January 7, 2026 • 19 mins
In times of stress, many people turn to hobbies. Science shows there are reasons (and benefits) to this, but turns out, women don't have as much time for them. Not only that, our hobbies are often questioned, in one way or another. We look into why and share our own hobbies in this classic episode.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, this is Annie and SMITHA welcome stuff I never
told you productive I hearted you, and welcome to twenty
twenty six. As this comes out, this is our first
recording session of twenty twenty six. So we're easing into things.
(00:26):
We're easing into things, and that is why we're bringing
you a classic when one was not anticipated. I had
a really big headache yesterday and things just did not
go well for me.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Life happens twenty twenty six came with a bang.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
It did, and you will hear about it in our
happy hour. But we hope all is going well for you.
I know that at this time of year. We've talked
about this before on Sminty. We're not really big resolutions people,
but you're getting kind of bombarded by that type of messaging.
And I do have what I would call goals, and
(01:01):
I I've also got a new habit that where every
New Year, I'm like, my new year is officially going
to begin February, like I give myself deadline.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I feel like I.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Used to be really good at that stuff, but now
I just have so many like birthdays that happen. I
have a lot of stuff that happens in January and
early February.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
That's I don't want to make an excuse, but that's
why I started doing it.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
You just New Year, It's okay, that's what I tell myself.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, but I wanted to bring this one back because
it is something that people at the beginning of the
New year talk about, is.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Hobbies, new hobbies.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
And we did this Monday many on women and hobbies
and picking up things. So I was just I'm wondering, Samantha,
check in, how are your hobbies going.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I got news. Yes, I have stuck with a few.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yes, because I think this from a year ago exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, my gardening was successful. I've talked about that. I
found a new game that I liked is interesting and haunting.
Oh yes, and I've continued in my Zoomba Slash Cardio
gam journey to the point that I have been. I
have now certified, and I've applied to things nice. I'm
(02:25):
doing better.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, that's great. Yes, well, congratulations, thank you, thank you.
It's exciting. I don't really I I think I'm just
continuing on the path a lot of writing. My goal
is to organize my apartment more and I do really
(02:48):
want to learn asl.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I love.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
I knew. I didn't know a lot.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
That's a that's misleading, but I knew it pretty well
for a while because we we.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Had to learn it in fifth grade.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I think everybody goes through that, like right, because we did.
Did you learn a whole new song a whole song
with it?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I don't remember a song.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Oh, we did a whole song. We performed a whole
song in asl Oh nice.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Interesting.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Okay, Well, that's one of the things I'm looking into doing.
But we would love to hear from you listeners. If
you have any hobby updates or anything you're looking into,
please let us know. But in the meantime, please enjoy
this classic episode.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Hey, this is Annie and Samantha.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I'm welcome to steff when never told your production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So, I don't know if I'm the only one who
did this, but after the results of the elections of
twenty twenty four, putting a timestampessed November twenty twenty four
for y' all to know, and we are well past
the election results and we are not okay. But with
all of that, after getting past the initial sad slash
(04:12):
for me sleepy morning stage, I started digging into like
a type of survival mode, which include for me, breadmaking. Yeah,
bought a breadmaker. By the way, I have made four
different loads of bread successfully. They've been edible. Yes, they've edible. Hey,
(04:33):
that's success. That's success for me. Gardening or at least
plotting to do a garden. I am now invested into
looking and actually participating in gardening, which is a weird
place for me because I've never cared, not cared, but
I just don't feel like I'll be successful because all
my plants die. But at this point, I'm like, I'm
gonna try. Let's at least, you know, plant the potato.
