Your Hidden Treasures: Transforming Childhood Memories into Adult Hobbies
Years ago, shortly after my husband and I got married, I found myself sitting on the couch scrolling on social media as my husband relaxed and was super invested in one of his hobbies, gaming. Over time, I caught myself in the same pattern as my husband grew to find things he enjoyed doing like going to the gym, running, or calling one of his friends to get a match on his PlayStation. Young, married, and in love, it finally struck me; I needed to find a hobby. What was that one thing I truly enjoyed doing and could do for hours? I needed to find something that I loved doing outside of work, ministry, and marital life adjustments.
After giving birth to my daughter and transitioning home full-time in 2020, I realized that I was still unsure of what I enjoyed doing for myself and by myself. Mothers are constantly talking about the need for self-care but I struggled with it. I didn’t know what self-care looked like for me. Honestly, I have never been the girl that was a fan of going to the nail shop bi-weekly or the spa; you know the average self-care things women enjoy doing.
It wasn’t until one of my mentors challenged our women’s group to find the little girl inside of us again. When she first said it, I wasn’t sure what she meant until she explained herself. She challenged us to invest in finding something that we enjoyed doing as a little girl. I remember it taking me weeks to go and do something I used to enjoy doing. Weeks later, I was laced up at our local gym with my basketball shoes, headphones, and blue high school sweatshirt. As I took the time to shoot some hoops, I still felt like I couldn’t enjoy the time away from my family. Investing time in myself was something that I had neglected mainly after transitioning into motherhood so anything that did not have to do with house chores, children, or my spouse, felt uncomfortable and out of the box.
It wasn’t until January 2022 that I finally tried something that I used to truly enjoy as a little girl that was always fun and relaxing. Surprisingly, that was going to the library with my mother growing up and checking out fiction children’s chapter books. I was always so impressed with how fast I got through the books and back to check out more.
As we moved closer to a local library after buying our first home in 2021, I walked into the library with my toddler randomly one day and decided to get a new library card that I did not have for years. It took a few months to officially check out the fiction book Though I Stumble by Kim Cash Tate which I have been wanting to read for a long time.
After I found myself staying up late reading chapter after chapter of the book instead of scrolling on Instagram or browsing for hours on Amazon, I began to reflect on how I would sit in a bean bag in my room as a little girl and read. Suddenly, as soon as I dug deeper into the book, I felt relaxed and looked forward to seeing what was unfolding inside. It started to become a healthy habit I truly enjoyed outside of all the responsibilities of life. This is when I realized I rediscovered that one thing that used to put a spark in me when I was a little girl but after years of not investing in it, I was unsure if I would ever get back to it.
If you are looking to find a hobby, I would encourage you to ask yourself these questions. These questions will help you rediscover a hobby that has been hidden but may have been a while since you tapped into it. Ask yourself these questions,
What is something you enjoyed doing when you were a child?
Why did that very thing you used to enjoy excite you?
Is there anything you would enjoy doing so much that it did not matter if you got paid to do it?
3 Tips for Tapping into Your Hidden Hobbies
Find a few things in your childhood memories that you used to enjoy and list them out.
Evaluate the list and take time to do one or more things on it.
Reflect on how you felt after investing in one of the things you tried on the list.
What you felt has been lost just may be hidden in childhood memories that brought you joy and relaxation and it isn’t too late to tap back into those things. I am looking forward to reinvesting in hobbies more consistently this year that I once enjoyed more. Besides, we shouldn’t just live a life of work and no play.
Photo by Kevin Borrill on Unsplash
