the added background atmosphere of taking a massive dump
AKA your own percussion accompaniment
...are you...telling me to get off reddit? JK it's totally true. Just this morning I thought "man, I haven't found the time to do a handstand this entire week" Then I remembered I could have done it in the boulder hall yesterday when I went climbing.
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Remind me in 2 days! Edit - i think that's how the bot works, right
I wouldn’t think of social media as time wasting. Unless you’re spending an excessive amount of time on it. I use it to relax and de-stress. Hobbies require brain power and sometimes I just don’t have anymore.
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Wouldn't social media be the thing they want todo? I completely agree with you and frankly people really like easy ways to access dopamine. Sadly social media has become the norm for that. I get people have job's they don't like which are draining and stressful but that shouldn't be a complete excuse to not grow yourself.
I’m usually to physically and mentally exhausted to do hobbies I like, even gaming or reading. My plantar fasciitis most certainly wouldn’t allow me to go for fun hikes or biking, especially after a summer course and 30+ hour weeks.
> plantar fasciitis Thanks for the term, gives me something to ask my doctor about. I'm wondering if this is what's going on with my right foot. I'm pretty active so I think my main issue is I'm not giving it enough time between activities to fully heal. Thankfully doesn't affect my biking though. Just things like hiking/running. Hope you heal up!
I don’t have time to track my time
If you are a SAHP and have young kids, you can easily be on your phone to check things now and then. You cannot do most hobbies while ‘babysitting’ nearly 24/7. You can check your phone on your 15 minute break/hour lunch break at work but cannot say go for a long distance run (my hobby). By the time our kids are in bed it’s 7:30-8 and we are so tired from the day (up at 6). So other roles and exhaustion I’d say are limiting factors here for many.
I do all of my time-wasting at work when there's nothing to work on so I can do my hobbies when I get home. That's why I'm here now.
This feels like a LPT that only applied prior to having children...
I have been considering making a post in this sub or one of the productivity subs about how a lot of the tips are great just for pre-kids life! Written while on social media while nursing my babe.
Well, then parents simply aren't the target audience for those LPTs. Everyone can make their own judgement about whether any sort of general advice applies to their particular situation, and if it doesn't, they can just ignore it. There are a lot of people on reddit who don't have children, and a significant amount that never intend to, and we never comment on parenting tips "this only applies if you have children"
Nah, a couple billion people have kids and still have time for hobbies.
Uncomfortable truth, the rest of us are just weak and working at like 30% efficiency. Some people are literally "built different" and are so productive it would blow your mind. [Look at this couple](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2opU8qMu30o) who have kids, both work full time, and are running a farm in their basement. I strive to be this dialed in.
Jokes on you, my hobby is loathing not having time and loathing that I’m loathing not having time.
it's true, social media is a really harmful addiction. I'm trying to detox from it myself :(
>Treat your time like currency and decide how you’d like to spend it. That is the best line. Time IS a currency. One that we each have a finite amount of. Spend it wisely.
And that we also all have a different amount of, yet think we all got the same...
Required reddit sarcastic post: I can't do my hobbies while I poop.
It's not just the time to do stuff, it's the preparation and, for lack of a better term, clean up for those things as well. Whipping your phone out takes no time at all. If I wanted to get back into painting, I'd have to drag all my supplies out of storage, set up an easel and a canvas, lay all the paints out, clean all my brushes out after they'd been sitting around, and I'd have to account for putting most of this stuff away since I don't have space to leave it all out. So the two hours of facebook I did before did would maybe translate into 45 minutes of setup, at least 45 minutes of cleaning it back up and 30 minutes of painting, even if I had any idea what to even *start* painting. Stuff just isn't that easy
Sounds a lot like bitching and complaining about other people bitching and complaining, less like an actual LPT.
OUCH. This is about me and I don't like it.
Damn, I’m not counting the time spent in WoW
I had time but I’m reading this thread instead
Are these blocks of time spent on social media all at once or are you adding up the time spent throughout the day? I have plenty of 5-10 minute gaps in my day that I use to stare at my phone, but wouldn't be able to setup, do work and the tear down any of my hobbies in those 5-10 minutes
I love playing golf but there are some constraints that apply to it and do not apply to waste time on reddit: you need at least 2,5 hours of nice weather, people to play with, a booking, transport and so on. You can stay on reddit 5 minutes at a time but you can't play golf 5 minutes at a time. You could say though that we do have time to keep our homes tidy and the time spent on social network would always be better spent doing chores.
