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Finding hobbies to pick up in your spare time is super important.
Deciding to pick up a hobby is simple.
Knowing which one to choose can be the hard part.
Your friends may swear by their cool hobbies and try to convince you to do what they are doing.
I’m sure they mean well, but their ideas might not always be a fit and this is what makes picking what’s right for you a little tricky.
If you keep telling yourself time and time again, “I need a hobby”, then I have a few tips about how to make choosing some easier. I’ll clarify what are considered hobbies, share examples of indoor and outdoor hobbies and discuss some good hobbies to pick up.
Now, let’s start from the beginning.
What is a hobby I can pick up?
Looking to pick up a new hobby? There are countless options to explore, from painting and acting to studying history and more.
Hobbies provide a much-needed escape from everyday life. Also, they can bring happiness and fulfillment to your life. Whether you’re interested in art, literature, or intellectual pursuits, there’s a hobby out there for everyone.
What are considered hobbies?
First off, let’s start with the definition. Simply put by the Oxford Dictionary, a hobby is “an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure.”
There are easy hobbies to pick up such as such as meditation, reading, listening to podcasts or even audio books. You can also try to something much more involved like woodworking, candle making or canning tomatoes.
In order to even begin to cover all hobbies in a blog post, it would need to be 10,000+ words long. This is why I chose hobbies that are easy to fit into a busy schedule. Many are low cost hobbies to try too. I also chose hobbies that appeal to a variety of age groups.
There are countless hobbies to cover, so I’ve included easy, low-cost options that appeal to various ages.
An article in Psychology Today explains some of the benefits of having hobbies:
- Provide structure to your schedule
- Help you form new social ties
- Make you attractive to others
- May help you better handle stress
Maybe you know it’s important not to overwork yourself or you’re just looking for something fun to look forward to in your spare time.
It could also be that you’re just bored with life and need a hobby. If you’re stuck and not sure how to proceed, read on.
What is a good hobby to pick up?
This is the million dollar question. The best way to find one is by trial and error. Test drive a few you think you might like and see how it goes.
As I mentioned above, maybe you start with easy hobbies. Or, think about taking up some hobbies online such as virtually visiting famous art museums or zoos.
Here are three main categories to think about:
- Creative hobbies
- Intellectual hobbies
- Fitness-related hobbies
Creative Hobbies
Creative hobbies offer a great way to unwind. Whether it’s painting, pottery, or writing, there’s something for everyone. Expressing yourself through acting, dancing, or calligraphy can be fulfilling.
Exploring artistic activities, such as glass blowing or beadwork, can be enchanting. Engaging in these hobbies allows you to unleash your creativity and unwind.
If you want to tap into your artistic side, why not try out an art-related hobby. Here’s a short list of ideas that might spark your interest.
- Journaling
- Making pinch pots
- Creative writing
- Acting
- Calligraphy
- Beadwork
Intellectual Hobbies
Looking for a new hobby to stimulate your mind? Writing can be a great intellectual pursuit. Puzzles, such as crosswords and Sudoku offer mental challenges.
Participating in debates can sharpen critical thinking skills. Learning a new language can expands cognitive abilities. Reading books on diverse topics can expand your knowledge base.
Taking up a musical instrument exercises your brain. Delving into philosophy encourages deep contemplation. these hobbies offer entertainment and mental stimulation.
Here’s another short list of ideas:
- Coding
- Graphic design
- Astronomy and stargazing
- Solving logic and brain teasers
- Strategic board games like Chess
- Creative writing
If you prefer to listen, here are 5 Art Hobbies to Add to Your Bucket List
Fitness-related Hobbies
Staying active with fitness hobbies can be enjoyable and rewarding. whether it’s cycling, swimming, or hiking, there are numerous options. Engaging in team sports like basketball or soccer is invigorating.
Exploring individual activities, such as yoga and running, can be beneficial. Embracing these hobbies allows you to stay fit and active.
- Running
- Swimming
- Yoga
- Rock climbing
- Martial arts
- Dance
- Pickleball
- Golf
Get your free hobbies printable here!
Approach Hobbies Similarly to The KonMari Method of Tidying Up
Imagine your ideal lifestyle
What is your desired outcome? While being super specific is best, sometimes we just have a general sense of what we want to do and that’s okay. Sometimes it’s a discovery process and you can get a clearer picture as you go, but at least come up with a general idea for now.
Commit to the process
Marie Kondo makes it clear from the start that you have to commit to following through on tidying up. It’s also true when you’re looking for a hobby. Dedicate time to finding one. The only difference is you might have to try a few hobbies out before you find something you like and want to stick to doing.
Ask if it kind of sparks joy
Ideally, everyone wants to do something that lights them up inside, but it doesn’t always happen on the first try. Perhaps it might not be the best criteria for choosing a hobby in the beginning because if you set the bar too high, it’s easy to get discouraged.
How do I find a hobby that I love?
Start with what I call The Danny Zuko Rule ™ to find a hobby. If you’ve ever watched the movie Grease, John Travolta’s character Danny Zuko tried out for a number of sports in order to impress his love interest Sandy.
Most of the sports he tried out for weren’t a fit. He finally settled on track. I don’t know if it sparked joy exactly, but he stuck with it and eventually got a varsity letter.
Hitting home runs is nice, but in the beginning, aim for just getting on base when it comes to your expectations of choosing a hobby. Don’t give up on searching if you don’t like the first few you try.
