Learn to Disconnect so you can enjoy your hobbies for yourself again.
We have entered an era where every hobby has to be a side hustle or a content opportunity. If you go for a run, you have to track it on Strava. If you paint, you have to film a time-lapse for TikTok. If you cook a meal, it has to be plated perfectly for the ‘gram. But what happened to just doing things because they are fun? What happened to being bad at something in private?
When you perform your hobbies for an audience, you lose the ‘flow.’ You stop focusing on the joy of the activity and start focusing on how it will be perceived. This adds a layer of pressure that eventually kills your passion. You find yourself procrastinating on things you used to love because the ‘work’ of documenting them has become too much. It is time to take your hobbies back.
Disconnecting from the need to share is incredibly liberating. Try doing something creative this weekend and don’t tell a soul about it. Paint a messy picture and then throw it away. Play an instrument just to hear the sound. Go for a walk without tracking your pace or your heart rate. Do it just for the sake of doing it. This is how you rediscover your authentic self.
When you are the only one watching, you are free to experiment. You are free to fail. You are free to be weird. This is where true growth happens. You develop skills faster when you aren’t worried about looking ‘cool’ while doing it. You find out what actually brings you joy, rather than what gets you the most engagement. Your hobbies should be a refuge from the world, not another way to work for it.
Reclaim your private life. Not everything needs to be a public record. Some of the best moments in life are the ones that nobody else knows about. They belong only to you. So, get out there and do something just for the vibes. No camera, no caption, no pressure. Just you and your craft. That is how you win.
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