By the time people become an adult, many face the challenge of choosing the careers that most will stick with for life. While some know what they want to do almost right away, some struggle to find out what they really want to be, or they might have an idea of what they should do, but unsure if that’s the right choice. To those people, many are recommended to try figuring out what their hobbies and interests are, and connect them to jobs that most go along with it because that will allow them to enjoy their career better. But the question is, do really hobbies help with careers? 

I say yes to the question asking if hobbies help with careers because hobbies not only help you choose a career you would enjoy, it helps your career life as well. It decreases the stress level, helps you socialize more and even gives you confidence so overall allows you to stay positive!

1) Hobbies can help choose careers

It’s not always easy to know what you really want and it’ll be even harder when you have people saying “what you choose to become now will most likely be what you are for the next 10 years.” So it’s normal for everyone to have a hard time choosing a career path they won’t regret. However, thinking about what you are really interested in and your hobbies will definitely help you a lot. Hobby, an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure, is one of the best ways to know what you are really interested in. By looking at the hobbies you have, it can be easier to see what career paths would best fit for you. For example when you find yourself to be interested in technology, then jobs related to technologies will be helpful for you and you’ll most likely enjoy them as well. If you are interested in cooking, then culinary careers are recommended. So next time you think about who you want to become when you grow up, try thinking about some of your hobbies because it can be really helpful!

2) Hobbies can decrease your stress level 

It’s always important to keep a hobby even after you have a job. It does not necessarily have to be the same hobby you had since you were 8 years old, but it’s definitely nice to have something you enjoy outside of work in daily life. Having something you enjoy doing, other than your job, will decrease your stress level and also depression. Hobbies refocuses your mind on something that you enjoy doing. Enjoying a few hours of your hobby can reduce the risk of depression and relieve stress from work. Hobbies that involve physical activities also create chemical changes in your body that help reduce stress, so getting a short break from work and doing something you enjoy and are passionate about can help you have a better career life and stay positive!

3) Hobbies help you to socialize more 

Hobbies help provide opportunities for people to socialize with others who have a common interest as them. You can meet new people, discuss your hobby, and could also have opportunities that relate to your hobby other than your job, if your hobby and your job are very unrelated. Also, it’s good to have someone who could relate and talk with you about what you love because then you can enjoy the conversation even more! So if you are feeling a little lonely or want to make new friends outside of your workplace, find someone who has the same interest as you. Join a club, look up for any events that relate to your hobby, or you could even try making someone fall in love with what you’re passionate about and enjoy it together! 

4) Hobbies give you confidence and ability to learn new things 

It always feels good to be good at something. Having a hobby and learning to be good at it will boost your confidence and ability to learn new things. If you’re passionate about something, then you would most likely want to learn more about it. By becoming an expert with what you love, it will definitely make you feel good and proud of yourself for all the things you’ve learned. Confidence is one of the most important traits people should have in their lives. Confidence not only makes you feel good, it allows you to push yourself to become better. When you are confident, the confidence in you will allow you to move forward with opportunities and people. Same goes to work- confidence will allow you to perform better in your workplace because you believe in yourself. When you are constantly worried about yourself and are scared to do something, it’ll not only push you further away from enjoying what you’re doing, but also close your mind on opportunities and learning new things because of negativity. Hence having hobbies will not only increase your knowledge on specific areas you’re interested in, it’ll also boost confidence and ability to learn new things at work!

Looking for hobbies is not the only way to know who you really want to become or to have a good career life. However if you find yourself wondering who you should become when you really have no clue or want to know some ideas on what are some ways to have a fun life outside of stressful work, try thinking about some of your hobbies! Hobbies will not only help you find out what you are interested in, but also help your career and daily life where it decreases your stress level, help socialize more, and boost your confidence and the ability to learn new things! 

Hawon Kook

Hawon is a freshman this year at Sweet Home High School and is a new writer for The Panther Eye. Although it’s her first time, she is very excited and hopes to help write about various topics for the school!