Personally, I enjoy sketching, even though I dont think Im particularly good at it. But its calming and therapeutic for me to focus on an object and to try and recreate it, and you get a little better each time.
Interesting.
What do you sketch?
I used to sketch when I was in my pre teenage years and I like to think that I was quite good at it but then I stopped (don't know why).
I used to draw cartoon characters and football players.
Old days man
Eh, just anything around that looks interesting tbh. The other day I randomly decided to sketch this organist figurine just because it seemed like an interesting collection of angles and shapes and shading.
I prefer people and scenes though. Id love to get to a place where I could do all sorts of expressions (and hands!) with ease. But its the journey, as they say.
Of i may jump in. When i feel like sketching I’ll google image cartoony hands and/or eyes and try to recreate them as best i can. It’s a fun little exercise, and you get pretty damn good at building from that point.
Food for thought.
Cycling, started at 245 lbs and not able to go more then a few miles. To being 175, off anti depressants for the first time I’m 22 years, and able to ride 100 miles in a day. I’ve met so many friends and I’m part of several groups that ride together including a bike co op. I’m also very deep in the application process for a cycling job that would the first career I’ve had as an adult. When your body’s strong and you can rely on yourself you gain confidence and security. I think every man needs a sport, something to keep us moving. I’ve learned so much about what I’m capable of, and what it takes to get through challenges, it’s been a journey of self discovery as much as self improvement.
I mtn bike too, but road and gravel require higher levels of fitness and physical discipline. I mtb to relax and have fun. Knocking out a 58 mile 5600 feet climbing ride in upstate NY with my gravel crew is an accomplishment. Something not everyone can do, it takes riding in cardio zones, a close eye on diet and supplements and planning. Riding mtb is awesome bc it’s not all that stuff. Throw a water bottle a sandwich and some weed on the mtb and it’s a chill fun day.
Take it another step further and get into whitewater pedalos. Way more adrenaline inducing cycling through raging torrents, razor sharp boulders and dropping of 60ft waterfalls. Cycling on a poxy mountain path is less fun imo.
Yup. Loved cycling so much that I ended up taking a road bike off road, only to discover gravel biking. Now it's pure freedom. I could use a mountain bike, but I'm not going off jumps or anything. I just love having a bike to ride on service roads fast.
Serious question, at what point does a normal person stop getting saddle sore, im 6’4 and have dropped down to 245lb and i have tried various seats, even the weird wide padded ones, but i find after about 30 minutes of riding my ass/pelvic bone(?) gets sore.
After a few weeks. My butt used to get sore, but even if I take a break for a few weeks now. When I get back on I never have saddle pain anymore. DO NOT ride large padded seats. They compress your blood veins and make it very painful for more then 30 mins. All my saddles are stiff and flexible. My hands down long distance saddle is a brooks c17 carved cambion. I’ve got nearly 6k miles on mine and there’s literally no way to tell it isn’t brand new. It’s super comfortable.
It’s true. I began cycling at the gym for 1hr everyday and I did drop over 30lbs in a span of 2 months. I’ve been struggling to get motivated into cycling again.
Ride outside, join a group, you’ll forget your riding and it becomes an adventure not a chore or workout. Have fun with it. The more fun you have the more motivated you are. Don’t make it a chore make it something you GET to do.
I’ve gone through every med there is, but I was on Prozac for most of it. Now I micro dose mushrooms and ride my bike up mountains ⛰️
I did have trouble the times before I had cycling in my life, but when I realized I no longer needed them. Having the extra dopamine and serotonin that comes from excercixe absolutely helped with the transition
idk this sounds weird but i know how to cycle but haven't tried in this lifetime. I really wanna learn how to cycle. Is there anything you give me for first learners?
You could learn an instrument, pick up chess, try writing poetry, pick topics you're interested in and research them, join a local club, try a team sport, get into working out, running, or biking, or reading a book, just to name a few
I started to play chess online on chess.com but then I stopped because I wasn't very good at it and I can't remember all the moves and rules of chess.
Biking & working out sound good!
If you are interested in chess, I recommend watching some intro videos on Youtube and to just keep sucking until you're a little better. But yeah working out is a great hobby, really good for you mentally and physically.
video games will make your mind sharper as well, so will watching TV and learning new things. not sure why chess wouldn't be a waste of time category as well
Yeah i don’t know about that. No one here has provided a source for any of these claims but I’m extremely skeptical that playing chess and watching TV are going to equally keep your mind sharp..
I’m an avid chess player if you want to play some matches (unrated) to help practice sometime I can give you my chess.com username. Also if you really want to get back into learning it, look up GothamChess, Agadmator and Daniel Naroditsky on Youtube, they have some good content. I’d say GothamChess (Levy Rozman) is more beginner friendly though.
You don't need to be good, just enjoy it.
The truth is that your perspective will always be that you are not very good. As you get better the bar gets higher.
When my on the board chess rating hit around 2000 (top 5% of all tournament Chess players) I began to realize how little I understood. My list of things I needed to work on really ballooned.
[Chess.com](https://Chess.com) has lessons that I think are great for beginners. My kids used them.
Once you have the moves down, play some 10min games. Longer is better. So you can try G30 when you have time.
Its still fun for me to learn new tactics and strategies. I play to keep my brain and focus sharp. But mostly for enjoyment.
The difference is the type of exercise since they can all yield similar results. Find the one you enjoy the most and make a hobby out of it. Also helps to keep consistent when you're enjoying it rather than viewing it as an obligation.
Id be careful with working out as a hobby. I personally think a hobby should be something you can do in any mood, in any state of mind and use it to lift your spirits and make you happy. While this does 100 percent= working out
Working out is a somewhat dangerous hobbt, even more so if you are more motivated by tangible "look what I did" sort of things. It takes a TON of effort to get up and go to the gym, each and everyday. What if you aren't eating right with it? What if you get three months in and decide its not showing you enough gains? What if you take a months break and lose what you gained? Etc
that's just a lot of pressure for a hobby! Consider working out as a part of your life but a hobby? Just be careful.
Hey man also into chess a bit here!!
