HAULING YOURSELF OFF THE ARMCHAIR

Over the years, I have toyed with the idea of picking up new hobbies such as video editing, poetry writing or learning a new language.

However, it was always less of a hassle to jump on the couch after a long day at work and leave an episode of Friends running in the background.

Other people also told me that they have found it difficult to keep up with hobbies they enjoyed in the past.

Ms Nurul Nabila Mohamed Naseem, a 26-year-old executive assistant in the healthcare sector, said that she used to read up to 10 books a month as a student but now finds herself requiring a lot more mental effort to focus on reading after a full day of sending emails.

However, Ms Nabila said that she found a replacement hobby in pole dancing instead. The physically demanding activity does not require staring at a screen and allows her to relieve stress after work.

Ms Nabila disclosed that she had been hesitant about picking it up because she did not feel confident. But she eventually mustered the motivation to sign up for classes in March after a friend suggested that they try lessons together.

Aquascaping enthusiast Lai Cam Linh, who started pursuing his hobby five years ago at the age of 34, emphasised that “it’s never too late to learn something new”.

It is easy to pick up something new in this day and age given the amount of information available online, the environmental engineer said.

Mr Lai, who had discovered aquascaping while buying a pet fish for his daughter, said that he picked up the hobby through YouTube tutorials and online forums.

“Once you do your research, your success rate will be higher and the learning curve much flatter.” 

Ms Goh, the counsellor, acknowledged that it might be daunting to start something new.

In such instances, it may help to break it down into smaller steps such as researching available classes, booking the class and buying materials.

To overcome the inertia of picking up a new hobby, Ms Ng of Mind What Matters said that the first step is to set a limit on unproductive activities (think Netflix bingeing) and introduce other activities in its place.

These replacement activities should inspire, excite or allow you to grow and learn new things.