What Is a Hobby?

A hobby is an activity outside of a person’s regular occupation that is pursued in a non-professional manner and reflects the person’s interests, skill, or knowledge. It is often a recreational pursuit that may be undertaken for enjoyment or as a way to relax. Hobbies can also be productive in nature; for example, woodworking and gardening.

There is a lot of research on hobbies and they are known to provide many mental and physical health benefits. People who have hobbies tend to have lower stress levels, better cognitive functioning and a higher quality of life overall. Hobbies can be a great escape from the day-to-day grind and a way to socialize with others who share similar interests.

Hobbies can be anything from learning a new language to gardening to playing an instrument. It is important to find a hobby that is engaging and creative. It is also important to choose a hobby that will not become a burden. For example, if a person spends too much time on their hobby, it can feel like work and they may start to dislike it.

Some hobbies produce an end product of various sorts. These include woodworking, software projects such as music or video production or even just editing photos, artistic projects like drawing or painting, creating models out of card or paper called papercraft or more advanced projects like restoring cars or building computers from scratch.

Some hobbies are not only a source of entertainment but can be quite lucrative as well. For example, if someone makes jewelry as a hobby and is good at it, they can make a decent amount of money selling their creations. Other profitable hobbies include raising animals for sale (e.g., fish or birds), preserving food through canning, and other creative endeavors.