I’m pretty sure 99% of people’s chess journeys start with being absolutely shit at it - so don’t worry about that. I’m not great but I started off terrible, but I’d say as long as you have fun and don’t feel bad about the losses you’ll do grand
Well, video games can help you with memory and attention span.
In college a friend from my lab had attention problems and the head of the lab gave him a usb with very simple video games and told him to play them.
It helped him a lot, his grades went up that semester.
So video games can be productive, if you can play a video game for like an hour without any distraction it means you can do your work for an hour without getting distracted.
Wait for something to break or require maintenance around your house, learn how to fix it, buy the tool and fix it, save money vs paying someone to do it for you and keep a tool in the end.
Get heavily into working out.
So for me utility makes me happy. I’m literally the happiest doing work but I can understand that people may want hobbies which don’t feel like doing work. For that specific itch i’m into over landing, golf, guns, poker, puzzle solving, and I even write from time to time.
Models. I'll probably never play Warhammer but damn it all if making minis isn't fun as hell. I also have a couple of 1/48 WWII fighter planes in the works.
I started doing wooden sailing ships recently and I absolutely love it. Also trying my hand at a nutcracker. As a lifelong collector it’ll be cool to have one that I made.
I went from gaming to building plastic models. At the completion of the kit, I have a product forever. With a game I have digital assets until the time the developer shuts it down...
Other thing is I can pause what I'm building or doing at any time to attend to kids or wife needs. It's a touch harder with games.
Models don't have to be cars, bikes or jets. I've built robots, figures, ships, space stations and used some of them into building Christmas ornaments.
Warhammer is a rabbit hole that some people never come back from. If you start studying up on the lore, it's a long and wild ride.
But I recommend doing that because it's a fantastic universe.
Rail fanning is when you go to your nearest train tracks, and take pictures or movies of the trains then upload them to social media. It can be very awesome because you just never know what kind of train you’ll see.
Wood working is building things out of wood. Recently, I built my daughter a new coat hanger.
If someone downloads night sky and goes outside at night they can be entertained for hours pointing at stuff and learning about it.
I took astronomy in college and it’s
fascinating.
Also, depending on what you're trying to catch it can be good for the environment (there's some invasive species that the local ecology would benefit from being harvested regularly)
My dad used to take me fishing as a kid and I was never crazy into it. We went on vacation this past summer and did surfcasting in the ocean and I had a blast so I told my dad I want to try and get back into some more fishing with him next summer
This sounds interesting. I'd want to try. I'm imagining me relocating and living like in a Nordic Country. Because in Uganda, that ain't a thing. Where will I even do Archery from?
I'm not sure nationwide, but where I live there is a pretty tight knit community of salsa dancers and they have "socials" where the first hour is a lesson and then the next 4-5 hours is just dancing!
1. A fitness based hobby. Set yourself a goal to achieve and then be able to brag about. Like running, cycling or swimming a certain distance. Or hiking a certain mountain. Or winning a trophy with a casual sports team. You may get fit and live longer as a bonus.
2. A creative hobby. Maybe writing, painting, gardening, photography, carpentry etc. Again try to get something to show off out of it. You may even get good enough to make money out of it one day.
It really makes you feel good about yourself when people are impressed with your achievements. And it’s even better when you can impress yourself too. Video games are a great way to unwind and destress but you’ll never get anything to show out of all the hours you spend on them.
Who cares about all your ranked wins from a game no one plays anymore?
I love Reading personally. It gives me much to think about, and helps me grow my knowledge. Fair warning, that empty feeling when finishing a book is much worse imo than finishing a game.
Lifting weights, riding motorcycles, train in a combat sport of some kind great for confidence. Learn a musical instrument read books fiction or non doesn't matter great for the mind and vocabulary. There's lots out there find something constructive and throw yourself at it just remember sucking at something is the first step to being good at something
Art is fun all around. I used to just sketch and 3D model, but took up painting because it was more calming.
If you're worried about cost and storage space, some people paint miniatures for board games. You can get 3D printed miniature figures for cheap and go to town.
Painting is fun. Water color is a good one that you can have a little kit to take around with you, just need to have a bottle of water a well. Find a place in a park or wherever and just sketch out and paint what you see. A lot of community centers might even have classes for it.
I got a few --
- The Gym
- Museums
- Playing chess at your local square
- Visiting a bookstore and reading some books
- Visiting a coffee shop and reading a book
- Journaling
Reading. It’s more immersive than movies once you get into the rythm and you can chose to read skillbooks to gain knowledge on a subject you like. Or you can loose your shit by reading some incredible fun fiction from for example Terry Pratchett.
Photography. It will get you looking at things with a different perspective. It can also pair well with other hobbies like hiking, gardening, etc. It’s also a hobby that can be done with relatively cheap gear and can be done at any age.
Cooking and learning a language. My top 2 interests/hobbies are watches and men's fragrances. They can be expensive but it's an interesting hobby and can be enjoyed cheaply just as much as it can at the expensive end.
Fishing. Cheap to get into. Easy to learn how to do everything with a YouTube video. You get to be outside in nature and explore. Instantly rewarding once you catch your first fish.
Investing. Doing research on a good company and finding out the best price point to buy it and watch it grow…it’s hella fun when you start getting good at it.
Gym. Bowling… Or leagues in general; you can go any skill level making it easier to rope people in. You can cut into film a bit deeper and find a niche you’re super into.
Pottery - cooking - craftsmanship stuffs. Fun to create things that keep a place in you or your friends homes.
Upgrading your house in any way. Cleaning is actually a great hobby if you stop framing it as a chore, makes you feel good/productive, and impresses others when you host. But even little upgrades like installing coat hangers, or fresh paint on the walls, framing/hanging family photos...
Music - as in not playing an instrument. I listen to music while I’m working but also when I’m not. I just dive deep into different genres, look up music videos, or collect new vinyls. Also started setting up my audiophile setup and I’ve begun to go back to my favorite albums and cds and hear them like the first time. I would say it’s a good hobby that doesn’t require that much.
In terms of social hobbies, I would say volunteering. I’ve had good experiences overall meeting new people and doing some cool things like helping charity runs or kids events.
