Make Time to Play: How to Find the Hobby That's Right for You

If your job is sedentary: Get physical
Swimming, bicycling, or even outdoor hockey in the cul-de-sac are great for upping your heart rate and your energy level. "Many studies show the importance of exercise, particularly if you have a desk job," says Nancy Molitor, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral science at Northwestern University. "But physical activity also improves mood and well-being. The effects of exercise can be as good as an antidepressant."

Anita Perkins of Vancouver, Can­ada, spent long hours working on the computer as a partner in a mechanical engineering firm in Seattle. "I felt so out of balance," she recalls. When she took ballroom-dancing lessons for her wedding in 1999, she was immediately hooked. "I was working crazy hours, but I planned my day around dancing," she says. "I would sit at my desk, and the only thing I looked forward to was dancing for an hour or two."

Perkins found dancing got her into shape without her even realizing it, and she felt great after expending so much physical energy. "My brain is always going, and I used to lie in bed thinking about all the stuff I had to do. Dancing helps me turn off those grinding gears to focus on the music, my partner, and our moves. When I go home, I'm truly relaxed."

If you want family time: Work together
Try a group activity—whether it's camping, gardening, or hunkering down over a puzzle—that allows you to pursue your passion together.

"Even when we think we're interacting with our children, we're probably not," Molitor says. "Most weekday conversations are utilitarian: ‘Did you have lunch?' and ‘Did you do your homework?' And vacations once a year just don't cut it. A consistency of connection is vital."

As a mother of three and founder of a company that promotes healthier, greener, more balanced living, C.J. Kettler knows firsthand how working moms tend to divide life into family time and work time. A few years ago, she rediscovered yoga (a for­gotten college passion) and began training to be a teacher. She invited her daughters to join her yoga classes and has found that practicing yoga with them gives her the best of both worlds.

"Yoga lets me have time to myself and to share it," Kettler explains. "I'm lucky that we found an activity we can do together that makes the most of family time and yet finds a balance between everyone's interests."