Entry #2: Microhobbies

Most of my day, everyday, is spent working. School, then homework, then an eight hour shift at work, along with any necessary tasks like eating or cleaning. It's easy to lose motivation to continue on during the everyday when you're bound to a repeat cycle that you can't change or escape from. This causes some people slack in their homework, or neglect the care of themselves or their living space in order to find the time to relax or enjoy themselves. How do you find time for yourself when all your time is spent working on other things? Personally I like to invest my time in what I call "microhobbies."

Microhobbies, or rather, hobbies that take up only a small amount of time, make fitting things you want to do into a busy schedule much easier. There are two types of microhobbies: "regular" hobbies that have been shrunk down to conserve time, and small things that are limiting in how often they can be done per day.

Many "regular" hobbies take up a lot of time, and can be difficult for people to get into.  By shrinking the time you spend on a "regular" hobby, you can make something that seems difficult become more accessible to your lifestyle. Want to draw but don't have the time to get into it? Make a little sketch in your notebook or on a sticky note. Are you the type to scroll social media for hours on end even if you gain nothing from it? Set a time limit on how much you scroll at a time. Has it been a long time since you've watched a TV show? Limit yourself to one episode at a time so you can fit it in instead of just never starting it. 

Several microhobbies of this kind I indulge in and how I indulge in them include:

• Reading: I read only a chapter at a time, and despite that have already finished several books in the last month alone.
• Drawing: Just a simple sketch in my notebook during class will help keep me from spacing off or falling asleep. It doesn't even have to be good or make sense! In my math class, I drew a stick figure girl, gave her wings, and then imprisoned her in a crystal. 
• Anime: I've already finished two series this past month by watching an episode or two a day when I can, as opposed to last year where throughout the entire year I didn't get more than two episodes into a single series I tried to start.
• Social Media: I used to scroll between Instagram and Twitter for way longer than I should and became easily distracted. I started limiting myself to about 2-5 minutes per session in order to keep myself on track.
  

Indulging in some of these behaviors during long work periods have been shown to increase productivity. In an article detailing how to go about a balance of phone time and work time, it is stated that "'Having workers take small breaks on their phones throughout the day may positively influence their perceived well-being at the end of the workday,' said Sooyeol Kim, one of the study’s authors and a doctoral student at Kansas State University" (Freedman). Although it can be hurtful for employees to sit on their phone if they use it too much, it allows for them to take small breaks when they start hitting moments where they're slowing down.

The other side of microhobbies is the kind of hobby that is restricted in how much you can do it per day. This includes the well known Wordle; an online puzzle game that refreshes daily with new puzzles, and mobile games with limited attempts during time intervals; like Candy Crush. Many of these microhobbies may seem like small time wasters, but it keeps the brain active and gives small breaks throughout the day.

Some of these that I indulge in include:

• Costar: A daily horoscope app that I like to read and try to interpret with my other friends who are on there. It's fun to take advice that feels tailor made to me or try to interpret the more broad aspects that leave me confused. It gets me thinking throughout the day.
• Pokedoku: A variation of the Wordle format in which you must fill out a sudoku grid with specific Pokemon prompts. 
• Chillquarium: An aquarium game I check daily. The fish grow based on the real world clock, so closing it will still have the game progress, and playing it for long periods of time in one sitting doesn't really net much progress.

Screenshot from the official Wordle page, detailing the rules and a mention of how it is updated daily. 

Hobbies can be time consuming, and without time to spare it's hard to get into doing the things you wanna do. With microhobbies however, the time spent is minimized, allowing them to be fit into a busy schedule. It's important to find a balance between work and fun, and too much of one or the other can lead to an unsuccessful or unhappy life. Find your perfect balance however you can!