In the past few months, I’ve seen several people announcing on Linkedin that they quit their jobs and will take a long break. The reason: they no longer knew who they are outside of work, and needed some time off to reconnect with their families, and to reflect on their lives and their priorities. (Not to mention the other reasons: burnout and mental health.)

This immediately made me think of the time that we will retire. How will we spend all those long lingering days? I used to believe that engaging in activities for retired people would help. But I might be wrong expecting that. Not all cultures have a life designed for retired people. It might be wrong to expect the society to do something for me when I will be old and less mobile than before. That’s why I think hobbies play a key role in stopping us from creating a single work-related identity. And so does the time off, and a family. But for now, I’ll stick to hobbies. When we develop a hobby, we become playful and allow ourselves the needed time to free our minds.

I think hobbies are about breaking the routine, and then going back to the routine in a sharper state of mind.