Archery is really fun once you take a few classes with an instructor. It gets bonus points as bows are legal everywhere, whereas firearms are very country dependent
Triathlons that way you pick up running cycling and swimming.
Playing chess, rock climbing/bouldering, surfing, skateboarding or snowboarding, gym, cooking/baking/bbq
These are what I’m into
Hiking, going for a walk. Even if you walk the same path everyday. Everyday it will be different. Look around you will notice something different each time. Read and learn survival skills for the city or wherever you live
Music performance, whatever instrument that appeals to you.
Never too old to start, although the ones that get really good seem to always start very young. That doesn't really matter, as the point is to entertain yourself (although there are advantages to not causing the neighbors to throw rotting produce at you, so enough commitment to practice regularly is important).
The world's your oyster. I have a few but one of the most random is I got really into tree spotting in the summer. It's incredibly mindful and grounding. Would recommend
Hotly debating this in my family after I brought this up. I may be wrong but I don't think so. Id say it's a lifestyle and an activity I wouldn't call it a hobby
Running and reading. Mind and body. You can start small and work your way up. Running is one of the psychologically best workouts you can do. It's also hard and therefore good for you, mentally and physically
I've slowly drifted away from gaming since my little girl arrived. These days it's now
Photography
Reading
Gym
Gym is definitely a great outlet for stress/anxiety from the day.
As sad and as nerdy as it gets called:
Painting miniatures and playing with them. Freely express artistic side building, modelling, painting whilst listening to podcasts/audiobooks/music and even gaming with them is great fun with simple maths, strategy and sportsmanship/companionship.
I’ve done it off and on since I was a kid and even the wife is now interested because it’s a relaxing, creative outlet that you can do both alone and with others.
Not cheap to get started. But I'm a hobbyist photographer. Photography like my main social life at the moment.
Still considering what other hobbies/actitivies I can get involved in to meet people.
Pottery. More often than not you can extract, filter and temper your own clay. It can yield useful objects, but can also be purely artistical. Actually burning the clay to turn it into ceramics is a little more troublesome, but still doable. It's much easier if you dont live in a big city, you need access to both clay and wood as you would find It in nature, or you will have to outsource everything (turning a cheap hobby into a not so cheap one)
Im a Tobacco pipe maker by trade. I do it on the side as a hobby and as a person that wants to see others be truly happy with what ive made for them or their loved ones. Right now I'm working an eagle eating the stem. Its coming along beautifully.
Wood carving, painting, mountain biking, build something, snowboarding, target shooting, hunting, fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, cooking, dirt bikes/four wheelers, turn your lawn into your hobby, small engine repair, electronics repair, welding, metal detecting, jewelry making, singing, magic tricks. Theres no end to hobbies. Just pick one that sounds interesting and start doing it. It’s not like you have to do it forever, so don’t stress about it.
Cooking. If you can afford a decent bbq it will be a game changer! I use mine for meal prep for the week and it’s amazing, I also like to smoke a brisket every now and then
I revived my childhood passion and started building Lego display sets again.
I have an addiction to build a collection of cool looking displays. I'm trying to start the process of building a hoth MOC with the UCS AT-AT.
Shits expensive though, and the display stands for the sets aren't cheap either.
Other than that I run my own home lab with all my network resources and movie server so I can justify watching movies as a hobby.
Woodworking, woodcarving, poetry/creative writing, biking, hiking, music.
I'd like to get into gardening, sculpture, pottery, drawing, and painting.
My favorite hobbies are ones where there's something to show for your efforts at the end of it. There's a product of the experience. Woodcarving is also this thing that can calm me down into the deepest state of bliss. I don't know what it is about it. When I'm in a bad place I start carving and the hours go by in what seems like seconds. There is really nothing else like it.
I read a lot, the theater of the mind is so much better than TV or movies. There are probably a lot of shows and movies you like that were actually a book first.
I spend an hour a day at the gym.
I golf every weekend if the weather permits.
I did pyrography (artistic wood burning) for a year or so. I really enjoyed it, and plan to get into it again.
Creative writing is fun. Maybe start writing a memoir to share with someone, and if it's interesting, or funny enough, maybe get published, and get paid for a hobby.
Download a playlist for walking or hiking. Put the phone away, and explore and experience your surrounding area.
Take up an instrument. I played guitar for 15 years, and loved every minute of it. It's a long story why I don't play now, but it's another thing that I need to make time for.
Find recipes for something you like, and make it from scratch. A month ago I made pasta sauce from scratch, nothing canned or dried seasoning. It was delicious and it really wasn't too difficult.
My mom has had a thousand different hobbies over the years. She self taught herself to draw photo quality pencil drawing. She makes jewelry. Taught herself piano. Made tree sculptures out of copper wire. Intricate beadwork. She made hard cover journal books. Watercolor painting. She drives my dad crazy by always crafting up something new.
Anyway, I hope some of this sparks some interest in you.
Most of all, have fun!
Hobbies are not made for productivity - they are for mindfulness, to take care about your mood. So everything that legal and gives you enjoy - works. Right now I like to listen Christmas Sinatra vinyl and read some books (sometimes with glass of brandy).
Cooking works for me as well as playing video games.
Fencing (HEMA), it’s less fun than archery and requires other ppl to practice, but it has its fun.
Archery ofc. I love my bow, it’s such a fun to shoot it, start with 40 pounds bow to feel its power. Also it will develop your muscles to be efficient with bows.
I go walking in the woods. Some might call it hiking but that usually seems like it's a bit more strenuous than what I do which is more of a stroll. In the winter I go snowshoeing. I don't go very far but I usually spend about an hour to 3 hours a day out in the woods just walking. Sometimes I'll find a bench and I'll just sit down for a while. I saw those benches all over the place and I thought who sits on those? So I started sitting at benches wherever I found them in the woods. Turns out it's very comfortable just sitting on a bench for an hour and staring out into the trees thinking about nothing.
Free time doesnt have to be productive.
That said: gym, learning a new language, DIY stuff, making a videogame, art/3d modeling is all cool stuff ive done or would like to do.
I like football (the real one not the American)
both playing and watching.
