Doctors work hard, and understandably so, saving lives is no mean feat.
Like anyone else, they need some fulfilling activities to fill up the time outside of work.
We’ve compiled a list of the best hobbies for doctors to do on weekends.
Why do Doctors need Hobbies?
This almost superhuman profession impacts the lives of people dramatically. Because of the sanctity of human life, doctors have to go through intense training throughout their careers.
The job comes with long hours and a lot of stress. For this reason, doctors tend to experience high rates of burnout. Having some good hobbies can help medics deal with stress.
As a doctor, you may be tempted to focus entirely on your career. Resultantly your life becomes your work.
You don’t have time to do much else, do you? Well, the constant focus on work tends to catch up. Apart from inevitable burnouts, your relationship with your loved ones will suffer.
Which is why you must use your time outside of work for non-medicine related activities. It gives you the balance you need to live a fulfilled life.
Most importantly, you are not going to be a physician forever. At some point, you are going to have to say goodbye to practicing medicine. Getting hobbies that define you outside the doctor’s office will help you to better manage the transition into retirement.
Best Hobbies for Doctors
Organizing
After a long week, chores are the last thing on your mind. But, organizing is a practical hobby that you might thoroughly enjoy. When you take the time to organize your surroundings, it gives you a renewed sense of purpose. Not only that, but it will help reduce preparation time for everything else, reducing stress.
You can organize anything, from your wardrobe right up to the kitchen tools. If you enjoy stimulating your mind, find a more complex way of sorting. For example, instead of putting your shirts by color codes, try alphabetizing them by the designer’s last name.
It’s a mentally stimulating hobby that takes the stress away.
Playing an Instrument
There is something therapeutic about music. Not only does it have a calming effect, but it also helps with mood enhancement. Amplify the relaxing effect of music by creating your own. It’s a great way to de-stress.
Even if you have zero experience with musical instruments, it might do you a lot of good to learn to play one.
Playing instruments has been said to lower the heart rate. Also, it gives your mind something else completely unrelated to work to help re-energize.
Meditation
The spiritual aspect aside, meditation is a way to give you greater control of your thoughts and emotions.
Practiced as a hobby, it gives you the tools to thrive in stressful situations.
There’s no denying that the work of a doctor is demanding. But through meditation, doctors can learn to be mindful even in emergencies, creating a greater sense of calm and ultimately less stress.
Mentoring
Feeling good about yourself is a powerful coping mechanism. What better way to do this than to offer your knowledge and support to younger people?
Finding time to mentor younger doctors or science students is a wonderful way to give back to the community and feel better about yourself.
This is especially helpful when you are dealing with tough workdays. It could be a good distraction.
Comedy
Watching hilarious comedy on TV is a fun way to unwind after a long week. Triggering the feel-good hormone helps to reduce stress. Apart from that, it helps you relate to people in a different environment other than the tense hospital rooms. More importantly, you can put things into perspective.
If you have a funny bone of your own, it won’t hurt to be at the giving end of the laughs.
You can try to do stand-up comedy or just posting funny memes online. Putting a funny spin on things like hospital emergencies or your life (or lack of it) will help to lighten the load.
Go Extreme
Crappy days at work can take their toll on your emotions, which is why sometimes the best outlet is to do something extreme. That being said, extreme sports are a great way to let off steam.
If you love the water, then sports like barefoot ski water skiing will appeal to you. If the outdoors is more your thing, then why not try crocodile bungee jumping?
In most cases, the more extreme and dangerous the activity, the greater the thrill you get from doing it.
Making Dolls and Teddy Bears
Sewing or knitting the cuddly buddies is a great way to spend your time focused on something else.
Channeling your creativity in this unique way will make you get in touch with your inner child. This will help you to let go of stress.
Gardening
Tapping into the natural power of mother earth is an amazing way to relax. Not only do you get satisfaction from watching new life grow, but it can also come in handy in your work. How? Well, growing a garden from scratch needs a lot of patience and learning. You have to use the correct amount of everything; otherwise, the plants won’t make it.
With gardening, you can practice the skills of precision and accuracy. It’s a more relaxed way to help your work.
Pottery
This delicate hobby requires the utmost concentration. For this reason, it’s no wonder that it can help block your mind from all the chaos.
After a hard day’s work molding a piece of clay might be what the doctor ordered to put your mind at ease. As you become better at it, you’ll have a goldmine of gifts for your loved ones.
Painting
The endless choice of canvases and colors gives you an unrestricted creative outlet. By spending hours focused on your painting, you don’t think about much else.
In the process, you give yourself a well-deserved break from work-related stress.
It’s easy to get started on this hobby. Just find some good YouTube videos to get pointers.
Making Jewelry
By virtue of your training, you probably have excellent skills in precision. Jewelry making might be the perfect hobby for you.
Using small equipment to create intricate designs and glue together, tiny pieces might be right up your alley. You get the chance to use your medical training outside of work.
Besides helping you to take your mind off work, it’s also a fun side hustle.
Writing
Turning your emotions into words is a liberating feeling. By writing, you allow yourself to feel the relief of putting your strenuous experiences on paper.
Even more significant, you get to frame those experiences in whichever way you want. Whether you want to create stories based on the people you help or express your feelings, it is really up to you.
Also, there is no shortage of categories you can write about. From poetry to novels, you can pick one or pick them all.
Team Sports
Find a local recreational club or form one with colleagues. You can choose to play any sport you wish to. There’s a wide array of sports to choose from.
The remarkable thing about sports is the bonding, socialization, and exercise you get out of it. It’s an effective way to spend a weekend and get you fired up and eager to go on Monday morning.
It also looks good on your resume, by the way.
Outdoor Activities
Being cooped up indoors for long hours when you are on call is bound to take its toll on you, which is why outdoor activities make a perfect hobby for doctors. It gives you a chance to unwind and allows you to experience the calming nature of mother earth.
Being surrounded by nothing but trees, grass, and animals helps you take a little break from humanity. When you spend long hours seeing the suffering of humanity, this is a welcome escape.
There are plenty of things you can do outdoors. For instance, hiking, trailing, or mountain climbing. If you are not one for venturing into the wild, just finding a tranquil garden is a great way to relax.
Endurance Sports
Endurance sport is another great hobby to stretch yourself. You can do it individually or make it a team effort.
Some of the popular endurance sports include marathon running or triathlons.
Not only does the length of the activity give you a chance to think, but it can also be a terrific social outing with friends or fellow doctors.
Fishing
There’s nothing as relaxing as feeling the cool breeze of the air, beer in hand, while you attempt to catch fish.
On top of that, the escape into nature is a wonderful way to refresh. You can do this solo or make it a group activity.
Whichever way, it’s sure to help you wind down.
In Conclusion
Doctors must incorporate hobbies into their busy lives.
This list of best hobbies for doctors at weekends is a great place to start.
