

As burnout catches up with hustle culture, we’ve forgotten how to have fun and enjoy life. A fresh study by Headway, the book summary app, reveals just how far it’s gone: 36% have ditched exercising, 32% have stopped socializing, and 1 in 4 have abandoned their hobbies entirely.
With summer in full swing and the sun handing out energy boosts, Thalia-Maria Tourikis, a certified health coach and burnout prevention and recovery expert at the Headway app, shares four tips for those who have lost the joy of clocking off – and want their free time to feel free again.
Hustle hangover: How to stop your hobbies from feeling like an endless to-do list
1. Do something spontaneous
Mute your work emails, put your to-do list to the back of your mind, and head to your nearest station without so much as a plan. Just hop on the next bus or train to somewhere you’ve never been before and see where the day takes you. When life gets monotonous, and even your hobbies feel like hard work, a little spontaneity can remind you what living really feels like.
2. Stop overloading your weekend schedule
With work taking up most of the week, we try to cram as much as possible into the little time left over. Lunch with friends, time outdoors, gym sessions, hobbies, and an endless stream of household chores and projects. We rush from one thing to the next, constantly checking the clock, and the activities we once loved become just another item on the checklist. With burnout inevitable, it’s no wonder so many have given up on exercise, socialising, and pursuing hobbies – so take a step back, slow down, and stop trying to do it all.
3. Untangle work and life
If you do what you love, there’s a high chance your job and hobbies are closely intertwined. A sales executive grinding away at a side hustle after hours or a writer penning novels at night might love what they do. But doing more of the same, even for fun, is bound to become monotonous, and you’re likely to lose interest eventually. The solution? Take up fishing, learn to bake, or master an instrument. Hobbies far detached from your professional life will keep your brain engaged and your passion alive.
4. Stop striving for perfection
Hobbies aren’t a race to the finish line, and perfection isn’t a requirement. You don’t even have to be good at them. In fact, there’s lots of fun in being bad. Paint with your eyes closed, dance like nobody’s watching, and sing off-key at the top of your lungs. The point isn’t mastering it or making an impression; it’s having fun and enjoying your free time.
