The Fear Of Mediocrity- Taking Hobbies Too Seriously

Just the other day I read an article on The New York Times called ‘In Praise Of Mediocrity’ by Tim Wu, and in the article Tim Wu explains how most people just don’t try to do a hobby for the sake of enjoyment anymore, because we are afraid of being bad at them since we take them too seriously. We place all kinds of expectations on ourselves, and when we don’t live up to them, we give up, never to try again.

Personally, I think it’s true. I’ve had friends who tried drawing, for example, and because they felt that they weren’t good at it, and they gave up completely on it. I think it’s a shame, really. The thing is, you don’t have to be good at something if you are only doing it for enjoyment. No matter how bad you are at it, you shouldn’t take it seriously, because in the end a hobby is something you do for fun in your leisure time.

As you can tell from the picture on the right that is a small sculpture I made of a figure. It’s not the most amazing piece of art I made, and it shows, but you know what? The time I spent working on it was time that I enjoyed, and it even helped me relax my mind. Studies have shown that making art, no matter how mediocre it is, can actually reduce stress.

Have you ever wanted to try drawing, but feel like you aren’t talented enough? Ever wanted to dance, but you think you aren’t fit for it? I’d say forget your mediocrity, and just pick up a pencil, and start drawing, or start dancing just because you feel like it. In the end, you’re not trying to impress anyone, but you’re only doing it for your own enjoyment, to make yourself happy.

Alexis

P.S Below I've posted the links to the articles that inspired me to write this.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/in-praise-of-mediocrity.html

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-good-art-benefit-artistic-hobby

The Importance Of Sleep: Feeling Refreshed, More Productivity

Are you someone who suffers from poor sleep? I can tell you from my experience that when I don’t get a good night sleep my concentration levels go down the drain. When I sleep badly even the tiniest thing that nobody would notice distracts me, and my energy levels? Honestly, getting things done feels twice as hard.

Ever since we entered the age of smartphones sleep quality around the world has suffered as a result from our heavy smartphone usage. What can we do to improve our sleep habits so that we can be our best selves during the day? Well, a lot of the times we sleep badly because we might have ‘bad sleep hygiene’. We indulge in habits that ruin our sleep without us even realizing it.

Examples of bad sleep hygiene include:

1. Sleeping at irregular times. One night you might go to bed at 10:30pm, the next night you go to sleep at midnight, and then the following night at 11:00pm. We all have a biological clock known in Biology as the ‘circadian rhythm’. When we sleep at random times like this we end up ruining our bodies’ circadian rhythm. That means we won’t feel as refreshed when we wake up since we’re not accustomed to sleeping at a certain time. If you want to ensure a good night of sleep, try to practice sleeping, and wake up at the same time every day.

2. Using gadgets before bed. Electronic devices such as smartphones, computers and tablets emit a kind of light known as ‘blue light’. Scientific studies have shown that blue light can harm your sleep quality since it tricks your brain into thinking that it’s still day time. Stopping device usage at least an hour before bed can help you fall asleep faster by allowing your mind to cool off for a bit.

3. Taking any stimulants before bed. This is a no-brainer really. Coffee? Heck, even eating dark chocolate close before bed may cause you problems since it has small amounts of caffeine in it.

4. Having a sedentary lifestyle. Our bodies require sleep in order to recharge, but if you never use up any energy during the day, then your body won’t have to recharge as much, causing you to wake up unnecessarily during the night.

Sleep deprivation feels like torture. You feel fatigued, your attention span becomes a mess, you might feel depressed or in a bad mood, and you don’t feel like doing much. Getting 8 hours of sleep is essential for leading a happy life. If you are a teenager, then at least 9 hours of sleep is required. Sleep is precious. Try to get the amount of sleep you need in order to perform at your best every day, otherwise you'll turn into a zombie, but instead of being hungry for brains, you'll be hungry for sleep. Believe me, you do not want to reach that point. I've been there, and it's not nice.

Active Hobbies vs Passive Hobbies: Building Self-Esteem Doing Something We Love

Hobbies, hobbies, hobbies, one of my favorite things in life. 😁 We all have something we like to do in our leisure time. Some of us look forward to it every day after school or work, while others simply indulge in their spare time activity as a way to pass the time without feeling any passion for it, but did you know that your hobby can be a great way to build self-esteem? You wouldn't believe what a gold mine your passion can be for building self-worth, but a lot of people don't realize that. Of course, it also depends on what kind of hobby you have.

There are two types of hobbies: active hobbies and passive hobbies. Active hobbies are hobbies that you try to get better at doing until you become an expert at it. In other words, you are actively participating in that activity, and you try to become more skilled at it over time. Passive hobbies, on the other hand, are hobbies that are meant to pass the time only, and don't involve skill building. Examples include watching television, going to the cinema, and playing video games.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with having passive hobbies since they are a great way to relax or unwind, but sadly, they don't help build self-esteem the way active hobbies do. If you have an active hobby like painting or playing an instrument, then you'll possess a set of skills that not everyone has, and it will be built on pure effort on your part which will make you proud of yourself. Hobbies are also a great way to get to know yourself. You’ll even be able to impress other people, and you could even make a little extra money from it depending on what your active hobby is.

If you are suffering from low self-esteem, then my advice for you is to try to find something you are passionate about. Want to spend some time getting to know yourself? Take a look at this list on Wikipedia, and try out whatever catches your eye until you find that one thing that clicks with you. You might even end up surprising yourself in the end. 😉

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hobbies

Alexis