Not everything has to be a side hustle: Reclaiming hobbies for joy

These days, it feels like every time someone picks up a new hobby, the next question is, “So are you going to start selling it?”

Whether it’s painting, baking, photography, or even journaling, there’s this quiet expectation that you should turn it into something, something marketable, something productive, something profitable.

It’s not that side hustles are bad. In fact, for many young Tanzanians, especially in a tight economy, they’re a lifeline.

We’re figuring out adulthood in a world where one job often isn’t enough, where everything feels urgent and unstable.

So yes, sometimes you do have to hustle. But not everything needs to become a hustle.

Sometimes you can do something simply because it brings you joy.

Why we feel pressure to monetise

Social media plays a huge role in this.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are full of creators turning their passions into income, and that’s amazing.

But it also creates the illusion that if you’re not profiting off your creativity, you’re not doing enough.

Every hobby becomes a potential brand. Every interest, a possible side income.

This mind set can creep in subtly. You start painting just to relax, but then you think, “Should I be selling these?”

You start writing poems but wonder if you should post them for engagement.

The joy that led you there gets replaced by pressure to perform.

Psychologists call this the shift from intrinsic motivation (doing something because it feels good) to extrinsic motivation (doing something for a reward).

When our motivations shift too far toward external validation; likes, money, and recognition - we lose the internal satisfaction that made the hobby meaningful in the first place.

Hobbies without outcomes

In Tanzanian culture, productivity is often equated with value.

Rest has to be justified. Free time should be “used wisely.”

This cultural script can make it hard to see hobbies as valid on their own.

But hobbies don’t need a result. You can paint badly and still feel free.

You can write songs no one hears and still feel fulfilled.

You can bake, dance, doodle, learn guitar, or do whatever random thing calls to you and not owe anyone an explanation.

That’s what makes it yours.

There’s something deeply healing about doing something purely for the sake of enjoyment.

It brings us back to ourselves. It interrupts the constant pressure to optimise every hour of the day.

The mental health link

Research shows that people who engage in regular leisure activities experience lower stress levels and greater overall well-being.

Hobbies help regulate your nervous system, offer emotional release, and build confidence.

They create what psychologists call flow states - those moments where you’re so engaged in something, you lose track of time.

Flow reduces anxiety. It boosts focus.

It increases your sense of purpose - not because you’re “being productive,” but because you’re connected to the moment.

For those who feel drained by pressure, performance, or people-pleasing, a hobby can become a quiet, personal sanctuary.

And in a time where burnout is so common, hobbies offer gentle resistance.

They say: I am allowed to enjoy this, even if it’s not impressive.

I don’t need to turn this into work. I can just be.

Reclaiming joy for yourself

If you’ve lost your way with hobbies, or never really had one, here’s how to start reclaiming that space:

1. Follow curiosity, not pressure

Try something because it looks fun, not because you’re good at it.

You don’t need to master it. You don’t need to monetise it.

Let yourself be a beginner again.

2. Keep it private if you want to

You don’t have to post everything.

You don’t have to share it. You don’t owe anyone updates on what brings you joy.

Give yourself permission to create without an audience.

3. Create space for play

Play isn’t just for kids. Play means doing something for no reason except that it feels good.

Revisit old hobbies you let go of. Colour something.

Make something messy. Have fun on purpose.

4. Watch your self-talk

If you catch yourself thinking, “This is a waste of time,” pause.

Ask: Why do I believe that? Who taught me that my value is in what I produce?

Where did I learn that rest needs a purpose?

5. Respect your creative energy

Just because you’re capable of monetising your talent doesn’t mean you have to.

Protect your peace. Choose rest when you need to.

Let the joy of the process be the goal.

Not everything has to be productive.

Not everything has to be impressive.

You’re allowed to have parts of your life that exist just for you.

In a society where the grind never seems to stop, choosing joy can be a radical act.

And if all your hobbies ever do is make you smile, feel grounded, or remind you who you are, then they’ve done enough.

You don’t need to turn everything into a business.

Some things can just be yours.