(04:54):
Apparently that's all year long in Georgia, so we're gonna
go completely Irish Scottish and just do potatoes to survive
on those. And then also really digging into my newest
dangerous hobby of punch needling thanks TikTok. Like I saw
them doing it and I was like, oh wait, I
get to stab things. I can do that. I think
(05:17):
I can do that. And for the record, yes, I
have already stabbed myself over fifty times. Yeah, but I've
only bled a couple of times. So a win is
a win. Yes, I've punctured my skin about three times,
but out of fifty, that's not bad.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Yeah, that's pretty good. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
My partner was like, I think we need to send
the tysher needles fair enough.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yeah, fair Probably.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
There's a lot of sharp things, but I've really gotten
into them. I needed something to double task. I guess
our multitask as I was doom scrolling and planning my
exit plan just in case I am deported, which has
become real fear, by the way, that I am trying
to plan for just in case if any of our
listeners are like immigration, you know, lawyers and want to
(06:10):
call me about my naturalization that I've had for over
thirty years. But you know, as a feminist, maybe in danger,
especially as an Asian person because apparently Chinese people are
the first one, and we know how well white people
do in differentiating. But anyway, so it just seemed like
a good time to pick up a new hobby. Again.
By the way, I have a lot of coasters that
(06:32):
resemble resemble either a scenic view or mushrooms. I'm still
in the learning process.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Any you've come a long way. You've sent me pictures,
I've sent pictures.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Well's so funny is the way that it works. One
side looks better than the other side, but the one
side that looks better is not the side you're supposed
to display. Yeah, if you are a punchnateler, you know
what I'm talking about, because the way it loves. But
you can do all these different types of designs. And
I'm figuring that out, y'all. I'm figuring this out. I'm
doing I've got a lot of coasters, unnecessarily because we
(07:05):
don't have that much surface space, but hey, my partner
has got fifteen of them on his small desk.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Now we're very prolific.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
You'll be getting some dismissions and you'll be getting some
as well. And Katie too, our friend who comes over
and dog says, I'm like, you have to take some
coasters home. They don't look great, but just take them
home anyway. Yes, a lot of us, I think, are
in need of some type of stress relief that comes
from finding hobbies. And of course we have some studies
(07:36):
that back us in this conversation. So here's some information
from connect heealth dot org about it. It actually reduces stress.
And here's a quote. Hobbies are a perfect way to
distract yourself after a busy day. It provides you with
the opportunity to have some me time and gives you
an outlet for releasing stress built up from the day
(07:56):
and is a recent survey on stress and well being
conducted by the Austria in Psychological Society four and five.
Participants found activities like listening to music and spending time
on a hobby was an effective way of managing stress.
So take time out of your busy day to start
painting or go outside and take some photos. You don't
have to. This is a suggestions and from WebMD dot com.
(08:20):
Keeping yourself engaged during your leisure time lowers or stress levels.
Research found that adults who take out time to practice
art found the time they spent to be relaxing, enjoyable,
and helpful. They also shared that the sessions led to
an increased desire to continue improving their skills. More importantly,
the cortisol levels of the participants who took part in
(08:40):
this study was measured before and after these sessions. The
study found that there was a noticeable decrease in cortisol
levels after the sessions. Cortisol is the human stress hormone
and your body's stress level is linked to a spike
in cortisol levels. So hey, there's proof. Do your activities
it improves your mental health. Also so again from connectealth
(09:03):
dot org. Engaging in creative activities such as songwriting, knitting,
visual art, and musical performance have all been shown to
increase positive moods. Particularly, engaging in such activities has resulted
in an upward spiral of increased well being in many
young adults. Young adults y'all hear me. Students found that
(09:25):
more time spent towards creative activities produce more positive emotions. Additionally,
creative activities allow you to expand neural connections in your brain.
This has been linked to the release of feel good
hormones such as dopamine. Spending as little as two hours
per week on a task you enjoy, such as music
or photography, can help you lead a more positive life.
(09:47):
And again back to the WebMD article, having a hobby
leads to improved mental health. If your hobby involves physical activity,
it'll lead to reduced stress and a lower blood pressure
and heart rate. That measured both positive and negative psychological
stress found that those who took time frequently to do
leisure activities that they enjoyed, had lower blood pressure, waste circumference,
(10:09):
and b am. Taking your physical activity outdoors are better. Still,
closer to nature has many benefits such as improved mood
and better focus. You can achieve this by spending just
ten minutes outdoors. Another study found that those who took
part in physical activities went through fewer days of poor
mental health compared to those who did not exercise. Meanwhile,
challenging your brain by taking up intellectually rewarding activities not
(10:32):
only helps improve your brain activity, but also increases your confidence.
