Hobbies are like life buoys: In honour of mental health week 2016

By Steve Davis

As South Australia embraced mental health week and World Mental Health Day today, I saw a mate post this on social media:

I’d like 2016 to give me something good for a change. So glad I have my camera and children – the two things that keep me grounded and happy.

While we all know that close, engaged relationships with family and friends are important for quality of life, his comment about his camera reminded me of the value of hobbies.

Then I saw a personal story in The Advertiser today from Leesa Vlahos, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and previous guest on this show, and that signed my fate.

The Adelaide Show Podcast has been my life buoy

There are very few people who know that this little enterprise known as The Adelaide Show Podcast, is my version of a life buoy.

This podcast is my hobby. It is the one, true venture that attends to my mental hygiene.

I have always sort of realised its fundamental importance to my life but when I saw my mate say how his camera keeps him grounded, it really brought the message home today.

So this short reflection is to urge you, if you are feeling lost or hopeless or helpless or frustrated or misunderstood or drowning or broken, to give yourself permission to carve out a few minutes or hours each week to devote to yourself to concentrate on something that will absorb you and satisfy you.

For me, it is the podcast.

All hobbies are equal … but some hobbies are like life buoys

The win-win with this hobby is that it also brings me into contact with my co-presenters, with interesting South Australians, and with our engaged listening community.

My layperson theory is that social hobbies are likely to breathe a lot more “fresh air” into one’s psyche than a private hobby, but I am sure there are many people and examples who would testify to the value of private hobbies.

For example, my late, maternal grandfather, spent many of his last years, happily pottering in his shed, making hand-turned wooden toys.

He made too many for his family and for the world, but it occupied him and kept him grounded for when he was in social settings.

Of course, I am not prescribing any particular hobbies. All I am saying is try something that doesn’t harm others but brings you joy and deep focus.

Hobbies and the eternal quest for balance

I think the trick is finding something you can lose yourself in, but something that also has some defined borders, so you can measure yourself and come back up for air.

I haven’t quite managed that balance yet because the people I get to meet and conversations I get to have are so intoxicating (often, literally) that they seep into conversations all week long.

But those close to me know that since this venture began, 164 weeks ago, I have been a much more centred person to be around; not perfect, not bulletproof, but certainly a whole lot more grounded.

While I need to thank the people directly involved in making this happen, like Nigel Dobson-Keeffe, who has been my cohort fulltime since episode 80, there are others who have planted seeds.

Max Martin and Dr Nathan Harten from iNform Health and Fitness Solutions drew my attention to the evidence-based rationale for paying attention to having some “me time” for physical health. Thank you.

And also, thank you to Alexandra Frost from Attuned Pyschology, for raising the concept of mindfulness into my consciousness and its mantra of being “in the moment”.

These practitioners, remind me of how invaluable it has been, conjuring this blended life in which friends are guests and guests become friends.

May you stain your life with the fruits of your hobbies.

Hopefully, one day, that might be quoted as an ancient proverb.

PS Of course, you can’t float in a life buoy forever, so don’t avoid diving deeper into conversations with people around you or professionals, as needed, should you feel out of your depth.

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