Getting older means progressively releasing oneself from social norms. Like time off work must be filled with "fun" activities. I have a few hobbies, such as exercising, yoga and blogging, but they are part of my daily routine and don't take up the whole weekend. Since I don't have an active social life either, I spend a lot of weekends not doing anything "fun". In the beginning, I was pushing myself to find more hobbies, not least so I could have a satisfying answer to the question "What do you do on weekends?". Now, I am content with mumbling that I don't have much of a life outside my PhD, which is true. Hobbies require time and commitment, and while I am definitely not the busiest person in Bristol, my PhD takes a lot out of me. I don't think I have the intellectual stamina to commit to anything else. I do enjoy meeting friends and going on a day-trip occasionally, but I don't miss my super-social Master's degree days. In the past few years since I started my PhD I have both changed as a person and come into my own as a person. Which is to say, the PhD has exacerbated my reclusive tendencies which I fought for so long, and which I am becoming more accepting of. I cherish the solitude that my current lifestyle afford me more than I rue the occasional spells of loneliness. And, most importantly, I don't feel guilty for whiling away my off days. The only thing I am trying to keep in mind is not to spend all my off time in front of an electronic screen.
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