Learning new skills, such as withcrafting or quilting, also helps
you contribute to people's lives by sharing your expertise with others.
So so many to get great things. I did look
at quilting. I wondered if I could do that, but
that just felt like too much investing.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I have a friend who you know, it's Katie but
not the other Katie that we're talking about, who quilts.
And she's shown me like designs and then told me
how long it's going to take her to do it.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And I'm like wow, yeah, wow, yeah, intense.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah, but she's given me She made me a scarf
which was not quilting, and I love it.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So it is true.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
It's a nice thing when your friend gets a hobby,
if you get a little I love your coasters.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I was gonna say it could be a nice thing
if they're good at it.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Yeah, but I feel like if you're really good friends
with someone and you already know I'm really sentimental, I'll
just be like Samad that loves me, even if it's
you just being like, please take this.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
You have mush runs now for a coaster. It's not
very steady, don't use it.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
If it's not functional, that's even better, soudo functional.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I've been testing it out. With all these good things
and why we need these things. There's also that small
caveat it seems women are less likely to have as
many hobbies as men. In fact, some even argue some
(12:11):
men that women shouldn't have hobbies. I guess women too,
because you know people, women sometimes just fall into that, Yeah,
we need to be taken care of our husbands not
having hobbies type of conversation. And I say that very
pointedly at a specific group of women. In spoiler alert.
Is also because women don't have as much free time.
Here's a bit from an article written in Fashion journal
(12:33):
dot com dot au by Mattie McCown. She says, according
to the ABS's latest Time You survey, we girly pops
don't get afforded the same amount of luxurious leisure time.
We're spending an extra hour per day on unpaid domestic
work than our male counterparts, and it takes an unfair
piece of our free time. Pie. So as the pink
(12:53):
tax stabs us in the back yet again and bites
into our free time, the pastime divide starts to make
itself clear. So here's some more information from a twenty
seventeen article from Telegraph dot co dot uk. So the
Telegraph women spend less time on hobbies because their hours
are taken up by housework and childcare. Analysis of oens's
(13:13):
data suggests the first ever analysis of leisure time carried
out by the Office for National Statistics has found that
men spend around half an hour every week more than
women enjoying themselves, and the gap is even larger when
it comes to hobbies. Men spend an average of four
hours and thirty nine minutes every week on hobbies computing
and games, while women spend just two hours and thirty
(13:35):
eight minutes on the same activities. Overall, men spent six
hours and nine minutes per day on leisure pursuits compared
to five hours and twenty nine minutes spent by women.
But of course there are those who are saying women
don't have hobbies or their hobbies aren't hobbies, which is
odd in general. So again from that fashion journal dot com.
(13:56):
The topic for discussion as we entered part two of
this gender hobby dissection is drum roll please value. As
the writer mentioned, there are few fun activities she considers
to be her hobbies, but their merit has often been
questioned if she talks about some of the things that
she does. But it's the activities that tend to be
(14:17):
met with that's not a hobby from the men in
her life. As female hobbies are devalued, the consequence is
women and girls are less likely to talk about them.
But you know, let's keep it optimistic, she says, Just
because our hobbies can be criticized and dismiss it's not
like we don't have them. It's true. And another article
from the Virago charity Turcula writes about the fact that
(14:37):
not only do women not have quote real hobbies, but
if they do, they're ruining it. Yes, here's being sarcastic.
So like many others, my eyes at first opened with
a clip from the Good Grow, Bad Bro podcast, which
went viral in twenty twenty two. I can remember the
exact moment I heard him under the words how many
girls do you know who actually have hobbies? A horrify
(15:00):
I gasp escaped my mouth, my crochet hook plummeted to
the floor. Dread washed over me. It was true, I
never had a hobby. However, the sentiment is neither new
nor novel. Whistleblowers have been trying to get through to
the masses for years, but no one was ready to listen.
