Hobbies Make Us Happy

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Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Andrew Devis.

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And I’m Alice Irizarry. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

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Todd Hinson works with computers in the Information Technology field. He has done this for almost forty years. It is a stressful job. He manages many big projects. He often works late at night and on weekends. He must finish projects when they are due. When he finishes work, he needs to rest. His favorite way to have fun is to play tennis. He is a good tennis player. He enjoys competing against other players. He also joins tennis groups to work on certain skills. He practices to improve his weaknesses. Hinson escapes the pressures of his job through tennis. Tennis makes him happy. Tennis is his hobby.  

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Today’s Spotlight is about hobbies. Hobbies are fun activities that people pursue outside of their main work. Hobbies are meant for enjoyment and inspiration. Sometimes people pick a hobby in an area that already interests them. They might enjoy finding things, so they start collecting unique postage stamps. Stamps are small labels that prove postage was paid to cover the cost of sending the letter or package. One woman may like working with her hands. She starts carving wooden statues or making clothing with woolen yarn.

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Sometimes, people try something completely new. A friend might encourage him to join a cooking class. Or he might want to learn how to brew beer. Others learn how to play a new sport like golf. Some go to writing classes. Some people take lessons to learn how to play music.   

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Hobbyists often make friends with others in clubs or classes. These friends share the same passion. Often, these new friendships last a long time because of the bond their hobby created. A man named Mark joined a photography club. He had taken pictures with his camera for years. But he always worked alone. He wanted to learn more. He was very nervous on the first day of the photography club. He was scared to walk into the room. He did not think he would be as good as the other photographers in the club. But by the end of the night, he made a few new friends. He even planned to take pictures that weekend with one of his new friends. The hobby blog I’m Coming says:

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“Hobbies are better when shared. Research shows that 75% of hobbyists make at least one new friend through their activities. Why? Because shared passions give a natural foundation for building connections. When you are doing something you love, speech comes easy. Relationships grow naturally.”

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Hobbies can improve physical health. A man named James struggled with back pain for years. He tried different medical treatments without improvement. He felt helpless. He gave up hope. But then he tried a new hobby called yoga. Yoga combines stretching, breathing techniques, and different body positions to improve a person’s overall wellbeing. James started slowly with yoga. He did not believe it would help. But he kept doing it. He learned different breathing techniques that allowed him to manage his pain. Instead of resisting his discomfort, he learned to focus his mind on managing it. He became mentally strong. He began seeing his physical pain as just another part of life that he could deal with. His back pain was no longer an overwhelming obstacle. James grew stronger at every yoga session. Yoga reduced his stress. It made him feel like he was in control of his body for the first time in years. His mobility and enthusiasm increased. He returned to favorite activities he had given up because of his pain.

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Hobbies also improve mental health. Hobbies such as learning a new language, playing chess games, or finishing word puzzles involve problem solving. Hobbyists must learn new skills to succeed. These hobbies sharpen and strengthen brains. This is especially important for older people. Sometimes mental abilities decline. If an older person exercises their brain, their memory and attention may improve. Dr. Lei Zhang [Lee Jahng] studied the brains of older adults. She said:

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“We encourage older adults to play a musical instrument or to learn a new language. We want them to exercise regularly. They need to pursue other hobbies that can strengthen mental abilities and slow age-related decline.”

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Grandma Moses lived and worked on a farm for most of her life. When she was old, she moved in with her daughter. She started to paint pictures. She managed to sell a few paintings at a local store for a little money. Then an art collector saw them and loved Moses’ simple yet unique style. Moses used bold colors to show American farm life. The paintings reminded the collector of simpler times long ago. He bought all of them and went to her house and bought ten more paintings. Moses’ paintings were then shown in museums and galleries. By the time she died, each of Moses’ paintings cost eight to ten thousand dollars.

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Sometimes, a person has no choice but to start a new hobby. Emily Kim is from South Korea. When she moved to America, she could not find any businesses that served Korean food in her town. She started making Korean food and giving it to Korean friends. They loved it. Her cooking became very popular. She began publishing Korean food cooking videos on YouTube. She now has over 5,000,000 subscribers on YouTube. She also wrote and published a cookbook with her Korean recipes.

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One of the best hobbies that anyone can do is help others. A person can use his passion and skills with a particular hobby as a way of helping someone else. Someone who loves gardening can help with community gardening projects in local areas. A cook can help in kitchens that support homeless people. A teacher can help tutor students who need extra help.

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Hobbies provide rest and inspiration. Hobbies give opportunities to help others. They create friendships. On the worst days, hobbies offer something to look forward to. On the best days, they change their lives.

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Do you have a hobby? How long have you been doing it? Have you heard of any of the hobbies mentioned in this program? You can leave a comment on our website at www.spotlightenglish.com.  You can also find us on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X. You can also get our programs delivered directly to your Android or Apple device through our free official Spotlight English app.

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The writer of this program was Peter Anderson. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States.  All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight.  No AI or artificial intelligence was used in this program. Spotlight programs are written, voiced, and produced by real people for real people, no matter where in the world they live. This program is called, “Hobbies Make Us Happy.”

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We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye. 

Question:

Do you have a hobby? How long have you been doing it? Have you heard of any of the hobbies mentioned in this program?