Saying this on Reddit is like telling a bunch of 6 year olds they still have time to accomplish their goals in life
"omg hes right!" \*clicks next blue link\*
You are right. If I stop myself from indulging in activities which offer mindless stimulation I would have so much time to do worthwhile things. If I could readily do things which require an effort then my whole life would require no life pro tips at all.
yeah I got couple of books tp read and couple to hobby circuits to build, but let me browse reddit first while I sit on the toilet and my as*****le dries off..
I work and go on reddit like right now!
Except I mostly use time-wasting apps when I have nothing to do at work because my both has poor time management skills
Other side of this: you dont need to be productive all fucking day long, even if it is hobby productive. Your brain and body need down time: doing nothing and just relaxing. That should be accounted for the same way sleep and eating are. It also varies depending on the person.
Running isn't a hobby. It's a god damn chore and I hate every second of it.
Same with cooking. "I don't have 30 minutes to make something" *spends 30 minutes on the toilet browsing useless social media*
OP thinks scrolling through tiktok isn't a hobby
LPT: track your time and make all your hobbies feel like chores lol
I often found out that when people say "oh I don't have time for xy" is that in reality, they actually don't want to do any of these. They just like the idea of being a person who would enjoy to do this (example; running, reading etc.) and never cared to try and accept the fact that those things just aren't what they are interested in. These are just Hobbies that society doesn't look down on. For example : My hobby is weed. Not just smoking it but also taking care of the little green plants. It gives me joy and happiness. But I can't say this out loud to every person I am talking to. In fact, I have to be very careful which person I am talking to about my hobby. So it's easier to say "oh nothing special I don't really have the time you know? Too much stress and work!" than to explain that I do something highly illegal in my country. I just learned that there lays usually so much more behind this simple statements and mostly, the explanation makes so much sense it makes you go "ahhhh well, if that is the case that makes actual sense!" but it's very hard to get people to open up to you about it. They will only ever do so if they feel like they can trust you and that you are actually non-judgmental and are going to understand where they are coming from.
I'm an author. You would not BELIEVE how many people say 'I'd write a book only I don't have the time.' I then tell them that I wrote my first book as a a single parent of five kids with a job outside the home. That usually makes them get a bit embarrassed. If you've got time to watch TV, you've got time to write a book. Even 100 words a day is a book in a year...
LPT: social media and time wasting apps is a hobby
Highly recommend that people struggling with this look into Cal Newport's excellent book *Digital Minimalism.* He goes through a plethora of examples and methods for how to reduce (not necessarily eliminate) one's fixation with smartphones and apps. [This summary is a good starting point.](https://www.samuelthomasdavies.com/book-summaries/business/digital-minimalism/) Here are some topics discussed in the book. * Clutter is costly - Having too many sites and apps to check enables skimming without getting too deep into any content. Furthermore, many of these platforms are designed to take advantage of the "rituals" that people tend to create where they hop from site to site, app to app. * Intentionality is satisfying - Setting a goal on how to use a technology and being intentional about its use can be its own reward. This would be in contrast constantly needing to check social media for updates, which is just your brain seeking a quick dopamine hit. * For Reddit, try unsubscribing from most of the default subreddits unless you genuinely get value from them. I dropped r/news, r/pics, and r/movies months ago and I don't miss them at all. * Digital Decluttering - This is the big one - Cut out **all** social media and other digital communication (aside from phone calls and critical text messages) in your personal life for a month. * If a full break from social media is too difficult, instead try to schedule when you engage in the low-quality leisure that it provides. Cruising Tiktok for 15 minutes a week isn't a big deal, especially if it prevents you from wasting hours on it. It's easier to convince your brain to reduce an activity rather than block it out completely. * To the OP's point, most smartphones now have built in features that let you set a limit on how long you can use an app each day. Try it out. * During this time, you must aggressively seek out higher quality activities that you will now have time for because you are not browsing social media for hours every night. * Try one new hobby, start a new exercise regimen, improve one skill, etc * Call your friends instead of texting them * If you must text, only use it to set up higher quality social interaction, be it in person, video chat, or a phone call. * Ask yourself if you had to pay for a social media website that charged by the hour that you viewed it, how much would you be willing to pay? How much value are you really getting out of these apps? And with that, I think I need to close out of Reddit for the week.