No one was ready to learn that the female race
is void of any personal interests, at least a substance,
(15:22):
and she continues. Unlike women, men actually have real hobbies.
These superior pastimes include watching movies, buying smartphones, and looking
at cars. I have never ever seen a car. Maybe
that's why I keep getting into accidents. But this can't
really be true, can't it? Because it is in fact
well documented that women like to charge their phone. Twirk
(15:43):
be bisexual eat hot chips and lie. So why can't
my girl math make sense of this equation? Great, So
obviously all of these are very sarcastic in nature, and
talking about the fact that men just don't believe women
have hobbies be fair. I fell into that my own
self because I'm like, I need to find a hobby
(16:04):
because I don't do enough stuff. I just sit here.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Well, we talked about this too, because I also have
a strangeness around saying I have a hobby.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
But it's less that they don't feel like hobbies to
be and it is. It is this though, because to me,
like when I think of hobby, I think of.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Like, oh, you made like a lego, like you do legos'.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
I don't know, Like I.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Just have a very specific thing that comes to my head.
I would put like crocheting and stuff in there, absolutely right,
But the stuff I do should also be in there too,
So I think there really there is a strangeness around
what we're allowing to be a hobby.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Right, yeah, right, And that's such a hilarious conversation. But again,
so the same author addresses the fact that when women
cut start to become interested in quote unquote real hobbies,
they aren't doing it right, or they're just plain ruin,
including the sacred of all sacred hobbies gaming. When we've
(17:05):
talked about this, so she writes, not many people know this,
but the problem in Genesis was it that Eve took
an apple from the tree of knowledge. It's the fact
that she had the audacity to turn the MacBook on,
download Tetris and crush Adam every time he reached a
new high score.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
For this.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
For this, women received the curse of painful childbirth and
the duty of homemaking, so that they would be too
busy to even think about video games. Men, on the
other hand, would have to compensate for Adam's embarrassment with
manual labor to prove their masculinity and motivate them to
get good once they return to the man cave. But
this vital lesson has long been forgotten, and modern gaming
(17:47):
has been flooded with women once again. Yes, she's talking
about the pavot. Women ruin gaming. Yes, we've talked about
this many times. Of course you already know our opinion
in that specific manner. I think it's hilarious. This is
that conversation either that women's hobbies are not real hobbies.
But once they do things that men are interested in,
(18:07):
they're bad at it, or they're ruining it, or they're
making sure. They don't really know about it. Yeah, they
don't really know about this. They're faking it.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Especially if you're good.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Right, they're all fine to be like, Oh, she knows
how to play a Halo and then you kick it Halo.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Suddenly she is the worst person. She needs to I
never want to see her again.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
I can't touch my games. Do touch my games? And
they throw the games against the wall.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
They break their TV?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Right yeah?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Right, Oh you gotta love it. So you know, with
all of that, let us know about your hobbies. How
are you distressing taking breaks or multitasking while trying to
figure out how to survive in this moment? How has
it helped you? Do you have suggestions for us? And
of course do you have advice on how to stop
(18:57):
injuring myself with my new hobbies? Also, any good recipes
for my breadmaker because I need that too?
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yes, and again I will happily take the bridge of
your hobby. Uh.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Yes, listeners, we would love to hear from you about this.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
I know you all get up to a bunch of
amazing stuff, so please write in. You can emailus a
step Mom stuff at heeartmedia dot com. You might us
on Twitter at mos Stuff podcast, or on Instagram and
TikTok as Stuff I've.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Never Told You.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
We're also on YouTube. We have a tea public store,
and we have a book you can get wherever you
get your books. Thanks. It's always to our super producer
Christina or executive producer My and your contributor Joey.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Thank you, and thanks to you for listening.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Stuff I've Never Told You is production by Heart Radio.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
For more podcast from my heart Radio, you can check
out the heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or whereb you
listen to your favorite shows
Hey, this is Annie and SMITHA welcome stuff I never
told you productive I hearted you, and welcome to twenty
twenty six. As this comes out, this is our first
recording session of twenty twenty six. So we're easing into things.
