Last Weekend, I Fed a Giant Anteater – The Benefits of Hobbies and Adventures

I wouldn’t have necessarily thought about doing this, but when the opportunity arises to have this kind of experience, I’ve learned to follow my wife’s lead and do it.

Shortly after doing this, I saw this article that speaks to the benefits of hobbies for our mental health:

Hobby-Less and Stressed: Why We Need Real Activities Again

Carl is responding to a question about how to “switch off” from the constant barrage of notifications from our online life (work and personal). He offers several ideas for activities that do not involve holding a phone.

What I have found, though, is if you have a hobby or activity that is non-digital, you lose the temptation to “check” for messages and notifications. You become engrossed in the activity you engaged in.

At the risk of this becoming a LinkedIn post about what this taught me about sales, the article above did remind me of feeding an anteater.

Obviously, I had a phone in my hand when I was filming my wife taking a turn while feeding Dona at the Hattiesburg Zoo. I wasn’t digital-free. I’m also usually carrying a digital camera with me when I enjoy my favorite hobby – taking photos.

What I was, however, during this experience, was engrossed in interacting with the animal and learning about it from the keeper. I wasn’t thinking about work, politics, or anything else, just being in the moment with my mind fully engaged in that one thing.

That is what is missing for many of us, and it’s absolutely leading to burnout, stress, and mental health issues.

I’ve been trying to have more of those experiences. I’m giving myself the freedom to go to a concert, visit a zoo, or get involved in other activities that let me explore, focus, and interact with the world in front of me rather than the online and work worlds. It may not fix all of the anxiety and stress I feel, but those breaks away from it are incredibly valuable.