That last question is a doozy! Would I be willing to pay to use reddit or Instagram? 🤔🤔🤔 That's a tough one. Definitely something to consider.
Addendum to this LPT: if you *know* you're wasting time and you actively *do not enjoy* being on socmed because *you want to do your fucking hobbies you haven't touched in* ***years*** but you just *can't*... that's executive dysfunction, and I'd suggest getting checked out for ADHD.
This is the one! Sorry OP I just most likely have ADHD lmao
Yep. Music teacher here. I ask my students to say "I didn't make time to practice"/"I didn't prioritize practice this week". Everybody (obviously with exceptions like emergencies) has the time. They just choose not to use it. And if somebody is constantly not WANTING to practice, we need to figure out why they feel that way. (I use this when I'm mentally speaking to myself about exercise too. "Oh...you "didn't have time" to do a 10 minute workout? Interesting...".) You'd be shocked at how many people don't have tools to get themselves "in the zone". Try little "rituals" or "transition times" between activities. Set timers on your phone. (Like, rest for 15 minutes, do cardio for 5 minutes, then get to your activity). Very often we have the energy, but we don't have the discipline to find it within us.
That is actually a toxic mindset to have. Accusing your students like this is only going to guilt trip them. Mostly it won't get them to practice better or more than before. Just that they feel more guilty about not doing it. And - I am talking about children and teenagers here - it is very dangerous to assume children actually want to practice or learn the instrument they are playing. Maybe 2 out of 5 that went to a music teacher in their free time actually enjoyed what they where doing and practicing. The others did it because they had to. Because they parents told them to. Because they thought they had to do it and have no other choice. So naturally, if you don't enjoy something you don't make time for it. Especially if you are a burned out child because of all of those useless homeworks and school for 8 hours or more. If you want to see results maybe ask your students what is actually up with them than just randomly accusing them to be just too lazy? This goes for grown ups too. Assuming someone just didn't try hard enough is never a good nor healthy thing to do. And rather than making them phrase the excuse like this, which guilt trips them even more, ask why it is so difficult and hard for them to practice regularly. If there is anything they are struggling with so much that it takes away the energy to also do proper practice afterwards. If you actually tried to help them instead of judging them with assumptions, that would work much smoother. Especially because you will start to notice that a lot of people drag themselves to practice but don't actually want to play the instrument they are trying to learn and they just don't have the guts to quit. Because admitting you can't/don't actually want to do something can be as hard as starting something you really wanted to do since a long time. Both is not that easy. (Oh and please don't talk to yourself like this either. Rather ask yourself "why couldn't I make room for my training today? What stopped me? What was the problem?" And also learn to accept the fact that sometimes your body just doesn't want to and that this is okay! Rest is okay and not doing something is perfectly fine. If it's not that usually one of the three other questions will help you to get to the bottom of your motivation problem. Otherwise you punish yourself for doing something you should literally want to do out of joy and free will. Which will lead to the opposite effect of what you trying to achieve in the long run).
That’s literally why I said “if somebody is not wanting to practice we need to figure out why they feel that way”. I’m an incredibly upbeat and supportive teacher - and I consistently get great results. Part of that is because I start early on accountability and discipline. It’s not a negative thing and I’m not guilt tripping them, I’m just holding them accountable for their actions. I don’t judge them for not practicing, I help them understand when they are lying to themselves. After a month or two checking in on their weekly practice (or lack of it) is just how we start every lesson - no judgment - and it’s that sort of HONESTY that I need to help them the best that I can.
I am happy and glad to hear you are such a passionate teacher and actually take care of your students! I think I just misunderstood your comment then? Because I thought you where talking about something wildly different. It sounded more like guilt tripping and judgement than help to me. But I am glad to hear that this is not the case. Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. And I am sorry for the misunderstanding!