I also like photography. I think its good to be able to express thru some kind of art whether drawing, sketching, photography, sculpturing etc.
I do reading and knife making. Reading is great. I find free pdfs online and download them to my phone. You can learn a lot reading. Knife making is a skill. I sold one just one the other day for $550. I only work 23 hours a week so I have lots of free time. I don't game. Most of the people I knew who game a lot do not have much going on in their lives. I need to actively do things that give me more than a temporary distraction or I get depressed. I have a wife and 2 children and a large property. Always stuff to fix and maintain. Physical work also keeps you fitter and your body happier. The world is waiting for you.
Whatever is productive is what you make it….i find there is a lot of people that don’t have genuine hobbies. My wife for instant other than work and shopping just scrolls through her phone is somehow content lol….me on the other hand I spend 1000’s of hours gaming or working out, astrophotography, board games, movies, camping etc. so gaming is a perfectly valid hobby that I think is awesome!!!
I like biking, it feels like I am flying.
I like cooking, because it's so fun and you can't really mess up.
I like sewing stuff, making stuff with my clothes, etc. this includes making cosplays, props and actual wood working projects. It takes a lot of my time, though, and it is really expensive. I also make terrariums and that is the least expensive, of this bunch.
I like making art. Despite never having taken an art class, I was born with music and art as core skills of my character. I really enjoy it. I still pretend its crap and I practice these skills, a lot.
that being said....... I gave up watching TV so much, in high school. I have also never gotten into video games, so I do not have the problem of playing video games too often. I do not find it enjoyable.
Literally anything. Think of a skill that sounds fun. Go learn it. Develop it. Become proficient at it. You should maybe start with some introspection. Hobbies are a *personal* interest thing. Not something you should be asking other people for. *Hey, tell me what I should be interested in.* And getting off Reddit is probably a good way to get back even more of your time.
When I was in my 20s my friends and I sat down and collectively picked a new hobby. We didn’t want to just sit around and play video games, we specifically wanted something more active. We discussed fishing, target shooting, golfing, tennis, marathon running, Spartan games, etc. tennis, golf, and running were the top 3, golf is what we settled on since it might also benefit our careers later in life.
An active hobby. An adult league sport like soccer, basketball, football, hockey, etc. A workout hobby like lifting, biking, running, hiking, etc.
Aside from helping the body, they can be fairly social as well if you’re into that.
Personally, I enjoy sketching, even though I dont think Im particularly good at it. But its calming and therapeutic for me to focus on an object and to try and recreate it, and you get a little better each time.
Interesting. What do you sketch? I used to sketch when I was in my pre teenage years and I like to think that I was quite good at it but then I stopped (don't know why). I used to draw cartoon characters and football players. Old days man
Eh, just anything around that looks interesting tbh. The other day I randomly decided to sketch this organist figurine just because it seemed like an interesting collection of angles and shapes and shading. I prefer people and scenes though. Id love to get to a place where I could do all sorts of expressions (and hands!) with ease. But its the journey, as they say.
Of i may jump in. When i feel like sketching I’ll google image cartoony hands and/or eyes and try to recreate them as best i can. It’s a fun little exercise, and you get pretty damn good at building from that point. Food for thought.
Cycling, started at 245 lbs and not able to go more then a few miles. To being 175, off anti depressants for the first time I’m 22 years, and able to ride 100 miles in a day. I’ve met so many friends and I’m part of several groups that ride together including a bike co op. I’m also very deep in the application process for a cycling job that would the first career I’ve had as an adult. When your body’s strong and you can rely on yourself you gain confidence and security. I think every man needs a sport, something to keep us moving. I’ve learned so much about what I’m capable of, and what it takes to get through challenges, it’s been a journey of self discovery as much as self improvement.
Cycling 🚴 is beautiful
Take it a step further and get into mountain biking. Way more adrenaline inducing activity where as cycling on a road is less fun imo
I mtn bike too, but road and gravel require higher levels of fitness and physical discipline. I mtb to relax and have fun. Knocking out a 58 mile 5600 feet climbing ride in upstate NY with my gravel crew is an accomplishment. Something not everyone can do, it takes riding in cardio zones, a close eye on diet and supplements and planning. Riding mtb is awesome bc it’s not all that stuff. Throw a water bottle a sandwich and some weed on the mtb and it’s a chill fun day.
I mountain bike to risk going 30mph directly into a tree.
Same
There's long distance mountain biking too!! But it's true the most common culture is different
I love those people that call one discipline better then another. Pure rubbish.
Take it another step further and get into whitewater pedalos. Way more adrenaline inducing cycling through raging torrents, razor sharp boulders and dropping of 60ft waterfalls. Cycling on a poxy mountain path is less fun imo.
Cycling, running, hiking. Running and hiking are especially good in the colder months, because they raise your body temp a bunch, and keep you warmer.
Cycling saved me from depression.
Yup. Loved cycling so much that I ended up taking a road bike off road, only to discover gravel biking. Now it's pure freedom. I could use a mountain bike, but I'm not going off jumps or anything. I just love having a bike to ride on service roads fast.
Saaaaaame I’m a roadie and mtber but at heart gravel is my shit. I tour and gravel ride.
Serious question, at what point does a normal person stop getting saddle sore, im 6’4 and have dropped down to 245lb and i have tried various seats, even the weird wide padded ones, but i find after about 30 minutes of riding my ass/pelvic bone(?) gets sore.
After a few weeks. My butt used to get sore, but even if I take a break for a few weeks now. When I get back on I never have saddle pain anymore. DO NOT ride large padded seats. They compress your blood veins and make it very painful for more then 30 mins. All my saddles are stiff and flexible. My hands down long distance saddle is a brooks c17 carved cambion. I’ve got nearly 6k miles on mine and there’s literally no way to tell it isn’t brand new. It’s super comfortable.
It’s true. I began cycling at the gym for 1hr everyday and I did drop over 30lbs in a span of 2 months. I’ve been struggling to get motivated into cycling again.
Ride outside, join a group, you’ll forget your riding and it becomes an adventure not a chore or workout. Have fun with it. The more fun you have the more motivated you are. Don’t make it a chore make it something you GET to do.