(00:26):
We're easing into things, and that is why we're bringing
you a classic when one was not anticipated. I had
a really big headache yesterday and things just did not
go well for me.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Life happens twenty twenty six came with a bang.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
It did, and you will hear about it in our
happy hour. But we hope all is going well for you.
I know that at this time of year. We've talked
about this before on Sminty. We're not really big resolutions people,
but you're getting kind of bombarded by that type of messaging.
And I do have what I would call goals, and
(01:01):
I I've also got a new habit that where every
New Year, I'm like, my new year is officially going
to begin February, like I give myself deadline.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I feel like I.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Used to be really good at that stuff, but now
I just have so many like birthdays that happen. I
have a lot of stuff that happens in January and
early February.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
That's I don't want to make an excuse, but that's
why I started doing it.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
You just New Year, It's okay, that's what I tell myself.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, but I wanted to bring this one back because
it is something that people at the beginning of the
New year talk about, is.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Hobbies, new hobbies.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
And we did this Monday many on women and hobbies
and picking up things. So I was just I'm wondering, Samantha,
check in, how are your hobbies going.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I got news. Yes, I have stuck with a few.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yes, because I think this from a year ago exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, my gardening was successful. I've talked about that. I
found a new game that I liked is interesting and haunting.
Oh yes, and I've continued in my Zoomba Slash Cardio
gam journey to the point that I have been. I
have now certified, and I've applied to things nice. I'm
(02:25):
doing better.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, that's great. Yes, well, congratulations, thank you, thank you.
It's exciting. I don't really I I think I'm just
continuing on the path a lot of writing. My goal
is to organize my apartment more and I do really
(02:48):
want to learn asl.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I love.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
I knew. I didn't know a lot.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
That's a that's misleading, but I knew it pretty well
for a while because we we.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Had to learn it in fifth grade.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I think everybody goes through that, like right, because we did.
Did you learn a whole new song a whole song
with it?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I don't remember a song.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Oh, we did a whole song. We performed a whole
song in asl Oh nice.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Interesting.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Okay, Well, that's one of the things I'm looking into doing.
But we would love to hear from you listeners. If
you have any hobby updates or anything you're looking into,
please let us know. But in the meantime, please enjoy
this classic episode.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Hey, this is Annie and Samantha.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I'm welcome to steff when never told your production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So, I don't know if I'm the only one who
did this, but after the results of the elections of
twenty twenty four, putting a timestampessed November twenty twenty four
for y' all to know, and we are well past
the election results and we are not okay. But with
all of that, after getting past the initial sad slash
(04:12):
for me sleepy morning stage, I started digging into like
a type of survival mode, which include for me, breadmaking. Yeah,
bought a breadmaker. By the way, I have made four
different loads of bread successfully. They've been edible. Yes, they've edible. Hey,
(04:33):
that's success. That's success for me. Gardening or at least
plotting to do a garden. I am now invested into
looking and actually participating in gardening, which is a weird
place for me because I've never cared, not cared, but
I just don't feel like I'll be successful because all
my plants die. But at this point, I'm like, I'm
gonna try. Let's at least, you know, plant the potato.
