We often postpone time for ourselves, giving priority to matters that seem more important and urgent. Assembling a jigsaw, taking an old guitar out of the wardrobe or going for an evening walk with no particular purpose can feel like a waste of time.

That impression is mistaken, according to a material by the nationwide mental health programme "How are U?".

Where the energy goes

When a person is under stress for a long time, emotional resources deplete quickly. Even simple tasks start to feel beyond reach, because the brain is constantly overloaded with news, worries and endless work or household matters.

The trouble is that ordinary rest does not compensate for this: sleep restores physical strength but does not lift background tension if the mind keeps running in the same mode.

Why a hobby works differently

A beloved activity switches attention into a mode without evaluation or deadlines. That is why it delivers a sense of reset that passive scrolling does not, even though scrolling takes just as much time.

Psychologists note that the sudden realisation that almost nothing is left in life besides daily duties is even more distressing — and it is often the first sign of exhaustion.

It need not be anything elaborate

A hobby does not have to be ambitious or expensive. A walk with no route, a few chords on a guitar, a vegetable patch, fishing, a board game with the children — all of it works, provided you are not doing it for a result.

The criterion is simple: the activity must be your own choice, not another item on a to-do list. The moment a hobby becomes an obligation, it stops restoring anything.