In today’s post-covid world where many of us renewed or discovered interest in creative hobbies, there is a suffocating pressure to monetize those leisure activities.
The appeal is clear at first glance – you enjoy painting or cooking, so you might as well sell custom prints and write a cookbook to fill your pockets while doing something you love.
But to the proposal of transforming it into a side hustle, draining the fun from creating until you squeeze out every drop of profit, I say this: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
It’s one of my mom’s go-to phrases for advising me in making sound decisions (her other favorite being “it’s not right or wrong, it’s just different,” which is also an important thing to hear).
Just because you can set up an Etsy shop or join the creator fund on TikTok doesn’t mean you should … I’d even go so far as to say you should not.
Hobbies as a Mental Health Tool
Having hobbies that are “useless,” serving no purpose other than enjoyment, is an extremely valuable thing.
It can decrease your depression, anxiety, and stress, improve your overall quality of life, and connect you to better social interaction and community, according to research published in the National Library of Medicine.
Engaging in fun, pleasurable activities works to actively mitigate current negative emotions while also preventing further adverse feelings from occurring. It’s a win-win!
And remember, hobbies that are good for your mental health aren’t limited to the craft kits you can find at Michaels.
Sports or exercise, reading, birdwatching, hiking and spending time outside, and even board games can serve as leisure activities that promote your well-being.
The key isn’t what you’re doing … it’s why you’re doing it.
The Hustle Hurts
Once you’ve taken the plunge and dedicated time to your hobby, it’s important to remember why you started it.
The idea of “side hustles” and monetizing hobbies has flooded all sides of the Internet, with no life boat left to escape on. But I urge you to tighten your straps and inflate your life vest, because your mental health will thank you!
When your hobby becomes a side hustle, the motivation changes and the joy quickly leaves.
You don’t knit for three hours because you lost track of time or get lost in the woods because you were admiring the trees – you do it because you have a deadline to meet so you can get a check and make more content.
It takes the focus off of the joy, the relaxation, the enjoyment.
But don’t worry – there’s an easy fix.
Enjoy It, Just Because You Can
Listen to your body. It’s pretty good at giving you cues.
When you find a new activity you’re itching to dedicate more time to, recognize that and allow yourself to!
If you can’t stop thinking about a new knitting pattern or garden layout you’re dying to try, set aside some time and simply enjoy it.
Don’t worry about documenting it for social media or keeping it perfect so it sells.
Just do something you like doing, solely for the fun of it. Research shows it’ll likely be way more fun that way.
Written by Katie Walling
Written By Jessica Kobrick, Intern
Jessica is an Undergraduate Intern at Counseling Simplified in West Lafayette. She is currently an undergraduate at Purdue, studying psychology, human sciences, and family development.