Life has a way of becoming hectic, so everyone needs to find ways to relax. Even in the past people found that hobbies and interests were great ways to relax. As Dale Carnegie said "Today is life-the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto."
I find my best ways to relax is by enjoying a variety of hobbies in what little leisure time I have available. These hobbies range from knitting, reading, writing, listening to a large variety of music, watching movies/dvds, playing with our two dogs, playing with the grandchildren, photography, surfing the internet, kicking back with my husband watching television. Sometimes when I am really stressed I find the best way to de-stress and relax is by baking or golfing. For golfing it would have to be good weather and I'd definitely have to have a partner, which usually is my husband or a friend. Therefore, golfing to me is only a part-time leisure hobby since it requires me to make reservations for a tee-time and find an available partner. My husband's been an avid golfer since the age of nine years old, therefore, it's not hard to get him to go. You just have to whisper the word golf and he is up to it in a second. It's working it around his odd-ball schedule, which is swings. I do more knitting, writing, listening to music and playing with our dogs/grandchildren than most of the others. With my wide variety of hobbies I would have to agree that I have enough to do one each day and never tire of ever repeating one a week. Therefore, when Phyllis McGinley says "A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away" I would definitely agree.
However, I also enjoy growing and tending tomato plants and an herb garden through the spring and summer seasons. I find this type of gardening very relaxing and healthy in many beneficial ways. As I get outside more for fresh air and sunshine. I also enjoy the sights of the butterflies, squirrels, and birds that visit our yard. That is relaxing in itself. When I used to have a much larger garden full of a large assortment of vegetables, seven years back, I found plenty of relaxation and fulfillment in it then. However, that was in a different place and when my mother was alive. My mother and I tended the garden together. It made her feel and act years younger, I believe because it relaxed her and also lifted her spirits. Each morning, with our coffee in hand, we would see who could get outside first to check on the garden's growth. We were like two overgrown children trying to outdo one another. Many years our tomato plants grew as tall as my mom, who happened to be 5 feet 4 inches. Those are moments I treasure as I check my tomatoes each summer and the smell of them rubs off on my hands. Those memories come flooding back, as the sun warms my cheeks, I bask relaxing in the memories of mom and our gardens of the past.
My husband and I also jump in our truck to go on day trips. These little jaunts have produced many interesting inspirations in which to write about. Along with numerous photographs and encounters with interesting people. Many of the people we've met have been quite informative with a variety of information/stories about the places/people of the areas. That are also great characters for my writing hobbies, along with the information I've gleaned from encountering them. On occasion we actually make friends of some of the people too. Which reminds me of one more quote. Wilfred Peterson said "A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine and renews his life through reading new books, traveling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies and adopting new viewpoints."
In today's society hobbies are fast becoming more and more popular. It is a person's way to relax and re-energize after a long day at work. So if you haven't done so by now, get yourself a hobby and de-stress.
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