You may eventually find a hobby that you absolutely love to do, but you have to try some out or you’ll never know.
Prefer to listen to more info about The Danny Zuko Rule ™ to find a hobby?
What are some interesting hobbies?
Interesting is subjective and what you consider appealing can be very different from what I think. Scan through a list of hobbies and choose something that sounds good to you or see my suggestions below.
Take my “I Need a Hobby” Quiz
If you know you need a hobby, but don’t know where to start. These questions can help you sort out your thoughts a bit.
Here are some things to consider when you’re choosing a hobby:
- Why do you want a hobby?
- Are you planning to be indoors or outdoors?
- Do you want to commit to something structured or do it at your leisure?
Get the “I Need a Hobby” Quiz PDF to self assess.
Types of Hobbies to Pick Up: Including Hobbies To Do Alone or With Someone Else
For the sake of organization, I purposely highlighted general indoor and outdoor hobbies that have a low barrier to entry.
In my opinion, they are interesting, budget-friendly and can be woven into a busy schedule. Most of them are fairly easy hobbies to pick up. I tried to avoid time consuming hobbies.
Also, I chose a mix of hobbies to do at home alone along with other hobbies to do with friends and family.
Take exercise for example, many people find it hard to exercise. Carving time out of your schedule to workout or just conjuring up the motivation to do it can be a struggle.
If you want a hobby that is focused on physical activity, then you can kill two birds with one stone. A hobby you like can also help you stick to exercising regularly. I believe it’s one of the best hobbies to pick up.
An Example of One of My Economical, Cool Hobbies
Home workouts via YouTube videos can help you stay in shape. I think of it as a default “home hobby” when I have to be indoors. However, I have to push myself to do it. Ideally, I prefer biking.
Biking is enjoyable and I completely forget that I’m exercising. Plus, I get the added bonus of being outside.
Cost can also be a factor when it comes to biking. Unless you’re a mountain biker or you prefer to own a high priced bike, you can purchase a bike inexpensively. I think it’s one of the most inexpensive hobbies out there.
Look into Cost Per Use
Although I’m no biking expert by any means, you can purchase a bike at a place like Walmart for roughly 120 -150 dollars. Purchasing a bike can be a wise purchase if you get enough use out of it.
People overly focus on the total cost, but think about the cost per usage to determine if it’s a smart buy. Take the cost and divide it by the number of times you’ll use it.
If you spent $120 for the bike and ride your bike once a month for a year, that’s $10 per ride.
Say you ride that same bike every weekend, that’s $2.30 per ride.
Once you keep the bike over a year, you slice the cost per ride in half.
The cost to ride it once a month for 2 years is now $5 per ride and once a week is 1.15! Now that’s a cheap hobby that will keep you in shape too. It’s perfect for almost anyone anit takes you from being an everyday person to a money hack extraordinare!
Investing in affordable and fun hobbies that you’ll do a lot are smart buys, you can figure out how to make your dream list of hobbies a reality sooner than later.
Interesting Hobbies to Pick Up (Outdoors)
Here are some healthy hobbies to start. Try sports or exercise-related activities such as:
- Biking
- Basketball
- Football
- Baseball
- Softball
- Wiffleball
- Tennis
- Hiking
- Cycling
Attempt “water hobbies” (activities that involve water) such as:
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Fishing
- Rafting
- Swimming
Explore science and nature (I love visiting sunflower farms in CT)
- Birdwatching
- Stargazing
- Gardening
- Studying rocks
Indoor Hobbies to Do Alone, at Home
I share information about collection hobbies I’ve taken part in along with a list of common indoor hobbies. Once again they are meant to be economical and fairly easy hobbies to pick up and realistic bucket list ideas. Most of the indoor hobbies listed towards the bottom can also be done outside.
Get your free hobbies printable here!
Other Interesting Hobbies to Pick Up Indoors (or Outdoors)
These ideas are categorized as cheap indoor hobbies, but many of them you can do outdoors as well. For instance, my husband and I mostly cook indoors, but if you have a grill or an outdoor pizza oven, you can cook outdoors too.
Check out these budget hobbies:
- Reading
- Writing
- Bullet Journaling
- Exercise
- Baking
- Cooking
- Knitting
- Watch movies (outdoors with a projector or your phone)
- Audio books
- Music
- Podcasts
- Ted Talk
- Meditate and learn to listen to yourself
If these hobbies sound a little too tame and you’re thinking you should type in “unusual hobbies” or “eccentric hobbies” in the search engines, hold on. Wikipedia kills in on covering ever hobby known to man. Well, almost.
I found out about ticket and transit map collecting there, but I never knew that gingerbread house making and robot combat were a thing. Apparently, they are. Here’s an extensive list of hobbies.
Conclusion for The Coolest Hobbies to Choose
Picking up a hobby doesn’t have to be hard. Whether you’re searching for indoor or outdoor hobbies to do alone in your free time or ones to do with someone else, they don’t have to be super pricey or time consuming.
Scroll one of the hobbies lists mentioned, pick up a hobby and soon enough you’ll have interesting hobbies to look forward to for years to come. And, maybe they’ll be as cool as Danny Zuko!
What hobbies do you have? What are the coolest hobbies?
This post originally written on January 29, 2021 and has since been updated.
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