discussion How do you manage your hobby time?

[Steven000]

Hi guys,
I'm feeling quite frustrated lately because I have so many projects I'd like to work on but 'real life' is constantly knocking on the door...

We don't have kids, both work irregular hours and every moment at home there's so much things to do that there's just no more time left for this hobby...

This has been going on for some time now but it seems to get rather worse than better!

I've been thinking about this problem a lot at work trying to find a sollution, and really wonder how do you guys manage your time? How do you combine it with your job or partner? Does it work for you or would you like to change things?

Thanks and wish you all the best
Steven

 

[scottie3158]

Steven,
I work shifts and have an understanding Mrs. On my days off I deal with any issues around the home and then spend a few hours at the bench.

 

[AlanG]

I have to try and manage my time with the constraint of various factors.

Family life (wife, kids and house/garden activities), work (very physical job with 12 days on-shift then 2 off), mental health issues. The most pressing of those three would be the mental health issues. It can strike at any given moment and can knock me for six for weeks at a time.

Now i just sit at my bench when i'm physically and mentally ready to. I used to put pressure on myself to model but i found that it reduced my enjoyment from this hobby. My wife understands i need my own space, and that models are a way of me releasing my tension (unless i'm working with PE).

 

[Guest]

Mainly between the hours of 6:30am and 8am at weekends, while the kids entertain themselves and the wife sleeps in.
Other than that, pretty much never!

 

[Steven000]

Thanks Scottie and Alan,

The most pressing of those three would be the mental health issues. It can strike at any given moment and can knock me for six for weeks at a time.

That's quite a problem indeed! Feeling lucky I don't have any serious health issues like that yet, hope you don't have to suffer to much like that...

... My wife understands i need my own space, and that models are a way of me releasing my tension ...

:thinking:Still working on that one...

 

[Steven000]

Mainly between the hours of 6:30am and 8am at weekends, while the kids entertain themselves and the wife sleeps in.
Other than that, pretty much never!

That's a pain too, also rather difficult when making noise like airbrushing etc I suppose...

 

[AlanG]

hope you don't have to suffer to much like that...

Sometimes it does. After attempting suicide a few years back, i went months without touching my bench let alone working at it. Mental health can be so debilitating at times. It's a daily struggle that i have my coping strategies to help deal with it. Family means everything and my wife and kids are my rock.

But even on here and a few other communities i go on, i can take solace that i am not alone and can chat whenever i need to.

 

[Steven000]

Sometimes it does. After attempting suicide a few years back, i went months without touching my bench let alone working at it. Mental health can be so debilitating at times.

Yes the mind is a wonderful thing but when it wanders off path things can get really bad, I'm happy your still with us :thumb2:

 

[Jim R]

Hi Steven
Interesting to find out how people manage their hobby. I am one of the lucky ones. I am retired with a decent pension and in good health. I do have a lot of things which take my time but work is not one of them. I try to get in an hour or two at the bench most days, usually in the afternoon. That happens more in the winter and now that we are in lockdown. In the nicer weather my wife and I may go out for days and visit family and so bench time is less regular. My wife is into all things sewing and knitting and so she doesn't mind the time I spend modelling as she spends an equal, at least equal, amount of time on her own interests.
As I said I'm very lucky and appreciate the position I'm in.
Jim

 

[Tim Marlow]

I also am happy you still here, Alan.
As to managing my time, I’m retired so ostensibly should have more than average. However, we moved late in 2019, the same time as I retired, so there always seems to be something to do. Unfortunately I developed RA at about the same time so cannot do physical work for anywhere near as long as I used to be able to. I use that to my advantage by interspersing it with bench time. I tend to do an hour’s modelling after breakfast then do chores ‘till lunch. After that it’s back to the bench again, then continue with the chores or go for a walk. I’m lucky that my wife is a keen gardener and can disappear into the garden for ages, so doesn’t give me grief over bench time. I just get to do the structural stuff like building greenhouses or putting in paths.....or decorating.....always decorating! I rarely model in the evenings, and never after eight o’clock, so that is our “together time“ for Telly or music.
I suppose the take home message to find a routine that suits you both.

 

[Guest]

That's a pain too, also rather difficult when making noise like airbrushing etc I suppose...

It’s nice first thing. Quiet and I can get on with everything except spraying.
It’s for this reason I ‘batch paint’. I’m sure everyone does it, but I make sure that if I have to spray, everything that needs it is ready.
Once ‘she’ is up the compressor comes on!

 

[minitnkr]

Before retirement it was tough to find the time w/kids & us both working, but I took the time when I could. Often taking hobby tasks with me if I was going to be away for more than 3days. Now both retired, I find it much easier to use what used to be work time as hobby time except for her breakfast prep & "tea at 3" where we get together for coffee & a sweet. PaulE

 

[sootysue]

Hi guys,
I'm feeling quite frustrated lately because I have so many projects I'd like to work on but 'real life' is constantly knocking on the door...