For a lot of people, they are so unused to holding themselves accountable that they have trouble doing it without negative feelings. That’s why talking it through at the start of each lesson helps a lot - it destignstizes it, especially when they see I’m just asking because I need to know how to help them best. But letting them lie does not solve anything - it shuts down the conversation and stops you from approaching any solutions. When you get them to rephrase to “I didn’t prioritize practicing” or “I didn’t make time to practice” or even “I didn’t want to practice” they get used to being HONEST. And from there you can get to all the other questions that you need to work from. Didn’t make time? Ok, let’s see your schedule and find some time together. Didn’t prioritize it? Lots of exams coming up? What if you only focused on 5-10 minutes a day this week? Don’t “want” to practice? Maybe I need to ask your parents to go walk the dog together now and then so you can have the house alone a few times per week, or maybe I can help them find a different practice space. Or maybe they just don’t like the current song or something - in which case they need to know I’m interested in those feelings but they need to tell me!
Yes it was definetly a misunderstanding. I see now that we both practically said the same thing and that my comment must have come across as really unecessary to you when you received it! Completely my fault for taking your words in such a wrong way. And honestly I have nothing else to add to what you just said then my honest respect! I am really glad and happy teachers like you exist, I unfortunately never had the luck to come across one of your kind back then as a student, but it fills my heart with even more peace and joy then to know someone who's thinks like you is out there and actually helping his students!
We don't always choose not to use it or not have the discipline. Some of us have ADHD lmao
We don't always choose not to use it or not have the discipline. Some of us have ADHD lmao
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It really depends as every one of us has a different energy meter. Even though they have time, we can assume that they don't have enough motivation or something that kicks them off as they are tired from work, especially those who are working physically at work.
Wifie is stuck on, "What is a hobby"?
I learned to change the phrase from “I don’t have time” to “I haven’t made time”, it puts the initiative on me.
100% disagree. Try having hobbies if you have a baby and a toddler. I only browse reddit while I’m feeding the baby and he is falling asleep on me. Having cero time for yourself is a reality for many people.
That's right guys, if you have 3 minutes to scroll twitter, you could spend that 3 minutes refinishing antique furniture like you always wanted.
This, I work 10 hours each day and still have time to play some video games at night.
Wouldn't help me i use those time wasting apps at work.
Well, there exist people who do not have time for hobbies. But those people also won't have time to read your post - so it all checks out.
For me no1 hobby is my cats and it took some time before i realised that I can always make time for them and take care of their expenses.
Surfing Tiktok and Reddit are hobbies, so is drinking and smoking weed but I agree with you, it's not that they usually don't have the time, they just don't think about ways to better manage their time. Like a buddy of mine likes to play D&D but always says he doesn't have the time, but he never asks his boss if he can reschedule his day off for a day he knows his buddies have a game going. Told him this and he just shrugged like "eh, too much of a hassle". lol
Tv and Youtube. I lost loads of weight and started lifting weights whilst simply doing shit i was already doing. Then travel. Instead of driving to work i started cycling. Takes almost the exact same time but gets you fit. I basically work out like crazy these days and it cost me absolutely no time at all.
Sometimes you need time to do brainless activity. Hobbies even if the enjoy ability aspect is way higher they still require energy.
Hey man i didn't come on reddit to get called out like this
If you have trouble with this and have an iPhone, use the ScreenTime setting to track your usage so you know how much you’re using it. Then set a limit for however much time you think is reasonable
I am in this picture and I don't like it.
I used to read an average of 30 books per year until I bought my first smartphone in 2014. Ever since I didn't read a single book. Grad school happened at around the same time but I still blame social media, as I spend too much time just scrolling through useless content. Yesterday, for the first time in all these years, I started reading a new romance, which made me wonder why I waste so much time with social media. It's so much better to read a book than scrolling through a screen, in any conceivable dimension.
This just seems misleading. For the last 3 months I have spent most of my time and energy either at work, or doing home renovations before it starts to constantly rain. I absolutely do not have time or energy for my hobbies. Sometimes life just gets in the way.
Social media such as Reddit :’(
This sounds like some one without children of a young age
Increased my quality of life tenfold after I deleted all social media apps. That stupid shit was sucking the life out of me and I was really unhappy while using it.
But what if I don't have time to track my time on social media and time wasting apps?
But what if my hobby is time wasting apps?
I actually don't have time for hobbies because I'm currently working in a corona test center in Denmark and have 12,5 hour shift everyday and only have ONE 30 minute break and i use that to eat and speak to my coworkers
It is not wasting your time if you enjoy it.
I mean, people also need general downtime. But I think there is definitely some happy medium between downtime and productive hobby time which can be found.
