Many of us spend the majority of our time going from home to work or school and back home again. Our life becomes a to-do list of tasks that need to be completed to keep the home ticking as it should and work life in order. When asked who we are or a fact about ourselves, we often reply with our job title or something about the number of kids we have or where we live.

While being a mother, succeeding in your school work or having a job that you enjoy is greatly important, so is having a part of your life away from all of this. Being you and enjoying activities away from the normal day to day happenings is important for self development and mental health.

We all want our life to be exciting; nobody wants to be bored and feel negative about tomorrow. That being said, how do we turn our life into something exciting? We live it. We experience new things. We explore. We find something we love.

Our life is a gift from Allah. The world and everything within it is His creation. A person should remain within the limits of Islam and refrain from the things Allah has told to stay away from. With this in mind, we should find things we enjoy doing to keep our outlook on life happy and positive.

One of the ways in which we can do this is to find a hobby. Finding an activity you can take part in once or twice a week, or however often is feasible for you, that is purely something you enjoy doing and want to be part of is key to breaking boredom.

As a child, many of us have hobbies. However, as adult life takes over we find ourselves in the web of adult chores and duties that we no longer have hobbies we enjoy to do. This being said, following a passion does not mean we should put our Islamic duties aside; these are always important and come first. However, we can always find things we enjoy that do not break rules or push us outside of the realm of permissibility.

Here are some simple ideas and tips to keep in mind about why you should have a hobby and how you go about finding it.

Me Time

It is important, when looking after your friends and family, that you look after yourself. We sometimes are great at offering care and love to others, but we forget that we need the same. This is not something selfish, but a healthy way to ensure your mindset stays positive. Hobbies allow you to detach from the world and situations around you and enjoy something that does not require too much energy.

Family and Friend Time

The above being said, hobbies that are mutual between you and loved ones in your life are a great way to encourage spending time with each other. It can help strengthen bonds between kinship and act as a shield to protect against fall outs, disputes and difficulties in relationships.

Positive Impact on Health

Research has shown that hobbies help to reduce stress, improve sleep and keep the mind stimulated. All of these have positive effects on the health, particularly mentally. Stress is associated with helping a number of mental and physical problems, including cardiovascular and immune system diseases.

Search For It

Finding a hobby you truly enjoy can be a stimulating and exciting challenge within itself. Without trying new activities, you can never know if they are something you want to continue or if you even like them. We often see our friends and family doing things that we have never tried; now is the time to tag along and experience them for ourselves. They may turn into our passion! Make a list of different activities you have never tried and give each a go. If it turns out to be a disaster, you know you have tried and can move onto the next one. Here is a list for you to ponder over:

Join the gym

Try horse riding

Learn archery

Learn to knit

Read books

Learn a new language

Learn to cook a foreign cuisine

Start a blog

Learn Jewelery making

Learn to candle make

Volunteer your time for charity

Learn to swim

Start a scrapbook

Go travelling

Take up hiking

Take up gardening

Insha’Allah these ideas have sparked interest in you. Remember to always look after yourself and your needs, as well as those whom you love. A healthy mind and body allows you to be stronger in your faith and have a firmer relationship with Allah.