The lost art of doing things for pleasure

Whatever happened to hobbies?

A dictionary definition of the word 'hobby' is: 'an activity that you do for pleasure when you are not working.

Hobbies aren’t about productivity, profit, or sharing with a growing list of followers online. I’m not saying these are things to be avoided - just that they’ve crept into spaces that used to be reserved for doing things purely for fun.

That definition feels unrelatable to many of us today, like something from another era, when people took pride in building model trains or collecting stamps, rather than building online followings, collecting dopamine hits and finding ways to monetise everything.

Finding a new hobby

I’ve just returned to the UK after eight months driving around Europe with my husband, our elderly dog, and an even older car. Now that I’m no longer spending my free time wandering new city streets, relaxing in a record number of coffee shops, or spending hours on end on Airbnb, I’ve suddenly got a bit of time to fill. I’m thinking it might be nice not to fill it with more work.

I do like my work - in fact, I’m one of those people who can say they’ve turned their hobby into a job. So, if writing can’t be classed as a hobby anymore, I guess it means I need to find a new one.

Figuring out what I’d actually like to do - that’s the question.

I know a few people who live for their hobbies and try all sorts. But if I’m being honest, most people I know don’t do much more than work and family life.

Where did hobbies go?

As a kid, I’d find the most fun thing possible and do it over and over, usually until I was interrupted by incredibly mundane things like homework or dinner. For me, it was rollerblading, running, dancing, playing guitar… I even considered myself a borderline professional tree-climber, but I think I just about managed to stay in hobby territory.

But somewhere along the way, we stopped doing things just for the sake of it. People report feeling “too busy” to take on or continue a hobby, yet we somehow find hours for scrolling and binge-watching. Johann Hari, in Stolen Focus, argues that it’s not just time that’s been stolen from us, it’s our attention span. Hobbies require attention.

Not so long ago, in some parts of society, hobbies were encouraged by families, schools, and communities, and even proudly listed on CVs (“Enjoys amateur dramatics and hillwalking”). Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, it wasn’t unusual to pop a few hobbies on your CV or cover letter just to show you were an interesting human. These days, it’s a bit trickier. Listing “watching Netflix” or “keeping up with TikTok trends” doesn’t exactly scream “hire me!” - and perhaps being ‘the perfect fit’ has become more important than being interesting.

The history of hobbies - a tale as old as time

I’ll keep this extremely brief because, as they say, I could write a book on this. 

Some of the earliest known hobbies date back centuries - numismatics, for example, the collecting and study of coins and currency, has been around since at least the 7th century.

Hunting, on the other hand, began as survival for those who couldn’t find enough berries, but eventually became a weekend pursuit involving dogs, horses, and questionable hats and morals.

For most of history, though, the freedom to ‘do something just for the sake of it’ was a privilege reserved for the wealthy. If you were working dawn to dusk in a field or a factory, you weren’t exactly popping out to your embroidery circle or pressing flowers for fun. Leisure time, and what you did with it, was very much tied to your place in society.

But here’s where it gets interesting: many of the skills people once relied on to make ends meet - pottery, weaving, blacksmithing, candle making - have now made their way back into our lives as hobbies. Entire YouTube channels are devoted to making soap and candles. Instagram has brought back crocheting. Even sourdough baking had its moment of fame during the pandemic.

In a strange way, it has come full circle: the things we had to do are now things we choose to do, (that’s if we do choose to take up a hobby) not because they’re useful, but because they’re enjoyable. 

Why hobbies matter

If I’m going to write a whole piece about hobbies, you’d better believe I checked whether they actually matter. And they really do!

But then, the next question is: Who has time for hobbies?

Well, all of us, if we choose to. (Yes, I know…easier said than done, but we choose everything we do.) And there are some mighty fine reasons to make time for hobbies.

It’s easy to dismiss them as frivolous, a luxury reserved for the time-rich. But the truth is, hobbies give so much more to our lives than they could ever take. And if you're wondering whether they truly matter, the research (and real life) says they absolutely do.

Here’s why hobbies matter:

1. They’re good for your brain
Hobbies that challenge us mentally, like learning a language, playing an instrument, or identifying different smells, stimulate neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to grow and adapt. One study published in Psychological Science found that older adults who took up new, demanding skills showed significant improvements in memory, compared to those who stuck to more passive activities. You’re not just keeping busy; you’re literally building a better brain, which is likely to lead to a better quality of life.

2. They reduce stress and boost wellbeing
A study in Nature Medicine, involving 93,000 people across multiple countries, found that those who regularly engaged in hobbies had better overall health, higher life satisfaction, and fewer symptoms of depression.

Another study in the MDPI Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that hobbies can counteract the mental toll of long working hours. It’s not just a nice break - it’s protective.

3. They give your mind somewhere else to go
Creative hobbies offer what psychologists call cognitive distraction. That’s a good thing. When we’re engaged in something hands-on like knitting, painting, woodworking or perfume making, we get relief from rumination. A mental holiday, without the airport queues.

