You spend around seven hours at school. Go to work or practice or rehearsal for one or two afterward. Drive — that’s 10 minutes. Eat dinner— that’s 20-25. Then shower— up to 30 minutes. After all of that it’s close to 9 p.m. What to do now? Do you do your scrapbook page or study for the test you have in algebra in the morning?

The balance between hobbies and academics is a challenging decision to make during those few hours after school.

“I want to do nails more and be more creative, but with all I have going on between work, school, and soccer I can’t,” said junior Saveah Singletary.

 In a poll on the Passage Instagram, 43 out of 44 Northwest students said they have hobbies they’d like to do, but have no time to.  

“I think sometimes being creative causes more stress,” Senior Calla Hardison said, “The type of art that I do requires planning and thought, so it’s not a mindless activity that I can use to wind down and relax. These hobbies can be very messy and require a lot of setup, so that also adds to the stress.”

“Using our creativity, we can also practice releasing and letting go of what could potentially become toxic to our mind, heart, soul and body,” says Kim Nguyen, Clinician at Diversus Health. 

Allowing your mind to relax and fully immerse yourself in a creative outlet can help release those difficult feelings you had to conquer during the day. 

“I’m not really thinking about other things; I’m not thinking about stressors. I’m just thinking about what’s in front of me and putting paint to paper,” junior Schaefer Wright said.

Social media, especially, presents the ever-changing routines people “should” follow in order to feel the calm, ideal mental state at the end of the day.

“The ideal routine is different for everyone,” Freshman Delaney Close said. “But having that cycle of being repetitive and keeping that routine constant helps.” 

Spend fifteen minutes journaling every day, 2 minutes every hour doing breathing exercises, and do one thing to voice creativity; all before bedtime. When you do your hobbies, it feels like you could have been more productive than you were.  

“I feel like there’s some things I need to be doing instead, but I don’t want to do that thing,” Wright said. “I want to do my hobbies, but I feel guilty for painting instead of the other things.” 

 When all day is spent doing things that require more focus and effort, going home and choosing to do them again can be incredibly difficult to decide. Some students have found a way around that. How can students do all of these things if they have to stay up until 12:30 a.m. to finish homework? Is there even time? 

“I try to let everything flow together naturally,” Senior Diego Meza said “My creativity sits inside free expression.”

Some students have noticed that, “learning to use your own routines may work better than following others,” said Dana Hinders, writer for Eagle View Behavioral Health. “Having a constant ‘positive feedback loop’ can improve mood and build momentum toward larger goals.” 

The most effective way to create that positive feedback loop is creativity. Painting, writing, journaling, singing are all ways to raise productivity for your life inside and outside of work and academics.

“Being creative can increase positive emotions, reduce depressive symptoms and anxiety, and improve the function of our immune systems,” said Diverushealth. Creativity can come in many forms. Even if it feels like a small outlet, it still matters.

“I hope other people are more successful at allotting their time and balancing things,” Wright said. “And if you’re not, then you’re not alone. You are doing just fine. Do your hobbies, please. I beg, because the world’s getting really boring.”