The Importance of Hobbies (Like Chess)

By Rachel Reardon

A lot of us are experiencing, for the first time, a sense of loneliness that we are not used to. With the rising cases of COVID-19 on campus, now more than ever students are responsibly choosing to forgo seeing each other in order to be safe. While this is the right decision, the mental health of students who are sacrificing their social lives may be in a rough place. I know I personally have struggled through my time spent alone, but I have been able to find some ways to enrich my experience of being by myself. My suggestion for all of you is to pursue healthy hobbies.

I know that might sound kind of simple, but really, I find that many people do not spend time on hobbies. And when I say hobbies, I do not mean watching Netflix or scrolling through TikTok. While those types of mindless activities are definitely necessary to relieve stress from our lives and give ourselves a break from the chaos, hobbies for the sake of the pursuit of boosting mental health are different. They should be actively bettering one’s soul. These kinds of hobbies are not only fun, but they also help to give us a sense of purpose during a time in which it seems that we are living to make it through the day. Healthy hobbies do not have to be extravagant activities that consume our minds, but they should be fulfilling some part of your untapped potential. 

For example, during my time of self-isolation, I pursued mastering the game of chess, inspired by the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit. I had never played chess before but seeing Beth Harmon destroy her competition made me want to at least try to be competent at the game. My father and I began to play against one another, and I also began researching chess strategy online so that I could actually develop skills and tricks against my opponents. In no time, I was beating my online competition through Chess.com and inviting my friends to virtually play against me. Though I’m not a connoisseur of chess now by any means, I found that developing a hobby really helped me to find a small purpose in my life while I was, and continue to be, a bit lonely. I loved that I was able to interact with people online and see other people’s strategies of game play while also being safe. And I really felt like it helped to reduce my anxiety and calm down any tensions I had while in isolation. Though I was not seeing people, I was being social in the best way I could. I still play all the time at Villanova, and I even find that playing chess before I do homework helps me to get in the mood for studying! I highly recommend chess for anyone seeking a hobby. 

Yet, if chess is not your idea of a healthy and fun hobby, there’s no need to worry. There are plenty of other options you could pursue. Ideas include learning an instrument, sewing, writing poetry, drawing or painting, learning a computer programming language, and more. It may be difficult to motivate yourself to try a new hobby with all the pressures of schoolwork, so don’t make it a mandatory event to check off a list. You should really enjoy it, and it should alleviate stress, not cause it. Be gentle with yourself and have fun exploring the possibilities that will give you a new purpose!