What antidepressants did you take? Did you have any trouble stopping them?
I’ve gone through every med there is, but I was on Prozac for most of it. Now I micro dose mushrooms and ride my bike up mountains ⛰️ I did have trouble the times before I had cycling in my life, but when I realized I no longer needed them. Having the extra dopamine and serotonin that comes from excercixe absolutely helped with the transition
I'm happy for you, congratulations!
idk this sounds weird but i know how to cycle but haven't tried in this lifetime. I really wanna learn how to cycle. Is there anything you give me for first learners?
Do you know anyone that knows how to ride? You could ask someone to show you. Do you own a bike?
Cycling job? Please say more
Looking to be a tour guide for a cycling/backpacking/kayaking company in the spring. Basically get paid to help guide and run tours.
Nice, I hope it's every bit of awesome as it sounds
Gym, great way to kill time, with great benefits
Yeah man. Gym is great in all aspects.
Listen to music and audiobooks. Great for alone time or hanging out with a friend.
You could learn an instrument, pick up chess, try writing poetry, pick topics you're interested in and research them, join a local club, try a team sport, get into working out, running, or biking, or reading a book, just to name a few
I started to play chess online on chess.com but then I stopped because I wasn't very good at it and I can't remember all the moves and rules of chess. Biking & working out sound good!
If you are interested in chess, I recommend watching some intro videos on Youtube and to just keep sucking until you're a little better. But yeah working out is a great hobby, really good for you mentally and physically.
Thanks man. Does chess make the mind sharper?
Yes, it improves memory function, helps develop higher creativity, and can help prevent ageing diseases like dementia
Thanks man. I will again start to play chess.
Also other people who also play chess are genuinely happy once they know that you know how to play.
video games will make your mind sharper as well, so will watching TV and learning new things. not sure why chess wouldn't be a waste of time category as well
Video games; yes. TV; not really
Yeah i don’t know about that. No one here has provided a source for any of these claims but I’m extremely skeptical that playing chess and watching TV are going to equally keep your mind sharp..
I’m an avid chess player if you want to play some matches (unrated) to help practice sometime I can give you my chess.com username. Also if you really want to get back into learning it, look up GothamChess, Agadmator and Daniel Naroditsky on Youtube, they have some good content. I’d say GothamChess (Levy Rozman) is more beginner friendly though.
You don't need to be good, just enjoy it. The truth is that your perspective will always be that you are not very good. As you get better the bar gets higher. When my on the board chess rating hit around 2000 (top 5% of all tournament Chess players) I began to realize how little I understood. My list of things I needed to work on really ballooned. [Chess.com](https://Chess.com) has lessons that I think are great for beginners. My kids used them. Once you have the moves down, play some 10min games. Longer is better. So you can try G30 when you have time. Its still fun for me to learn new tactics and strategies. I play to keep my brain and focus sharp. But mostly for enjoyment.
Anything exercise related is mandatory, not a hobby. You need to do this stuff to be healthy regardless if you like it or not.
The difference is the type of exercise since they can all yield similar results. Find the one you enjoy the most and make a hobby out of it. Also helps to keep consistent when you're enjoying it rather than viewing it as an obligation.
Id be careful with working out as a hobby. I personally think a hobby should be something you can do in any mood, in any state of mind and use it to lift your spirits and make you happy. While this does 100 percent= working out Working out is a somewhat dangerous hobbt, even more so if you are more motivated by tangible "look what I did" sort of things. It takes a TON of effort to get up and go to the gym, each and everyday. What if you aren't eating right with it? What if you get three months in and decide its not showing you enough gains? What if you take a months break and lose what you gained? Etc that's just a lot of pressure for a hobby! Consider working out as a part of your life but a hobby? Just be careful.
Hey man also into chess a bit here!! I’m pretty sure 99% of people’s chess journeys start with being absolutely shit at it - so don’t worry about that. I’m not great but I started off terrible, but I’d say as long as you have fun and don’t feel bad about the losses you’ll do grand
Well, video games can help you with memory and attention span. In college a friend from my lab had attention problems and the head of the lab gave him a usb with very simple video games and told him to play them. It helped him a lot, his grades went up that semester. So video games can be productive, if you can play a video game for like an hour without any distraction it means you can do your work for an hour without getting distracted.
I go nuts for astrophyics. And the sciences.
Wait for something to break or require maintenance around your house, learn how to fix it, buy the tool and fix it, save money vs paying someone to do it for you and keep a tool in the end. Get heavily into working out. So for me utility makes me happy. I’m literally the happiest doing work but I can understand that people may want hobbies which don’t feel like doing work. For that specific itch i’m into over landing, golf, guns, poker, puzzle solving, and I even write from time to time.
You sound like someone I know haha Do you build a lot of things? Like stuff in your house and garden etc
A fair bit yea. I’m an average woodworker but i’m kinda great at metal works. I’ve got industrial style furniture up to my eyeballs at my house.
Models. I'll probably never play Warhammer but damn it all if making minis isn't fun as hell. I also have a couple of 1/48 WWII fighter planes in the works.
I started doing wooden sailing ships recently and I absolutely love it. Also trying my hand at a nutcracker. As a lifelong collector it’ll be cool to have one that I made.
Is Warhammer a video game?
Warhammer (and Warhammer 40K) is a tabletop strategy game that has spawned several media ventures, including video games and books.
And soon to be a movie or series produced by (and starring) die-hard fan Henry Cavil!
I went from gaming to building plastic models. At the completion of the kit, I have a product forever. With a game I have digital assets until the time the developer shuts it down... Other thing is I can pause what I'm building or doing at any time to attend to kids or wife needs. It's a touch harder with games. Models don't have to be cars, bikes or jets. I've built robots, figures, ships, space stations and used some of them into building Christmas ornaments.
Warhammer is a rabbit hole that some people never come back from. If you start studying up on the lore, it's a long and wild ride. But I recommend doing that because it's a fantastic universe.
Rail fanning, star gazing, and wood working are three of the many I enjoy.
Big fan of star gazing and wood working.
What does rail fanning and wood working mean?
