Why Your Weekend Hobby Might Be the Best Self-Improvement Plan You Have

Choosing the right hobby can quietly reshape your day, nudging you into better routines and habits without feeling like another chore.

Alice Boyes, a psychologist and author based in the United States, argues that everyday hobbies are one of the most practical ways to build self-discipline. Boyes is a former clinical psychologist with a PhD who has written guides such as The Anxiety Toolkit and The Healthy Mind Toolkit.

In her recent work she explains that certain hobbies build discipline because they crowd out unhealthy behaviour. A Saturday climbing trip or early morning running club makes it less appealing to stay up late drinking the night before, while an expensive pastime such as photography or recreational flying can push people to budget and track their spending more carefully so they can afford it.

She also highlights how hobbies create useful routines. Simple habits such as walking a dog at the same time every day or going to a weekly class give structure. The benefit is not only the exercise or the skill, but the anchor these activities create in an otherwise loose day, making it easier to organise everything else around that fixed point.

Some pursuits demand strict safety procedures, and that discipline tends to spill over into other parts of life. Activities such as climbing or flying rely on checklists and methodical habits, and the responsibility people feel in those roles can sharpen their general approach to planning and risk. Hard physical hobbies also teach people to tolerate effort and to tell the difference between normal discomfort and genuine danger.

Over time, consistently showing up for others in hobby groups builds an identity as a reliable and disciplined person, which then reinforces further disciplined behaviour. As Boyes puts it, “The indirect path, through something that feels purposeful and enjoyable, is often more effective than forcing yourself to change directly.”