Dr Lorna Young is a Cancer Biologist and Lecturer in the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine. Here she reflects on how committing to a hobby can make a huge difference to both your personal and professional life.
This post comes as I finish my fourth marathon. Ironically, it was my personal worst time, yet crossing the finish line, I felt the proudest I’ve ever been of myself.
In the months leading up to it, I faced countless mental battles: self-doubt, fatigue, and that voice in my head constantly asking, “why are you doing this again?” or “you don’t even like running anymore!”, “you’re not as fit as you used to be.” I’m so glad I didn’t listen – if I had, I wouldn’t have experienced that moment of pure pride as I crossed the line.
I’m sharing my experience, not to talk about running specifically, but to encourage you, especially if you’re a student starting your academic journey, to find a hobby that you enjoy - something that challenges you and keeps you motivated, interested, and engaged outside of your academic or work life.
I started running over 30 years ago(!), and it remains one of the best habits I’ve ever built. I don’t enjoy it every day (far from it!), but it’s somewhat of an anchor for me. I could list countless benefits, but I’ll keep it simple. Here are three major reasons why committing to a hobby like running, or any hobby, can make a huge difference in your life:
Learning you can do hard things - mindset shifts
For me, this has been the best aspect of running. My feelings towards it change daily, monthly, even yearly, but marathons bring up a lot of inner ‘gremlins’. Preparing for something so challenging, wanting to do it, yet facing those demons almost daily has forced me to shift my mindset.
I’ve had to learn to be more positive, have more self-belief and be my own cheerleader. The mindset shifts I’ve developed through marathon training have been transformative. They’ve taught me that my mind is my biggest muscle. If I can train it to do hard things, I’m far better equipped to face other challenges in life.
Having boundaries and becoming disciplined with your time
You’ll hear the phrase ‘work–life balance’ a lot, and I’ll admit, I struggle with it sometimes. I have an active mind (I have ADHD), and I like to keep busy. However, I’ve learnt that being ‘switched on’ for most of the waking day isn’t sustainable.
Having a hobby that forces you to switch off from work is incredibly healthy. It creates a clear line that says, “no more work now.” Even if you do the hobby during the day, it provides a valuable mental break – something we all need.
Most importantly, I’ve learnt to make my hobby a priority as life only gets busier. Between studying, work, and personal commitments, it’s easy to let the things that bring you joy slip away. Ensuring you save that time for your hobby helps you organise, prioritise, and plan your days better. For me, running (or another activity) is a non-negotiable, and that discipline has carried over into every other part of my life.
The social side
Having a hobby has helped me enormously whenever I’ve moved to new places. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and feel part of a community that’s separate from your academic or work setting.
It gives you the chance to switch off from your daily concerns and talk about something you genuinely enjoy. Also, if you share a goal with others (such as a race or learning a new skill), you naturally build a sense of connection, team spirit and support.
I feel incredibly lucky to know people from around the world through a shared love for running. These connections remind me that community can be found anywhere - you just need to get out your comfort zone and find it.
Final thoughts
Finally, whatever you like to do, find it and stick with it for a while. It's worth the effort, even when you won’t always feel like it! Whether it’s running, painting, a book club, or learning to play an instrument, find something that pushes you and brings you joy.
A hobby can teach you more about yourself than you might expect – resilience, patience, balance, and maybe even pride in your personal ‘worst’ days.