We don't have kids, both work irregular hours and every moment at home there's so much things to do that there's just no more time left for this hobby...

This has been going on for some time now but it seems to get rather worse than better!

I've been thinking about this problem a lot at work trying to find a sollution, and really wonder how do you guys manage your time? How do you combine it with your job or partner? Does it work for you or would you like to change things?

Thanks and wish you all the best
Steven

Hi steven . I know the feeling trying to manage work and hobby.
My job has gone from working days to nights ( much to my neighbours horror )due to staff leaving because of lockdown (staff finding child sitters ) or their partners being made redundant. .
I try to make at least 5 mins a day to do my hobby , well i force myself lol. i think i will just do this one little bit on my built or hobby and it turns into 5 bits on my build half an hour later lol.
Perhaps sitting down and look at how your time is spent on in the day .
But you do need to have together time you and your partner. Its made harder if you both work oppersite or different hours to each other.
I have found by doing this build its helps me to relax my mind and so i can focus my thoughts better.
I do write a list of things i have to do meaning an example is sorting out my bulbs in my lights at the moment , each day next week i will go around each room in my home and find out what the bulbs are in my lights . 8x areas with lights ,hall, bedroom ,landing etc, 7 days one room a day. when when i go shopping end of the week i can bug needed light bulbs , i tend to brake down things into small to do /lists. I I don't have children or a partner so i have to do manage my life so its a bit easier but there are days when i do come home and the lists don't get done and then they get done the next day. My garden was my hardest thing i changed was my back garden so no grass, mini stones /slats in between the plants , made its maintenance free only to prune plants only , and a tiny grass area front of my house, pain in the !! is cutting the grass but its does look nice after its done.. i hope you find a solution steven to your work , hobby life. ......sue.

 

[BattleshipBob]

I have recently retired so have more time, however i have ME which brings with it moments of fatigue, when this happens i have no interest in anything. To add to the fun i now have ME problems with a painful wrist ( no sniggering in the back ). I try to do a few hours every day but does not always go to plan!

 

[Defiant911]

I usually work two
Jobs , my main day job and an evening cleaning job.
Helps pay the bills and afford those extra luxuries.
During normal times before Covid 19 I would usually only really spend time at the weekend in between or around family stuff, usually shops, garden centres and the like.
Occasional I might sneak in a coat of paint in the evening for 10-15 minutes.
At the moment I have more time than usual
As I now work from home for my main job which takes out the traveling giving time back for hobbies and so on. I’m furloughed from my evening job so Ive never had so much spare time. In many ways Covid has given lots of time to enjoy and if I’m honest I’m not looking forward to going back to the old routine..

 

[Del640]

That's a good question.

Fortunately my wife loves her Lego builds so when we have downtime we both apply this time to our hobbies...both kids in thier teens so basically Weekends is build time, I also get a day off in the week so use that to build also.

Del

 

[Guest]

Reading all these insightful replies has got me wondering; how can I inspire my wife to take up a hobby?

 

[Dave Ward]

Being single & retired, I go to my bench when I feel like it - I've given up setting myself deadlines. If I don't feel like doing anything, I don't! ( I haven't touched anything this weekend ). If I don't feel like finishing a model, I don't.
I just make models for my own entertainment and satisfaction now.
Last year I realised that I was taking the modelmaking a bit too seriously, ( probably the same sort of thing that caused my clinical depression when I was working ). I've resolved that I won't continue down that path! . So no group builds, or anything that has a date, or a time frame.........................
Dave

 

[PaulTRose]

during normal times i always spend an hour each evening at the bench,......but very often dont get to it at weekends as thats when the memsahib has things planned

however since im again 'working from home' ..... :smiling6: .........i can spend as much time bodging plastic as i want....been times when ive been doing it at 8am.....or gone midnight!!....just cos i can and want to get something done

2020 was the crappiest of years for me, covid was just a minor side show, and so far 2021 is carrying on what its older brother started.........model making is how i cope, destress, keep sane, call it what you want.....its a little world i can retreat to away from the real world even if its just for a short while

 

[Defiant911]

Being single & retired, I go to my bench when I feel like it - I've given up setting myself deadlines. If I don't feel like doing anything, I don't! ( I haven't touched anything this weekend ). If I don't feel like finishing a model, I don't.
I just make models for my own entertainment and satisfaction now.
Last year I realised that I was taking the modelmaking a bit too seriously, ( probably the same sort of thing that caused my clinical depression when I was working ). I've resolved that I won't continue down that path! . So no group builds, or anything that has a date, or a time frame.........................
Dave

Dave, sounds like a much more relaxing way to do it and I’m much the same. I start a model and It completes when it completes. I never know how much time I can give to it from one week to the next and to be honest having gaps during builds gives me time to reflect on what I’ve done so far and also what I’m going to do next.
I think to put any form of time scale would spoil the enjoyment for me.
Carl