Mastery hobbies
Recovering through a demanding hobby rather than through rest
Cooking, an instrument, a language, a daily puzzle. The common thread is leisure that asks enough of you to crowd out any thought of work. Recovery research splits these mastery experiences from relaxation. They build competence and confidence alongside the detachment. People who prefer them say an absorbing task switches work off more reliably than lying down does, because a wandering mind wanders back to the job.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Adam GrantDoes it
Organizational psychologist · Think Again
Talking to a recovery researcher on his own show, he said she was helping him justify his preference for mastery over relaxation. What recharges him, by his account, is something demanding. Word games, a run, a bike ride, a tennis match.
Source: WorkLife: The science of recharging on weekends and vacations transcript
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under stress or focus.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Daily meditation
10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 17 do it, 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Deliberate solitude
Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it, 3 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily prayer
A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - HabitFREE, no cost
Personal mantra
A quote kept where you will see it before you perform, taped up or written on your gear
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - HabitFREE, no cost
Quitting social media
Deleting the accounts rather than trying to use them less
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Chess
Short games used as a mental reset between blocks of demanding work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.