Find a micro-hobby

How to celebrate your time confetti

Wouldn’t it be nice to have long chunks of free time available for oil painting, playing the flute, or some other sort of hobby? When people lament how time starved they are, they often mention not having time for fun pursuits as evidence of this sorry state.

I maintain that most of us can get some extended stretches of high quality leisure time if we plan well. Maybe not as much as we want, but some. However, even with great planning, not all leisure time will appear in this form. Often, we get just a few minutes of free time here and there: while waiting for the coffee to brew, or maybe while waiting for a conference call to start.

It’s easy to scroll through social media or check email in these moments of “time confetti” as author Bridget Schulte once called them. But that’s not the only option. Better to find a “micro-hobby” to fill your “micro-leisure.”

Bits of time

A hobby is an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure. Ideally, there is skill involved, so it’s not completely passive (think building a ship in a bottle, rather than watching TV). A micro-hobby is just what it sounds like: a hobby that can be enjoyed in bits of time.

If that sounds intriguing, then simply think about whatever hobby you’d like to spend more time doing, and think about how you can shrink it into a micro size.

So, for instance, if you’d like to write more, you might try micro-writing. Start a free writing file and when you get a few minutes, aim to write 50 words. Maybe you get to 100. I’ve read whole books of micro-memoirs, so you might be able to create something of real value in these little moments.

Of course, if you like to read, you can also read as a micro-hobby. Poems are quick. Scripture verses are too. Set yourself a goal to read through some chunk of a sacred text in bits and pieces. You could even aim to memorize verses or poems as your micro-hobby. Having these phrases floating around in your brain can definitely elevate your thoughts.

If you enjoy art, sketching can make a great micro-hobby. No need to use charcoal drawing pencils or special paper unless you want to. Just use whatever pen or pencil and paper you have on hand. Some of my favorite art exhibits have included artists’ sketches on scraps of paper. I love getting the behind-the-scenes view of the idea for a painting as it emerges! Sketching will help you strengthen your drawing skills, and it will prompt you to truly look and pay attention to your surroundings. Taking photographs can do that too. If you’re parked somewhere waiting, get out, look at the plants and shadows and shapes of the world and experiment with taking photos from different angles. With our phones, we can delete anything that doesn’t work. There’s no downside to learning through trial and error.

Augmenting time

Of course your hobby doesn’t need to be self-contained in these bits of time. One of the most rewarding choices for micro-leisure is to augment the more extended time you spend on a hobby at other points. So, if you play an instrument, but you can’t exactly practice your instrument while sitting in line at school pick-up, watch videos of or listen to other people performing the songs you are practicing.

(I will note here that I was once picked up at the airport by a driver who told me he’d practice the bag pipe while parked and waiting for his clients; he’d just stand near the car and play. So maybe waiting time can work!)

If you’re a gardener, use these bits of time to watch tutorials, or read articles with tips on plant care or garden design. If you are going to go on social media, go with a purpose — your hobby is building dollhouse furniture and so you have an Instagram account completely devoted to miniatures, and that’s it.

The possibilities for micro-hobbies are endless. But more importantly, when you start using your micro-leisure for micro-hobbies, you start to change your perspective. You do have free time to spend on what you like. It might not be a huge amount, but it’s some. That’s a very different story than “none,” and hopefully will nudge some good schedule strategizing to get even more leisure time in the future!