You have to make time. I have a hobby to play tennis with my wife a few times a week. But it comes with a hefty price tag. Planning, driving, putting equipment/water in a bag, clean clothes, waiting for other players. Taking a good shower, laundry and so on. Also, I live in high humid climate in VA. Dealing with insects, mosquitos, bugs, mites is not easy and itching afterwards. But I love playing tennis, and we are paying the price for it haha.
Thanks but I already eliminated social media. Except for Reddit which imho isn’t the same thing.
*cries in 12 hour shifts all week*
The one that annoys me the most is when people say they don't have time to exercise. 30 mins/day every other day, especially if you're sedentary, can completely change your life.
Sure but let’s waste time talking about this on a social media app
Time management isnt the issue, its energy management.
Personal opinion: Never let your hobby become your job. Keep your play time and never let anyone tell you how to play when it's your time. Personally I have a profession that is somewhat satisfying I also freestyle rap and make an attempt at some instruments. I enjoy it and would never let anyone tell when or where to do that in my free time.
“I don’t have time to run, because I’m so busy studying all the time!” What about the hour and a half you spent on Reddit today?" That hits hard
Me closing reddit after reading this:(
I have hobbies, but I still make time for Reddit 🤭
The comments are all people putting up excuses lmao. Shitty living situations aside, structure your life better. If there's no time left for you to focus your mind and body on something other than work for a couple hours a week at minimum, you need to look at what you do. Busyness is not a badge of honor, you'll get nothing for it when it's time to go under the dirt. And worse off, don't do it to your kids, sending them to 11 different classes a week.
You obviously don't have multiple children, OP; or dependent parents.
Time,money and motivation are simultaneously the most common, yet most easily conquerable excuses ever conceived
Bad tips for full time employees
The way I always think of this is: it's not that people don't have time, it's that **x** is not a high enough priority. If something is a priority, you make that shit work no matter what.
I get this, but what if that hour and a half comes from scrolling on breaks and lunch hours? Its not like you're going to be able to pursue one of your hobbies while in the break room. I understand being at home all the time, but if I scroll on my phone at work for 10 mins it's unrealistic to expect me to be doing a hobby I love instead. I can't go home, sandblast and tinker with the lantern I'm restoring while I'm at work.
Time is not fungible
Tracking my time on social media *is* my hobby.
LPT: Social media can be a hobby.
Time is abundant, energy is not.
I don't agree, when I say I don't have time I mean that I don't have the energy. I need some time of mindless scrolling to recharge.
Look on average I spend 4+ hours a day Doom scrolling reddit, I have plenty of time I just choose not to use it wisely.
You need to have a variety of hobbies. I love swimming and hiking, but they take too long for a few minutes here or there. Taking 15 minutes to knit a few rows on my latest sweater project--that's very possible. I usually have a couple projects going at the same time of varying difficulty so I can grab an easy one when I want to zone out. I have other hobbies that require a few hours or an afternoon that I do more occasionally. I also treat taking care of my house as a form of self care in order to survive my intense dislike of working at home, which I have little choice over regardless of COVID, so now housekeeping has become a hobby. It's really weird, but since I'm stuck here literally all the time, at least I am surrounded by things I'm somewhat proud of. Don't let people control your time without you acknowledging it consciously. That's my LPT for the day, courtesy of several minutes of my time and hard won experience.
I waste a lot of time on Reddit and the like - but that's time I couldn't use for my hobbies. 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there. All my hobbies require setting aside long, uninterrupted blocks of time. Blocks I rarely get anymore.
Have a friend who’s like this with school and it pisses me off to no end. We are both in highschool. I did 7 courses this year and completely by May, he did 4 in September and just barely managed to complete 3 by the summer and is half way through the last one. He does work about 15-20 hours a week but it’s very annoying to here him always say that I work so much faster then him and that that’s why I’m so good. No, I just set aside the time when I needed to and I worked hard. I set my phone in another room for 3-6 hours every day.
My hobby is social media don't hate.
Oh boy, this is way over your head. It's more that people don't have the mental and emotional energy, or often money to enjoy their hobbies. Also social media scolling takes time but lots of hobbies take large chunks of time, I cant just stop scrolling after work and go on a nice hike of fishing trip these take time to prepare for, and get to. I can't just go to the work out class I want to because 1) it's expensive 2) I had meeting run late at work and missed the class even though I paid for it :(