His and Hers Hobbies: Maintaining a Healthy Balance

It is important in a relationship for each person to have their own things that they like to do- their own “me” time. He likes dirt biking. You like painting. Whatever it may be, in a healthy, cohesive relationship there should always be those hobbies that each person truly loves and can completely indulge in on their own time.

Regardless of how much you may love your significant other, there are going to be times where you are simply wearing on each other’s nerves and need your own space. As long as you don’t find this happening on a frequent basis, this sort of thing is perfectly normal. If there should happen to be any circumstance where you find that “me” times are tending to happen more often, it may be a good idea to try to engage in the interests of the other person. Take a break from painting and ask him if you can hop on the back of that dirt bike with him and have him show you how that baby rides! Being able to show interest in the things he likes will deepen your bond and draw you closer together.

It is wise, however, to exercise caution that you don’t go overboard by trying to partake with him in his hobbies 24/7. As I mentioned earlier, it is healthy for you each to have your own interests. But if you find yourself tagging along every time he goes to meet up with the guys for his weekly dirt bike ride, you may want to consider skipping out the following week if you get my drift! Just the same, there is no reason why he should post up next to you and start painting every time you go to pick up a brush. Showing interest in each other’s hobbies is very beneficial to maintaining a happy and successful relationship. But respecting your mate’s “me” time is equally as important.

As women, we are the more common offenders because we have the stronger desire to spend time with our significant other. Men, on the other hand, often have a NEED for male camaraderie. They need that place where they can all get together, laugh like idiots, and act like they are all 12 years old again. For women, while we still need to have our chick time, we have a naturally more responsible, more take-care-of-home kind of nature. So for us, many of the responsibilities of life feel more common place and we feel less inclined to get together as regularly to scratch our butts and act like apes!

If you find that you are having difficulties breaking out of that tag-a-long cycle, take advantage of the times when he’s doing his thing and discover something new for yourself. Make it a goal to try new things and find new hobbies that you really like. In this day and age we get so busy with life that we often seem to operate on autopilot. Deactivate the auto pilot and really think about things that you enjoy doing and build on that. In time you’ll discover that while hanging out with the man can be fun and all, indulging in your own special hobbies can be just as enjoyable, if not more!