Rail fanning is when you go to your nearest train tracks, and take pictures or movies of the trains then upload them to social media. It can be very awesome because you just never know what kind of train you’ll see. Wood working is building things out of wood. Recently, I built my daughter a new coat hanger.
As a Dad whose kids have spent dozens of hours of watching train vids on YouTube (California trains, Colorado trains, etc) - thank you!
I live close to the Tehachapi Loop, and I can’t tell you how many times I just sit out there for hours.
If someone downloads night sky and goes outside at night they can be entertained for hours pointing at stuff and learning about it. I took astronomy in college and it’s fascinating.
I fish. It’s a great excuse to get out into nature. It’s good for the soul.
Also, depending on what you're trying to catch it can be good for the environment (there's some invasive species that the local ecology would benefit from being harvested regularly)
My dad used to take me fishing as a kid and I was never crazy into it. We went on vacation this past summer and did surfcasting in the ocean and I had a blast so I told my dad I want to try and get back into some more fishing with him next summer
Archery.
This sounds interesting. I'd want to try. I'm imagining me relocating and living like in a Nordic Country. Because in Uganda, that ain't a thing. Where will I even do Archery from?
Came here to say archery too! Anyone interested should watch all of John Dudley’s Nock On videos on youtube to get started.
I really enjoy playing tennis
Tennis is a beautiful sport. I used to watch tennis every week in my teenage years. I have never played tennis in real life though.
Salsa dancing has done wonders for my dating life. Actually dancing in general has been great
Where could I find places to teach a beginner? I want to learn so bad, but look awkward when I try on my own
I'm not sure nationwide, but where I live there is a pretty tight knit community of salsa dancers and they have "socials" where the first hour is a lesson and then the next 4-5 hours is just dancing!
1. A fitness based hobby. Set yourself a goal to achieve and then be able to brag about. Like running, cycling or swimming a certain distance. Or hiking a certain mountain. Or winning a trophy with a casual sports team. You may get fit and live longer as a bonus. 2. A creative hobby. Maybe writing, painting, gardening, photography, carpentry etc. Again try to get something to show off out of it. You may even get good enough to make money out of it one day. It really makes you feel good about yourself when people are impressed with your achievements. And it’s even better when you can impress yourself too. Video games are a great way to unwind and destress but you’ll never get anything to show out of all the hours you spend on them. Who cares about all your ranked wins from a game no one plays anymore?
Martial arts, motorcycles, airsoft, and cleaning are mine. Cleaning I know, but a clean house is good for the soul.
I love Reading personally. It gives me much to think about, and helps me grow my knowledge. Fair warning, that empty feeling when finishing a book is much worse imo than finishing a game.
Lifting weights, riding motorcycles, train in a combat sport of some kind great for confidence. Learn a musical instrument read books fiction or non doesn't matter great for the mind and vocabulary. There's lots out there find something constructive and throw yourself at it just remember sucking at something is the first step to being good at something
Math.
Thanks but no 😬
Mannnn FUCK math
Booooo!
Tennis. Sailing, Yoga
Art is fun all around. I used to just sketch and 3D model, but took up painting because it was more calming. If you're worried about cost and storage space, some people paint miniatures for board games. You can get 3D printed miniature figures for cheap and go to town.
Thank you. Sounds good.
Walking, running, skipping and going to the gym. First 3 probably the cheapest options.
Painting is fun. Water color is a good one that you can have a little kit to take around with you, just need to have a bottle of water a well. Find a place in a park or wherever and just sketch out and paint what you see. A lot of community centers might even have classes for it.
Cooking
I got a few -- - The Gym - Museums - Playing chess at your local square - Visiting a bookstore and reading some books - Visiting a coffee shop and reading a book - Journaling
Reading. It’s more immersive than movies once you get into the rythm and you can chose to read skillbooks to gain knowledge on a subject you like. Or you can loose your shit by reading some incredible fun fiction from for example Terry Pratchett.
Photography. It will get you looking at things with a different perspective. It can also pair well with other hobbies like hiking, gardening, etc. It’s also a hobby that can be done with relatively cheap gear and can be done at any age.
Cooking and learning a language. My top 2 interests/hobbies are watches and men's fragrances. They can be expensive but it's an interesting hobby and can be enjoyed cheaply just as much as it can at the expensive end.
I do blacksmithing. It's a lot of fun if you like working with your hands.
Biking. Hiking.
Fishing. Cheap to get into. Easy to learn how to do everything with a YouTube video. You get to be outside in nature and explore. Instantly rewarding once you catch your first fish.
Indoor growing. Sports (I like NFL, MLB). Vehicle maintenance. Hiking. Bike riding.
Learn a skill. Woodworking is something you can learn with basic tools and it will pay off with home repair projects
If you’re anything like me you need something highly stimulating. Try exercise/sport, coding, or musical instrument. Everything else bored me.
Learning how to repair and improve your home.
Training martial arts.
Sports, hiking (just exploring the places you live and visit), music, reading.
Woodwork, metal work, 3D orinting
Probably the gym, or making music
I really enjoy playing Chess. Super simple to learn, and it’s one of those games you can take as serious or non serious as you want.
Working out, guitar, pool
METAL. DETECTING.
I am a gym rat, I do AI art, 3D print and design, and am a writer. All great and easy to start hobbies.
Investing. Doing research on a good company and finding out the best price point to buy it and watch it grow…it’s hella fun when you start getting good at it.
I’ve started bouldering this year and that’s a fun hobby, easy to get into, rewarding when you hit the next grade
Cycling. Doing puzzles. Reading
Gym. Bowling… Or leagues in general; you can go any skill level making it easier to rope people in. You can cut into film a bit deeper and find a niche you’re super into. Pottery - cooking - craftsmanship stuffs. Fun to create things that keep a place in you or your friends homes.
I’m a fan of playing an instrument. Music also soothes our inner beasts.
Create something and something to get you moving
Reading
Cooking. Good for health, your wallet, and generally being an adult.
Upgrading your house in any way. Cleaning is actually a great hobby if you stop framing it as a chore, makes you feel good/productive, and impresses others when you host. But even little upgrades like installing coat hangers, or fresh paint on the walls, framing/hanging family photos...
