Rehma Zaidi is a fifth-year Computer Engineering student at York University. She loves to solve complex problems, analyze various issues and come up with solutions. She also enjoys being creative and coming up with engaging content either through writing, videos or illustrations.
Student life can sometimes feel like endless academic work, jobs and multitasking. It can be easy to get overwhelmed and not have time for yourself. This is why it is important to have a life outside of work or school and develop hobbies, interests, healthy habits and a lifestyle that supports your health and well-being.
In a world where everyone is always on-the-go it’s crucial to find something that can ground you and help with finding solitude.
How to find hobbies
There are tons of ways to find new hobbies. The best way to do it is find something that interests you, then find an activity related to that interest. For example, if you enjoy listening to music, choosing an instrument and learning to play it would be a hobby related to music.
To find your interests, you must try out activities to see what you enjoy. As a young adult, figuring yourself out is a part of the process.
It’s totally okay to not know what interests you; many people don’t during this stage of life! Developing hobbies is one way of figuring out who you are.
The importance of hobbies
For a lot of my life, I never understood why hobbies were important. Most of the time I would be busy with school or work and would rarely explore activities outside of my routine life.
It wasn’t until I got my first co-op where I found that I had a hard time connecting with people because I never knew what to bond over. This is when I realized that I needed to start finding hobbies that don’t involve work or school.
I started reading, embroidery and sketching. Then I tried out new activities such as hiking. Hiking pushed me out of my comfort zone and got me outdoors which helped me grow as a person.
Connecting with people through hobbies
Once I started finding hobbies and activities, I found it easier to connect with people and make friends. It also felt refreshing to spend time doing something I loved.
I noticed that finding new hobbies improved my confidence. For example, when it came to hiking, I was initially intimidated by the wilderness. But to my surprise I found it to be de-stressing and mentally relaxing. I realized that giving things a try is always worthwhile because it might become a new favourite activity.
What York students love to do
I asked my friends at York what they like to do with their spare time. Some of their favourite hobbies are knitting, listening to audiobooks, painting, writing, playing sports, going to the gym, baking, swimming, camping, travelling and much more. Most people enjoy exploring downtown Toronto. There are endless amounts of studios, cafes, locations and opportunities in the city to discover new activities and communities.
There truly is something for everyone here in the city and at York!