I think at the core of what I'm doing, it comes from a place of like deep passion.

Hello, I'm Nicole Perkins and this is NPR's Life Kit.

If you've been wondering how to bring the simple pleasure of learning something new back into your life,

then this is the episode for you.

Today, we're going to learn how to start a hobby.

I recently started a podcast called This Is Good For You

because I realized I did not have anything I did strictly for pleasure and I could not relax.

I had monetized almost everything I enjoyed.

Everything I love to do has turned into work.

My love of film, television, and literature has led to a career of pop culture criticism

which I wouldn't change for the world, but I miss doing something just for the joy of it.

So, to get back into the habit of doing something strictly for myself,

I tried to revive an old hobby, amateur photography, then the pandemic hit.

I was stuck at home and there are only so many pictures of my cat that I can take.

Then I remembered my mother taught me how to cross-stitch as a child,

which you can learn all about in my Needlecraft episode on my podcast.

I could order supplies easily enough and the repetitive motion of moving the needle through fabric

helps suit the anxiety I was feeling.

Some people think of a hobby as something you do when you're bored, but it's so much more than that.

Sometimes a hobby begins as a solitary adventure into stress relief.

It really does help with the anxiety and not spiraling too much and I really, really fell in love with it.

Maybe you need an adventure centered around something brand new.

...