4. They help you enter a flow state
That blissful sense of being so absorbed in something that you forget to check your phone? That’s flow. It’s been linked to reduced anxiety, higher creativity, and deeper satisfaction.

As Cal Newport explains in his book Deep Work, modern life gives us fewer and fewer chances to concentrate deeply. Certain hobbies let us practise focus. and enjoy it.

5. They strengthen your sense of self
There’s often a confidence and newfound self-worth that comes from getting better at something, especially when you do it purely for your own pleasure. No boss, no pressure. Just you, improving at something because you want to.

6. They reconnect us to culture and tradition
Hobbies often come with a backstory. Pottery, dance, music, calligraphy, weaving - many creative pastimes originate from cultural or historical roots. A new hobby can be a way to connect with your own heritage or respectfully explore someone else’s.

7. They make life more interesting (and social)
Having hobbies makes you a more interesting person to talk to. It also gives you more places to meet people. You might even find yourself talking to a stranger without mentioning the weather.

8. They bring you joy
Let’s not forget the obvious: some hobbies are just plain fun. They spark curiosity, feed enthusiasm, or let you make something with your hands. You finish, look at what you made, and think - well, that was a good way to spend an hour or three.

And when you’re doing something for no other reason than the fun of it, it gives you the freedom to choose anything, even extreme ironing, for instance. Yes, it’s a thing.

The decline of hobbies: why are we doing less for fun?

If hobbies are so good for us, mentally, physically, emotionally, and even socially, why aren’t more of us doing them?

Are we too busy, distracted, or even self-conscious to do things just for the joy of it?

Well, it’s complicated. But here are some very 21st-century reasons why “fun for fun’s sake” seems to have fallen out of fashion.

1. The allure of the screen

We don’t have to ‘work’ for pleasure. The temptation of effortless, endless consumption is often irresistible. In the UK, the average adult spends a staggering chunk of their day staring at screens - whether it’s work, social media, or TV, it’s almost always something that doesn’t require us to lift a finger creatively.

Our entertainment has become frighteningly convenient, ultra-optimised, and designed to keep us hooked. In the past, you had to watch whatever was showing, and usually what whoever got the remote first decided. Now, every person in a household can sink their teeth into their own curated stream of Netflix, YouTube, TikTok or podcasts.

Why spend three hours at a watercolour painting class when Netflix is whispering, “Come on, watch me, you deserve it,” asking nothing in return but that we sit back and relax?

And while there’s nothing wrong with relaxing in front of a screen every now and then, it means there’s far less chance we’ll reach for a paintbrush or a puzzle. We don’t get bored enough to go looking for new ways to play.

2. We’ve replaced doing with watching others do

We live vicariously now. With so much access to the lives of those we follow online, we can feel deeply involved in someone else’s hobby without ever picking it up ourselves. We learn the terminology. We follow their progress. We might even convince ourselves we could do it if we wanted to - and that we will soon, but we never quite get around to starting.

It’s oddly satisfying to be close to other people’s creativity. But watching isn’t the same as doing, and we miss out on most of the real benefits when we don’t take part ourselves.

3. We equate productivity with worth

We’ve absorbed the idea that everything we actually do, or put any effort into, should lead to something - a side hustle, a new income stream or at least a well-lit Instagram post. 

It’s not enough to bake a cake so you can eat a cake. Now it needs to be frosted for Instagram, and then come the comments, of “wow that looks so good, I bet you could sell them”. 

If you’re quite entrepreneurial-minded (guilty), that instinct is hard to shut off. But not everything needs to be monetised. Some things are allowed to be pointless, joyful, and gloriously unproductive.

As Jenny Odell puts it in How to Do Nothing, we’ve lost the ability to simply be - to enjoy experiences without needing to make them into something more.

4. We’re scared of being bad at things

This one is both sad and worrying in equal measures. Social media has made it easy to see professionals and prodigies in every field. So when we try something new - and we’re not immediately brilliant - it’s tempting to give up.

We’ve forgotten what it feels like to be a beginner and to improve slowly. To enjoy something even if we’re not exceptional at it and might never be.

5. We don’t get bored anymore

This one sounds strange, but boredom has historically been a powerful motivator for creativity. When our minds wander, we start to imagine, invent, tinker, and try new things. These days, the moment boredom creeps in, we squash it with a swipe. The second we feel a lull, we pull out our phones… ta-da: entertained for hours. But if we let ourselves get a little bored, we might just rediscover the urge to make something.

6. What’s my age again?

What age group are hobbies for?

Yes, I know the answer is any age, but when I was younger, I’m not sure it felt that way.

As a teenager, doing anything that looked like trying too hard came with a high risk of ridicule. And for many adults, it’s not until the kids are grown and life slows down that it feels socially acceptable to join a book club or a walking group.

It’s nonsense, of course. Hobbies are for everyone, at every age. But doing what your peers aren’t doing? That’s not easy for most of us.

7. Hobbies used to be social glue

Hobbies have the power to bring people together. But these days, our social time often happens online. This has opened up new opportunities, especially for those who genuinely find socialising in person difficult, which is great. Online communities have helped build connections that were never possible before, and there is huge value in that, but they are not a complete replacement for getting out and doing something. To many, it’s made real-world connections feel like a bit more effort than their worth.

