Have you ever put so much of yourself into a passion that when you are no longer engaging with it, you feel like you’ve lost a piece of yourself? It is at this point that you realize how much you are associated with this concept, idea or habit. Taking a break can help you discover who you are outside of it but there are so many benefits to eventually returning to what you love.
Many people are a part of sports teams or other activities but don’t always continue them after high school. Sometimes, these activities become too controlling and it is both useful and healthy to take a break. However, what people often forget is that when you return to them on your own terms and purely for fun, you can rediscover your love for them.
I danced for my whole life. I took classes and was part of competitive teams. But, when I graduated from high school, it all came to a complete stop. I had never pictured a version of my life without dance. I soon came to realize that it was my escape when life was overwhelming and stressful. It also helped me with time management while in school. I didn’t realize how much of an impact dance had on my overall wellbeing. As such, I recently started taking regular dance classes again and it has been the best decision. I am rediscovering the sport I fell in love with so many years ago. I am also meeting new people, some of whom have felt exactly how I did. I notice myself looking forward to these classes and getting to see people in class each week.
If you are looking to get back into classes for your passion/hobby, look at what your local recreation centers offer. Drop-in classes are a good way to test the waters. Another tip is to start small and work your way up to investing more time into the activity of your choice. If you take on too much at once, you may easily get overwhelmed and feel like you made a mistake going back. You can always increase your time commitment in the future.
School clubs or societies are also a great way to get involved in activities. This has been extremely helpful for me in finding people who are at the same stage of life, many of whom share similar sentiments on returning or continuing the activity. Another way to get back into an old passion is to make a group yourself to meet and do that activity. If you don’t feel ready to attend a group event, try to start doing it at home by yourself and on your own time.
Sometimes a break from things can be good. If an activity becomes overly consuming, it is easy to lose sight of why you started it in the first place. Even so, I urge you to rediscover your passions because at the end of the day, you might just fall back in love with them.