PSA: Your hobbies don't need to become a side hustle
At the start of every year, I make a list of goals. Usually it’s the classic January desires of getting a promotion, eating 'healthily', and putting more money into my savings account (never happens, btw.) But this time around, I found my list was full of hobbies. From learning to play padel, to reading 60 books, to getting back into horse riding; it felt clear that I’m not only craving fun, but building an even more meaningful life outside of office hours. And I’m not alone. TikTok is full of videos of young women trying out and exploring new activities, with search terms like ‘hobbies in your 20s’ and ‘hobbies to try in 2025’ frequently popping up. But before you dive into something new, this is your gentle reminder that pursuing something you love doesn't need to be turned into a side hustle.
Among the thousands of TikToks showing you how to do macramé or bake a banana bread (bookmarking those for later), there are videos encouraging viewers to turn their hobbies into businesses, illustrating how to make money from them. One popular creator, The Mindset Mentor, frequently suggests you need five hobbies, with the first being “one that will make you money." His advice is part of a larger conversation that encourages people to use their time in the most productive way possible, and improve their finances while doing so.
And look, I get it. We’re in a cost of living crisis, and could all do with making a bit of extra cash. A survey from 2024 found that 45% of young people are in “financially risky situations”, while another suggested 39% of 25-to-34 year olds had received money from their parents in the last 12 months. Basically, many of us are in a bit of a tight spot, and could do with some extra pennies coming in. But hobbies shouldn't be the solution to your financial worries.
A hobby by definition is “an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure." The crucial part of that sentence? We should be doing it for enjoyment - not to make a profit. As Anna K Schaffner, burnout coach and the author of Exhausted: An A–Z for the Weary points out, "If we turn our hobby into a side hustle, we negate its function as a purely pleasure-providing activity, which is free from the need to perform, produce, or generate income." The way she puts it, when our passions become a means to an end, "it usually changes our relationship to them. It can suck the joy out and add pressure.”
We spend so much of our lives attempting to be productive, constantly working towards the next goal. From school, to college, to our first jobs or university (even our childhood hobbies are exploited to make UCAS applications look more impressive.) There's this constant desire to maximise efficiency, and so it's a struggle to contemplate why you would do something without a clear or beneficial outcome. "[We] simply do not allow ourselves rest, joy and childish pleasure, because we feel that we must not waste our time," Schaffner continues. "We tend to think of all [hours] not spent working, learning, or enhancing our status as [pointless.] We may just about accept that we need down time and self-care moments to keep on functioning. But that, too, is ultimately productivity-thinking.”
With hobbies, it can feel like if we're not ‘good’ at them, they’re not worthwhile - but it's important to remind yourself of the reason why you have one in the first place. As Schaffner puts it, they're "anarchic and subversive acts that explode the ‘we need to use our time productively' mindset. When we [do our] hobbies, we become 'time rebels.' We challenge the idea that productivity is the ultimate meaning of life.”
If you're struggling to see doing an activity outside of work as a good use of energy, try to dial into the mental and physical health benefits hobbies can have. Countless studies have shown the positive impact on brain function, stress levels and loneliness, as well at the amount of happiness you can find from life. Not such of a waste of time now, are they?
As for how to stop yourself from feeling the need to achieve brilliance with your hobbies, Schaffner suggests we should “ask ourselves what makes us feel alive, what we used to love doing when we were young, and what kinds of activities put us in a flow state in which we forget about time, space and other people around us.”
For me, this has been stickers by numbers (it’s essentially like paint by numbers but you use stickers instead.) It's easy, fun and relaxing, and has been a great way for me to occupy myself without scrolling on my phone. There's absolutely no chance of anyone buying the art that I make, and that sits just fine with me. I can do it at my own pace, with no real focus on perfection, while still coming away feeling joy and peace. That's worth more than any side hustle profit.
Need some inspo to get you started? Head to our new hobbies collection
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