A short revival: when hobbies made a comeback

Hobbies did have a moment.

During the early days of the pandemic, many of us found ourselves with something we hadn’t had in years: time. Suddenly, sourdough loaves were rising in ovens, jigsaws were selling out, and online courses in everything from embroidery to graphic design exploded in popularity.

People weren’t just filling time, they were trying new things, sometimes for the first time in years.

It was a reminder that when life slows down, the impulse to create and tinker and learn doesn’t vanish - it reappears. We just don’t usually give it the chance.

What we lose when we lose our hobbies

• Creativity: We start to think of creativity as something only professionals do, not something we all have access to.

• Satisfaction: We lose a sense of satisfaction, or outsource it to productivity or success metrics. The pride of making or doing something just for yourself disappears.

• Community: Shared interests used to be how people made friends. Ceramics classes, choirs, game nights. Without hobbies, we lose one of the easiest ways to connect with others offline.

• Resilience: Hobbies teach patience, problem-solving, and perseverance. You get better by doing, failing, and redoing. No big stakes, just the slow build of belief.

• Identity: When we stop doing things we love, we can lose sight of who we are outside of work and responsibility. Hobbies remind us of the many versions of ourselves that still exist.

• Joy: Perhaps most importantly, hobbies are a source of joy not tied to achievement. Just for the fun of it.

Let hobbies join the self-care revolution

Self-care has recently become something we feel pretty good speaking about. We’ve embraced meditation apps, cold plunges, face masks and journaling prompts - but what about making music? Speaking a new language? Or starting a new sport?

If self-care is about doing something that nourishes and supports you, hobbies deserve a seat at the table.

Perfume as a hobby

In my search for a new hobby on my return to the UK, there’s no doubt perfumery came to mind - how could it not, when all things scent-related have been taking up a generous chunk of brain space since I started writing for Sarah back in November?

Perfume making feels like an ideal hobby. It’s creative, you can do it alone or with others, it’s good for your brain, there’s a whole world of knowledge and history to explore, and it’s something you can keep getting better at - if you stick with it.

And of course, there’s the satisfaction of making something with your own hands (and nose). Whether you're scientific, artistic, or somewhere in between, perfumery gives you the space to play, experiment, and surprise yourself.

And like any good hobby, it doesn’t ask you to be perfect. It asks you to bring your own personality.

If you’re curious, Sarah, founder of 4160Tuesdays and Scenthusiasm, is a wonderful perfumery teacher, and there are a few different ways to learn with her:

• Live workshops at our Hammersmith studio in London - hands-on, experimental, and a brilliant first step into the world of artisan perfumery.

• The online Scenthusiasm course – a complete, self-paced introduction to perfumery. If this is a brand-new hobby for you, you can even order the materials collection to get everything you need.

• Join us on Patreon at Scenthusiasm – with monthly challenges, perfumery chats, and a friendly community of scent fanatics who are more than happy to talk about perfume making for hours.

“I have long championed the delights of the hobby. In fact I run courses that often discourage people from giving up their jobs and doing perfumery instead. 

I often wish I'd kept up writing as a career and had perfumery as something to do in my spare time. When people say, "You're following your dream!" I have to tell them that I'm really not. If I were, I'd still be playing baritone sax professionally.

Making perfume is my job now and for that reason it comes with different pressures, including stacks of admin and the constant requirement to remind people that 4160Tuesdays exists.

If one of my students makes a lovely fragrance they get encouraged by friends and family to make it into a business, but running a small business isn't for everyone. There is no off switch.

Then there's that awful term, the "side hustle". This is when you already have a job, then you double the pressure on yourself to take a second one. This is the opposite of the escape that a hobby offers you.

There is an attraction in recognition - whether it's from sales, awards or reviews - but there's a lot to be said for the secret satisfaction of just doing something for yourself.

If you want to learn how to make perfume I will happily help, and I'll also encourage you not to take it too seriously.” - Sarah McCartney – Perfumer, founder and teacher at 4160Tuesdays and Scenthusiasm.

Whether you’re looking to pick up a new hobby, rekindle an old curiosity, or simply make something that smells beautiful, I might be biased - but I think perfumery is a very good place to begin.

Stop consuming, start doing

I didn’t set out researching and writing this piece to convince you - or myself - that we all must have hobbies. I just found myself with some free time and wanted to fill it with something fun.

But now? There’s simply no argument in my mind. I’m convinced and inspired. Tonight I’m trying a new dance class, and on Wednesday I’m joining a writing group (exploring different styles, so I think I can still count it as a new hobby).

Maybe our CVs won’t be filled with long lists of hobbies any time soon. But we can choose to carve out space for things that bring us pleasure, challenge us, and remind us who we are outside of our jobs and screens.

So go on - pick up the paintbrush. The ukulele. The pipette.

Whatever it is, do it for the pleasure of doing it. That’s enough.

Sinead & Team Tuesdays