Rediscovering Something You Used to Love as a Kid
The effects and importance of sustaining a passion.
By Harriet Bennett
When I was a kid, something I loved to do was climb. I clambered up trees, entire playgrounds, and the occasional climbing wall; nothing was safe from my grasp. High atop a wall, my 10-year-old self felt invincible. Whether or not I was exceptionally skilled, I didn’t care–I was passionate.
When we were children, there were things that enamored us like no other, passions we found truly interesting, things that we would spend entire days revolving around. But somewhere along the way in the complicated journey of growing up, it’s easy for these passions to fall out and become lost in the sea of responsibilities you face as an adult. But no matter how long they’ve been absent, these passions should still remain to be an important part of your life.
Children who have particular interests or passions tend to look for people with the same interests, allowing them to develop a community in which they can fuel what they enjoy with their peers. If we could do this as kids, surely we can find a community for what we’re passionate about as adults. David Schwartz, a licensed marriage and family therapist, says that a child’s passion can also help them “develop the inner motivation they will need to move themselves forward as adults,” showing the lasting effects of having a hobby.
As I got older, I didn’t continue to foster my passion for climbing, but when I got to college, I decided to try it again. The community I’ve found at the climbing gym is one of the most welcoming and kind environments that I have ever experienced. They push me to go for things that I wouldn’t have normally done myself, and they have helped me reignite my love for climbing and the outdoors.
If your life revolves around work, school, or something that can seem monotonous, it might be time to pick up a childhood passion—a lost hobby or love from the past that can fill your days with excitement. Think back to when you were a kid—think about what captured your attention and enthralled you—and start it up again. This doesn’t need to be something you’re great at, just something that you genuinely want to do for no other reason than the fact that you like to do it. When you decide what this passion will be, make sure to approach it with self-kindness. Having a community who shares your interest can help with this part; if you start to feel discouraged, they can help get you back on the right track.
Having a passion can translate well into other aspects of your life as well. A study done by Zawadzki, Smyth, and Costigan prove that passions and hobbies are better for your health. They say that leisure activities are associated “with lower reports of stress and lower objectively measured heart rate, suggesting that leisure may evoke a type of relaxation response.” Future careers can also be impacted by passions and hobbies; you can become more committed, therefore able to pursue more goals and potentially become more successful in your field of work.
As evidenced by the mentioned study, having a hobby could have many benefits to your health and wellbeing. If you don’t have one already, think back to what you used to like as a child and go from there. The sooner you start, the sooner your personal and professional life will flourish.
Sources:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0034637317716987
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/nha3.20370
https://www.ucmerced.edu/sites/ucmerced.edu/files/documents/zawadzki-paper-2015.pdf