(04:54):
Apparently that's all year long in Georgia, so we're gonna
go completely Irish Scottish and just do potatoes to survive
on those. And then also really digging into my newest
dangerous hobby of punch needling thanks TikTok. Like I saw
them doing it and I was like, oh wait, I
get to stab things. I can do that. I think
(05:17):
I can do that. And for the record, yes, I
have already stabbed myself over fifty times. Yeah, but I've
only bled a couple of times. So a win is
a win. Yes, I've punctured my skin about three times,
but out of fifty, that's not bad.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Yeah, that's pretty good. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
My partner was like, I think we need to send
the tysher needles fair enough.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yeah, fair Probably.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
There's a lot of sharp things, but I've really gotten
into them. I needed something to double task. I guess
our multitask as I was doom scrolling and planning my
exit plan just in case I am deported, which has
become real fear, by the way, that I am trying
to plan for just in case if any of our
listeners are like immigration, you know, lawyers and want to
(06:10):
call me about my naturalization that I've had for over
thirty years. But you know, as a feminist, maybe in danger,
especially as an Asian person because apparently Chinese people are
the first one, and we know how well white people
do in differentiating. But anyway, so it just seemed like
a good time to pick up a new hobby. Again.
By the way, I have a lot of coasters that
(06:32):
resemble resemble either a scenic view or mushrooms. I'm still
in the learning process.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Any you've come a long way. You've sent me pictures,
I've sent pictures.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Well's so funny is the way that it works. One
side looks better than the other side, but the one
side that looks better is not the side you're supposed
to display. Yeah, if you are a punchnateler, you know
what I'm talking about, because the way it loves. But
you can do all these different types of designs. And
I'm figuring that out, y'all. I'm figuring this out. I'm
doing I've got a lot of coasters, unnecessarily because we
(07:05):
don't have that much surface space, but hey, my partner
has got fifteen of them on his small desk.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Now we're very prolific.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
You'll be getting some dismissions and you'll be getting some
as well. And Katie too, our friend who comes over
and dog says, I'm like, you have to take some
coasters home. They don't look great, but just take them
home anyway. Yes, a lot of us, I think, are
in need of some type of stress relief that comes
from finding hobbies. And of course we have some studies
(07:36):
that back us in this conversation. So here's some information
from connect heealth dot org about it. It actually reduces stress.
And here's a quote. Hobbies are a perfect way to
distract yourself after a busy day. It provides you with
the opportunity to have some me time and gives you
an outlet for releasing stress built up from the day
(07:56):
and is a recent survey on stress and well being
conducted by the Austria in Psychological Society four and five.
Participants found activities like listening to music and spending time
on a hobby was an effective way of managing stress.
So take time out of your busy day to start
painting or go outside and take some photos. You don't
have to. This is a suggestions and from WebMD dot com.
(08:20):
Keeping yourself engaged during your leisure time lowers or stress levels.
Research found that adults who take out time to practice
art found the time they spent to be relaxing, enjoyable,
and helpful. They also shared that the sessions led to
an increased desire to continue improving their skills. More importantly,
the cortisol levels of the participants who took part in
(08:40):
this study was measured before and after these sessions. The
study found that there was a noticeable decrease in cortisol
levels after the sessions. Cortisol is the human stress hormone
and your body's stress level is linked to a spike
in cortisol levels. So hey, there's proof. Do your activities
it improves your mental health. Also so again from connectealth
(09:03):
dot org. Engaging in creative activities such as songwriting, knitting,
visual art, and musical performance have all been shown to
increase positive moods. Particularly, engaging in such activities has resulted
in an upward spiral of increased well being in many
young adults. Young adults y'all hear me. Students found that
(09:25):
more time spent towards creative activities produce more positive emotions. Additionally,
creative activities allow you to expand neural connections in your brain.
This has been linked to the release of feel good
hormones such as dopamine. Spending as little as two hours
per week on a task you enjoy, such as music
or photography, can help you lead a more positive life.
(09:47):
And again back to the WebMD article, having a hobby
leads to improved mental health. If your hobby involves physical activity,
it'll lead to reduced stress and a lower blood pressure
and heart rate. That measured both positive and negative psychological
stress found that those who took time frequently to do
leisure activities that they enjoyed, had lower blood pressure, waste circumference,
(10:09):
and b am. Taking your physical activity outdoors are better. Still,
closer to nature has many benefits such as improved mood
and better focus. You can achieve this by spending just
ten minutes outdoors. Another study found that those who took
part in physical activities went through fewer days of poor
mental health compared to those who did not exercise. Meanwhile,
challenging your brain by taking up intellectually rewarding activities not
(10:32):
only helps improve your brain activity, but also increases your confidence.