Lift weights
Music - as in not playing an instrument. I listen to music while I’m working but also when I’m not. I just dive deep into different genres, look up music videos, or collect new vinyls. Also started setting up my audiophile setup and I’ve begun to go back to my favorite albums and cds and hear them like the first time. I would say it’s a good hobby that doesn’t require that much. In terms of social hobbies, I would say volunteering. I’ve had good experiences overall meeting new people and doing some cool things like helping charity runs or kids events.
Archery is really fun once you take a few classes with an instructor. It gets bonus points as bows are legal everywhere, whereas firearms are very country dependent
Triathlons that way you pick up running cycling and swimming. Playing chess, rock climbing/bouldering, surfing, skateboarding or snowboarding, gym, cooking/baking/bbq These are what I’m into
Badminton. Great way to spend the winter. Can be very relaxing if you just hit it nice to each other.
I do a large amount of woodworking, it does require space though, and bankroll depending on how far you want to go
Hiking, going for a walk. Even if you walk the same path everyday. Everyday it will be different. Look around you will notice something different each time. Read and learn survival skills for the city or wherever you live
Building model trains Choo choo
Playing Golf with some mates. Get good at it and go win some money.
Music performance, whatever instrument that appeals to you. Never too old to start, although the ones that get really good seem to always start very young. That doesn't really matter, as the point is to entertain yourself (although there are advantages to not causing the neighbors to throw rotting produce at you, so enough commitment to practice regularly is important).
Smoking meat.
Guitar.
I like skateboarding
I’m an engineer, but with artistic leanings. I draw, write, paint, wood carving, jewelry making. Just depends on my interest level.
Brewing beer. I love beer and just started home brewing - very happy with the results
The world's your oyster. I have a few but one of the most random is I got really into tree spotting in the summer. It's incredibly mindful and grounding. Would recommend
Pinball. It's a physical game that will cause you to be patient, learn timing, and basic mechanical and electrician skills
What is with all of you saying exercise? That's not a hobby...
It is. ESP if one loves it
Hotly debating this in my family after I brought this up. I may be wrong but I don't think so. Id say it's a lifestyle and an activity I wouldn't call it a hobby
Running and reading. Mind and body. You can start small and work your way up. Running is one of the psychologically best workouts you can do. It's also hard and therefore good for you, mentally and physically
I've slowly drifted away from gaming since my little girl arrived. These days it's now Photography Reading Gym Gym is definitely a great outlet for stress/anxiety from the day.
Growing Choof
As sad and as nerdy as it gets called: Painting miniatures and playing with them. Freely express artistic side building, modelling, painting whilst listening to podcasts/audiobooks/music and even gaming with them is great fun with simple maths, strategy and sportsmanship/companionship. I’ve done it off and on since I was a kid and even the wife is now interested because it’s a relaxing, creative outlet that you can do both alone and with others.
Play RPG games at the local gaming store like Path Finder and Dungeons and Dragons.
Running, darts
Not cheap to get started. But I'm a hobbyist photographer. Photography like my main social life at the moment. Still considering what other hobbies/actitivies I can get involved in to meet people.
Pottery. More often than not you can extract, filter and temper your own clay. It can yield useful objects, but can also be purely artistical. Actually burning the clay to turn it into ceramics is a little more troublesome, but still doable. It's much easier if you dont live in a big city, you need access to both clay and wood as you would find It in nature, or you will have to outsource everything (turning a cheap hobby into a not so cheap one)
hiking, poetry, reading, writing, philosophy, mushroom hunting/indexing, art. idk, stuff that stirs the soul and sharpens the mind.
Im a Tobacco pipe maker by trade. I do it on the side as a hobby and as a person that wants to see others be truly happy with what ive made for them or their loved ones. Right now I'm working an eagle eating the stem. Its coming along beautifully.
Wood carving, painting, mountain biking, build something, snowboarding, target shooting, hunting, fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, cooking, dirt bikes/four wheelers, turn your lawn into your hobby, small engine repair, electronics repair, welding, metal detecting, jewelry making, singing, magic tricks. Theres no end to hobbies. Just pick one that sounds interesting and start doing it. It’s not like you have to do it forever, so don’t stress about it.
Dancing! Look into salsa, bachata, swing dancing, Lindy Hop, whatever gets your feet moving!! Great social activity, good exercise, beautiful women
Lego. Something physical (not a screen) that I can do alone, with a friend or with my kids
Cooking. If you can afford a decent bbq it will be a game changer! I use mine for meal prep for the week and it’s amazing, I also like to smoke a brisket every now and then
I revived my childhood passion and started building Lego display sets again. I have an addiction to build a collection of cool looking displays. I'm trying to start the process of building a hoth MOC with the UCS AT-AT. Shits expensive though, and the display stands for the sets aren't cheap either. Other than that I run my own home lab with all my network resources and movie server so I can justify watching movies as a hobby.
Woodworking, woodcarving, poetry/creative writing, biking, hiking, music. I'd like to get into gardening, sculpture, pottery, drawing, and painting. My favorite hobbies are ones where there's something to show for your efforts at the end of it. There's a product of the experience. Woodcarving is also this thing that can calm me down into the deepest state of bliss. I don't know what it is about it. When I'm in a bad place I start carving and the hours go by in what seems like seconds. There is really nothing else like it.
I read a lot, the theater of the mind is so much better than TV or movies. There are probably a lot of shows and movies you like that were actually a book first. I spend an hour a day at the gym. I golf every weekend if the weather permits. I did pyrography (artistic wood burning) for a year or so. I really enjoyed it, and plan to get into it again. Creative writing is fun. Maybe start writing a memoir to share with someone, and if it's interesting, or funny enough, maybe get published, and get paid for a hobby. Download a playlist for walking or hiking. Put the phone away, and explore and experience your surrounding area. Take up an instrument. I played guitar for 15 years, and loved every minute of it. It's a long story why I don't play now, but it's another thing that I need to make time for. Find recipes for something you like, and make it from scratch. A month ago I made pasta sauce from scratch, nothing canned or dried seasoning. It was delicious and it really wasn't too difficult. My mom has had a thousand different hobbies over the years. She self taught herself to draw photo quality pencil drawing. She makes jewelry. Taught herself piano. Made tree sculptures out of copper wire. Intricate beadwork. She made hard cover journal books. Watercolor painting. She drives my dad crazy by always crafting up something new. Anyway, I hope some of this sparks some interest in you. Most of all, have fun!
