[Weekly Diary⑥] Making Time... Choosing Hobbies Over Drinking

Choosing Basketball Over Drinking... Feeling Better While Sweating
Opting for Drinking Due to Short Leisure Time, but Hobbies Are Directly Linked to Health

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] I quit drinking and found a new hobby. It is basketball. Even if I have to squeeze out time, I happily exercise every Monday and Saturday by going to a local basketball club. Although it is only 2 to 3 hours a day, every time I meet people, sweat, and laugh, the worries I had fly away.

The benefits of exercise go without saying. Beyond simply building muscle and losing weight, it also positively affects the mind. Both drinking and exercise release the "pleasure hormone" dopamine. However, drinking provides temporary and stronger stimulation, while exercise not only releases dopamine but also boosts immunity that prevents depression and anxiety disorders.

I was missing out on such good exercise because of drinking. Let me use myself as an example. In fact, I have enjoyed basketball for a long time. When I was a high school student who did not drink, I played basketball during every break. When I felt restless during night self-study sessions, I took the basketball out. I even loved basketball so much that I played the day before the college entrance exam, when I should have been resting.

However, from my college days when I started drinking, I stopped playing basketball. First, drinking affected me until the next day. Naturally, I couldn’t play basketball while drinking, and the next day my body was stiff due to hangovers. But more than that, the idea that meeting people required "alcohol" as a medium took root in my mind. Without realizing it, when meeting people, I started asking about their drinking capacity rather than their hobbies.

Even after getting a job, I spent more time drinking than on hobbies. Before quitting drinking on May 20, I drank for four consecutive days from May 16 to 19. I shared drinks with colleagues, fellow reporters, or people I had to meet for coverage. From 7 p.m. until the last train, I spent about 4 hours drinking every day. That week alone, I spent 16 hours drinking. It goes without saying that the total time would be even longer.

Choosing alcohol during short leisure time... but hobbies should be pursued even by squeezing time

In reality, Koreans rarely spend time on hobbies. According to Statistics Korea, as of 2019, the leisure time ratio in Korea (the proportion of leisure time in a 24-hour day) is 17.9%, which is low compared to developed countries. Nordic country Norway has 25.6%, Germany 23%, the UK 21.2%, and the US 19.8%. The hobby time of office workers is expected to be even shorter. The 17.9% leisure time ratio, or about 4 hours a day spent on hobbies, includes leisure time of the relatively time-rich population aged 70 and above.

Because general office workers have such short leisure time, they choose alcohol. It is the fastest and easiest way to relieve fatigue and is cheaper than other hobbies at first. For example, a 12-month gym membership costs over 500,000 won at once, but alcohol can be purchased for around 2,000 won at a convenience store. Even buying snacks, a can of beer and a bag of chips cost less than 5,000 won.

Nevertheless, in the long term, alcohol harms our health and causes us to spend more money on medical expenses. On the other hand, hobbies provide a healthy body and mind and give us confidence. Many studies have already shown that hobbies are linked to self-esteem, stress relief, and creativity development. Furthermore, unlike alcohol which causes alcoholic dementia, hobbies help prevent dementia.

A friend I recently met said, "Alcohol is the joy of life." It probably means that after hard work, alcohol is a relatively cheap option. However, as time goes by, health deteriorates and life’s vitality inevitably decreases. How about reducing alcohol and finding your own hobby by squeezing out time?

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.