Learning new skills, such as withcrafting or quilting, also helps
you contribute to people's lives by sharing your expertise with others.
So so many to get great things. I did look
at quilting. I wondered if I could do that, but
that just felt like too much investing.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I have a friend who you know, it's Katie but
not the other Katie that we're talking about, who quilts.
And she's shown me like designs and then told me
how long it's going to take her to do it.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And I'm like wow, yeah, wow, yeah, intense.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah, but she's given me She made me a scarf
which was not quilting, and I love it.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So it is true.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
It's a nice thing when your friend gets a hobby,
if you get a little I love your coasters.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
I was gonna say it could be a nice thing
if they're good at it.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Yeah, but I feel like if you're really good friends
with someone and you already know I'm really sentimental, I'll
just be like Samad that loves me, even if it's
you just being like, please take this.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
You have mush runs now for a coaster. It's not
very steady, don't use it.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
If it's not functional, that's even better, soudo functional.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I've been testing it out. With all these good things
and why we need these things. There's also that small
caveat it seems women are less likely to have as
many hobbies as men. In fact, some even argue some
(12:11):
men that women shouldn't have hobbies. I guess women too,
because you know people, women sometimes just fall into that, Yeah,
we need to be taken care of our husbands not
having hobbies type of conversation. And I say that very
pointedly at a specific group of women. In spoiler alert.
Is also because women don't have as much free time.
Here's a bit from an article written in Fashion journal
(12:33):
dot com dot au by Mattie McCown. She says, according
to the ABS's latest Time You survey, we girly pops
don't get afforded the same amount of luxurious leisure time.
We're spending an extra hour per day on unpaid domestic
work than our male counterparts, and it takes an unfair
piece of our free time. Pie. So as the pink
(12:53):
tax stabs us in the back yet again and bites
into our free time, the pastime divide starts to make
itself clear. So here's some more information from a twenty
seventeen article from Telegraph dot co dot uk. So the
Telegraph women spend less time on hobbies because their hours
are taken up by housework and childcare. Analysis of oens's
(13:13):
data suggests the first ever analysis of leisure time carried
out by the Office for National Statistics has found that
men spend around half an hour every week more than
women enjoying themselves, and the gap is even larger when
it comes to hobbies. Men spend an average of four
hours and thirty nine minutes every week on hobbies computing
and games, while women spend just two hours and thirty
(13:35):
eight minutes on the same activities. Overall, men spent six
hours and nine minutes per day on leisure pursuits compared
to five hours and twenty nine minutes spent by women.
But of course there are those who are saying women
don't have hobbies or their hobbies aren't hobbies, which is
odd in general. So again from that fashion journal dot com.
(13:56):
The topic for discussion as we entered part two of
this gender hobby dissection is drum roll please value. As
the writer mentioned, there are few fun activities she considers
to be her hobbies, but their merit has often been
questioned if she talks about some of the things that
she does. But it's the activities that tend to be
(14:17):
met with that's not a hobby from the men in
her life. As female hobbies are devalued, the consequence is
women and girls are less likely to talk about them.
But you know, let's keep it optimistic, she says, Just
because our hobbies can be criticized and dismiss it's not
like we don't have them. It's true. And another article
from the Virago charity Turcula writes about the fact that
(14:37):
not only do women not have quote real hobbies, but
if they do, they're ruining it. Yes, here's being sarcastic.
So like many others, my eyes at first opened with
a clip from the Good Grow, Bad Bro podcast, which
went viral in twenty twenty two. I can remember the
exact moment I heard him under the words how many
girls do you know who actually have hobbies? A horrify
(15:00):
I gasp escaped my mouth, my crochet hook plummeted to
the floor. Dread washed over me. It was true, I
never had a hobby. However, the sentiment is neither new
nor novel. Whistleblowers have been trying to get through to
the masses for years, but no one was ready to listen.