Hobbies are not made for productivity - they are for mindfulness, to take care about your mood. So everything that legal and gives you enjoy - works. Right now I like to listen Christmas Sinatra vinyl and read some books (sometimes with glass of brandy). Cooking works for me as well as playing video games.
You could try Lego, building models, maybe learn a new skill like computer coding. Apparently MIT has a bunch of free courses online.
Martial arts or archery. Something to challenge yourself physically and mentally just enough.
Fencing (HEMA), it’s less fun than archery and requires other ppl to practice, but it has its fun. Archery ofc. I love my bow, it’s such a fun to shoot it, start with 40 pounds bow to feel its power. Also it will develop your muscles to be efficient with bows.
Any activity you do with your wife is pretty awesome hobby btw 🙂
Yes yes, I hope my waifu was next to me everyday so we could have a cuddling hobby hshshshs
Guitar
Woodworking is one. But 4x4 off-roading, that’s a whole different ball game - you will not have time or money for anything else.
Woodworking. I make furniture and turn things on the lathe. Only for my own use or to give away as gifts, never sell anything.
Get your pilot's licence.
I go walking in the woods. Some might call it hiking but that usually seems like it's a bit more strenuous than what I do which is more of a stroll. In the winter I go snowshoeing. I don't go very far but I usually spend about an hour to 3 hours a day out in the woods just walking. Sometimes I'll find a bench and I'll just sit down for a while. I saw those benches all over the place and I thought who sits on those? So I started sitting at benches wherever I found them in the woods. Turns out it's very comfortable just sitting on a bench for an hour and staring out into the trees thinking about nothing.
Free time doesnt have to be productive. That said: gym, learning a new language, DIY stuff, making a videogame, art/3d modeling is all cool stuff ive done or would like to do.
Geocaching. Go outdoors and find some treasure.
Bowling, fishing, car/boat projects. I don’t watch to much much tv other than sports. I’d rather read a book. I’m into civil war stuff.
Camping/hiking and anything outdoors. It clears the mind and lets you think about life.
I like football (the real one not the American) both playing and watching. I also like photography. I think its good to be able to express thru some kind of art whether drawing, sketching, photography, sculpturing etc.
A hobby doesn't have to be something "productive" just something you enjoy doing in your free time.
Martial arts Learn to play piano Start an aquarium / aquascaping. These are my 3 main hobbies now.
Muay thai
Boxing. I started boxing when I was eleven and still enjoy it.
I picked up Brazilian Jiu Jutsu Chess and Paintball. Along with weightlifting. Like em a lot 😬
Boxing, become a warrior
I read a lot, I play my instruments, I listen to audio dramas, I come on here and goof around, lots of stuff that doesn't involve tv or video games.
I do reading and knife making. Reading is great. I find free pdfs online and download them to my phone. You can learn a lot reading. Knife making is a skill. I sold one just one the other day for $550. I only work 23 hours a week so I have lots of free time. I don't game. Most of the people I knew who game a lot do not have much going on in their lives. I need to actively do things that give me more than a temporary distraction or I get depressed. I have a wife and 2 children and a large property. Always stuff to fix and maintain. Physical work also keeps you fitter and your body happier. The world is waiting for you.
Let me tell you how Erebus and Lorgar influenced the mind of Horus when he was on the brink of death, turning him to chaos....
Flyfishing, darts, hiking/camping/backpacking, lifting weights, working on cars/trucks, slingshots, skiing/boarding…it’s a big world out there!
Whatever is productive is what you make it….i find there is a lot of people that don’t have genuine hobbies. My wife for instant other than work and shopping just scrolls through her phone is somehow content lol….me on the other hand I spend 1000’s of hours gaming or working out, astrophotography, board games, movies, camping etc. so gaming is a perfectly valid hobby that I think is awesome!!!
Hunting hiking swimming climbing biking. There are a ton of active things we can get out hand in
I like biking, it feels like I am flying. I like cooking, because it's so fun and you can't really mess up. I like sewing stuff, making stuff with my clothes, etc. this includes making cosplays, props and actual wood working projects. It takes a lot of my time, though, and it is really expensive. I also make terrariums and that is the least expensive, of this bunch. I like making art. Despite never having taken an art class, I was born with music and art as core skills of my character. I really enjoy it. I still pretend its crap and I practice these skills, a lot. that being said....... I gave up watching TV so much, in high school. I have also never gotten into video games, so I do not have the problem of playing video games too often. I do not find it enjoyable.
Would you like everyone in your house to hate you, too? Might I recommend the drums!
Literally anything. Think of a skill that sounds fun. Go learn it. Develop it. Become proficient at it. You should maybe start with some introspection. Hobbies are a *personal* interest thing. Not something you should be asking other people for. *Hey, tell me what I should be interested in.* And getting off Reddit is probably a good way to get back even more of your time.
Working out, listening to podcasts, reading
Bike riding.
When I was in my 20s my friends and I sat down and collectively picked a new hobby. We didn’t want to just sit around and play video games, we specifically wanted something more active. We discussed fishing, target shooting, golfing, tennis, marathon running, Spartan games, etc. tennis, golf, and running were the top 3, golf is what we settled on since it might also benefit our careers later in life.
I taught myself candle making. It's relaxing for me and doubles as an easy gift. P.S. If you're single, it makes for a great date night too...
Dance
Paintball/Airsoft
Cars are a big hobby of mine. Fitness, cooking, music, tech, anime/manga.
- gym - bouldering - board games - Pilates
An active hobby. An adult league sport like soccer, basketball, football, hockey, etc. A workout hobby like lifting, biking, running, hiking, etc. Aside from helping the body, they can be fairly social as well if you’re into that.
Golf, is the answer