For the love of hobbies. 🤍

Reader, what's a hobby that you'd love to get into?

And when I say hobby, I mean a non-work-related or income-generating activity or pastime that brings you joy, peace and/or ease. (Yup, this definition of hobbies doesn't include side hustles my friend.)

My hobby? Reading.

As a kid, you could always find my nose deep into a fictional story. My mom would take my brother and I to our local library often, and I would leave with my arms full of stories to dive into once we got home. Reading was a chance for me to get lost in an adventure or hold my breath during a page-turner. I enjoyed getting swept up in the fun that a story could bring.

Years later as a graduate student, I not only felt burnt out from reading for school, but struggled to return back to my love of reading fiction after I graduated. Instead, I spent the first few years of my career occasionally opening up a personal development book or peer-reviewed articles. My burnout created a narrative that "I should only be reading for work". Yeah, yikes.

Starting in January of this year, I vowed to reclaim my love of reading for fun again. I was determined, mean determined, to reignite the flame that was once my passion for getting lost in a story. So, I started reading for 5 minutes a day.

During my lunch break and right after putting my son down were the best times for me to pick up a book and focus in. After a couple of weeks, 5 minutes grew into 10, and 10 minutes of distraction-free reading became 20. The first fiction book that I read this year, cover to cover, was this powerhouse of a novel. And now as we reach the end of 2024, I've read almost 30 books, just for fun.

Reader, it's never too late to reclaim, restart or begin a hobby as part of your burnout recovery journey. Hobbies create opportunities for you to experience joy on your own terms and embrace something you are passionate, thrilled or excited about. Allow your hobby to be something you do just for you.

Consider pouring into a hobby this season and feel free to reply to this message with the hobby you want to dive into! You're welcome to scroll down for a couple of journaling prompts to help you along the way.

Sending peace your way,

Michelle

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Here's a journaling prompt for you: Describe a hobby that you'd love to get into (or get back into). What did you like about this hobby? What would the first step be to start it this season?

Gmichelle Wellness is making burnout recovery and restorative self-care possible for exhausted professionals through guided journaling, interactive workshops and compassionate support. Email: contact@gmichelle.com Website: gmichelle.com Atlanta, Georgia, USA