7 reasons why a hobby such as clockmaking gives respite during a pandemic

Posted on by rjoiner2021

7 reasons why a hobby such as clockmaking gives respite during a pandemic.

Builds self-esteem. Developing and maintaining a hobby is important because the small successes from day to day are enough to sustain oneself amid other pressures in life and it is the one solid thing to feel good about. It gives renewed energy to tackle other challenges in life.

Dial face, Scottish tall case clock C.1848

Avoid boredom. There is zero scientific evidence of this but boredom is responsible for a lot of society’s ills and destructive behaviours. Do you come home after a challenging workday to watch hours of TV when you could be doing something constructive and rewarding? If so, it is time to re-evaluate your life.

Junghans clock project is finished
Junghans Sydney shelf clock C.1911

Enrich your perspective. There is an old adage: “The more you know, the more you grow”.  Any opportunity to learn something new, to be challenged anew, is great for character-building by seeing the world through refreshed eyes. Clockmaking or any hobby helps one differentiate from others and provides key examples of overcoming adversity or tackling a difficult situation and emerging on the other side.

museum
American Watch and Clock Collectors Museum, USA

Keeps you youthful. Establishing and maintaining a hobby is a healthy habit to form not just now but for your later years. Hobbies are excellent for brain health and help stave off cognitive decline. The older you become the more difficulty you will have struggling to fill your time with meaningful activities. Beginning a hobby early in life pays dividends in the long run much like an interest-bearing investment.

Schatz W3 bracket clock C. 1950s

Combine your hobby with other interests. Photography and traveling are two other of my interests. Blogging is another, of course. Clockmaking combines all of those interests and as a side benefit my wife, who is also my travel partner and clock locator, provides encouragement every day.

Westclox LaSalle alarm clock
Westclox LaSalle alarm clock C. 1934

It makes one interesting. Talk about your occupation or your grandchild and before long people’s eyes begin to glaze, but mention a clock that fell off a wall during the Halifax Explosion, a clock that hung in a railway station nearby, a rare clock bought for next to nothing and ears perk up.

Crispi clock back from the horologist
Junghans Crispi wall clock, C.1898

A great way to relieve stress. Hobbies provide stress relief simply because it is an oasis, a way of disconnecting temporarily and we all need a place of refuge in trying times.

Mauthe wall clock circa 1895

We are nearing the end of the pandemic and folks are returning to their former routines. If you have found a new hobby in the past year there is no doubt you have certainly acquired new skills, renewed confidence and furthered your knowledge. Don’t stop now!

2 thoughts on “7 reasons why a hobby such as clockmaking gives respite during a pandemic”

  1. Thanks Ron. Good observations. Although the brain is a organ, not a muscle, regular exercise, as it is for the body, healthy. Brain is largely hard wired, although lots of programmable software there too.

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