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When you saw the title of this article, what was your reaction?
Did you groan? Did you get excited? Did you say, “Who has time
for a hobby”? I use to hate when people asked me that question,
especially when my children were infants to preschoolers. I
remember saying, “I don’t have a hobby, I have children.”
I think God wants us to play and relax. Even though hobby is not
specifically listed in the Bible. Remember Ecclesiastes 3:1;
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity
under heaven…” Does a time for everything include hobbies? The
Bible did say everything, which sounds pretty inclusive to me.
As a little girl, what did you enjoy doing with your free time?
What did you do to relax or just to have fun? As adults we often
forget how to have fun or somehow feel like we are goofing off.
I still remember my Dad liked to color and sometimes after a
hard day of work would sit down and color. We kind of thought
that was funny, but he enjoyed it. I used to enjoy playing
piano. Recently, we were given a piano for our home. I have
started playing maybe 15 minutes a day and trying to improve on
my rusty skills. Playing the piano has been truly relaxing for
me. It calms me down and I feel I have some mastery over
something. The piano does not talk back, even though I make a
mistake. I’m amazed what 15 minutes can do for me and my mood.
Moms, I know you are incredibly busy and sometimes you just want
to crawl in bed at night and sleep. I would encourage you to
find maybe only 15 minutes a week to start to do something you
enjoy doing. Maybe it is a hobby from childhood or a new hobby.
Take the time to “goof off” and do something for yourself. Maybe
it is getting a massage or manicure once a month. You deserve
it. Taking a little time for yourself will make a big difference
in your mood.
About the author:
Kimberly Chastain, MS, LMFT is the Christian Working Mom Coach
and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She was recently
featured in the book the Myth of the Perfect Mother. She is the
author of “Help, I Just Can’t Say No” and Pearls of
Encouragement for Christian Working Moms. To schedule a free,
initial coaching session send an email to
free@kimberlychastain.com or visit
http://www.christianworkingmom.com.
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