No one was ready to learn that the female race
is void of any personal interests, at least a substance,
(15:22):
and she continues. Unlike women, men actually have real hobbies.
These superior pastimes include watching movies, buying smartphones, and looking
at cars. I have never ever seen a car. Maybe
that's why I keep getting into accidents. But this can't
really be true, can't it? Because it is in fact
well documented that women like to charge their phone. Twirk
(15:43):
be bisexual eat hot chips and lie. So why can't
my girl math make sense of this equation? Great, So
obviously all of these are very sarcastic in nature, and
talking about the fact that men just don't believe women
have hobbies be fair. I fell into that my own
self because I'm like, I need to find a hobby
(16:04):
because I don't do enough stuff. I just sit here.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Well, we talked about this too, because I also have
a strangeness around saying I have a hobby.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
But it's less that they don't feel like hobbies to
be and it is. It is this though, because to me,
like when I think of hobby, I think of.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Like, oh, you made like a lego, like you do legos'.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
I don't know, Like I.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Just have a very specific thing that comes to my head.
I would put like crocheting and stuff in there, absolutely right,
But the stuff I do should also be in there too,
So I think there really there is a strangeness around
what we're allowing to be a hobby.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Right, yeah, right, And that's such a hilarious conversation. But again,
so the same author addresses the fact that when women
cut start to become interested in quote unquote real hobbies,
they aren't doing it right, or they're just plain ruin,
including the sacred of all sacred hobbies gaming. When we've
(17:05):
talked about this, so she writes, not many people know this,
but the problem in Genesis was it that Eve took
an apple from the tree of knowledge. It's the fact
that she had the audacity to turn the MacBook on,
download Tetris and crush Adam every time he reached a
new high score.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
For this.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
For this, women received the curse of painful childbirth and
the duty of homemaking, so that they would be too
busy to even think about video games. Men, on the
other hand, would have to compensate for Adam's embarrassment with
manual labor to prove their masculinity and motivate them to
get good once they return to the man cave. But
this vital lesson has long been forgotten, and modern gaming
(17:47):
has been flooded with women once again. Yes, she's talking
about the pavot. Women ruin gaming. Yes, we've talked about
this many times. Of course you already know our opinion
in that specific manner. I think it's hilarious. This is
that conversation either that women's hobbies are not real hobbies.
But once they do things that men are interested in,
(18:07):
they're bad at it, or they're ruining it, or they're
making sure. They don't really know about it. Yeah, they
don't really know about this. They're faking it.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Especially if you're good.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Right, they're all fine to be like, Oh, she knows
how to play a Halo and then you kick it Halo.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Suddenly she is the worst person. She needs to I
never want to see her again.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
I can't touch my games. Do touch my games? And
they throw the games against the wall.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
They break their TV?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Right yeah?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Right, Oh you gotta love it. So you know, with
all of that, let us know about your hobbies. How
are you distressing taking breaks or multitasking while trying to
figure out how to survive in this moment? How has
it helped you? Do you have suggestions for us? And
of course do you have advice on how to stop
(18:57):
injuring myself with my new hobbies? Also, any good recipes
for my breadmaker because I need that too?
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yes, and again I will happily take the bridge of
your hobby. Uh.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Yes, listeners, we would love to hear from you about this.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
I know you all get up to a bunch of
amazing stuff, so please write in. You can emailus a
step Mom stuff at heeartmedia dot com. You might us
on Twitter at mos Stuff podcast, or on Instagram and
TikTok as Stuff I've.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Never Told You.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
We're also on YouTube. We have a tea public store,
and we have a book you can get wherever you
get your books. Thanks. It's always to our super producer
Christina or executive producer My and your contributor Joey.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Thank you, and thanks to you for listening.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Stuff I've Never Told You is production by Heart Radio.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
For more podcast from my heart Radio, you can check
out the heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or whereb you
listen to your favorite shows
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