Looking For Hobbies.

[rjfryman 1,120]

So quick overshare. I have a problem when it comes to doing things for myself, my therapist has give me the assignment to research and try and do some things for no one other than myself. Not saying I cannot do them with other people but that I need to also find things that I can do to help me recharge and look into. With that preamble; I have a collection of board games that I enjoy playing or at least I love the idea of playing them. I enjoy reading manga or graphic novels. I enjoy listening to audio books usually during a run or when I am driving. I have enjoyed playing video games a lot in my past but sometimes its really hard to find the time and sit down and play just for me. I am a programmer by trade so if I am being honest I think I would enjoy not being at my desk if I can help it but if something is interesting then I will try it.

But what are your hobbies. What do you like to do. I know we do this all together so we might have some things in common. Tell me what you like to do and rate it if you can. Use what ever scale you like. Hope you have a great day. Thanks for your time and energy. 

Edited February 6, 2022 by rjfryman

[thadthrasher 1,692]

@LuluSalesAway and I really enjoy birdwatching. I know, it sounds nerdy, but it really is a lot of fun. We go on long hikes with binoculars and a bird book. We keep track of what we see and how many, and we report that to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology through their website ebird.org. Not only do we spend quite a bit of time outside and in nature, but we are helping Cornell with their ornithology studies. I do quite a bit of hiking and it's amazing how many different species of birds are around you. When I started paying attention to what I would see and hear it was actually quite comforting. I would be alone in the woods, not a single person around for miles, yet I always had the company of a few curious birds.

 

I don't always upload the pictures I take, and when I do it's always the RAW file and never the edited one, so you can take a look at some that I've seen! 
https://ebird.org/media/catalog?userId=USER993650&mediaType=p

 

If you have any questions, or seriously want to look into it, I'd love to help!

[MubbleFubbles 1,278]

I'd say my two main hobbies at the minute are golf and video games. Used to play golf a lot as a kid but had to leave it for a bit, but I've got back into it over the covid period and me and my mates have been really enjoying it, whether it's taking it onto the course or just hitting balls down the driving range. I'd give it an 9/10, with the deduction on the score just being that it can be a fairly expensive game to get into and also it's very dependant on weather and there are the odd days where nothing goes right and those can be pretty frustrating haha

 

Video games I'd probably give a 9/10 as well, I typically play single-player RPGs and Strategy games and they can be very good for unwinding cause you don't have to think about how another player is going to react to your play. 

[frescoelmo 1,268]

23 minutes ago, rjfryman said:

So quick overshare. I have a problem when it comes to doing things for myself, my therapist has give me the assignment to research and try and do some things for no one other than myself. Not saying I cannot do them with other people but that I need to also find things that I can do to help me recharge and look into. With that preamble; I have a collection of board games that I enjoy playing or at least I love the idea of playing them. I enjoy reading manga or graphic novels. I enjoy listening to audio books usually during a run or when I am driving. I have enjoyed playing video games a lot in my past but sometimes its really hard to find the time and sit down and play just for me. I am a programmer by trade so if I am being honest I think I would enjoy not being at my desk if I can help it but if something is interesting then I will try it.

But what are your hobbies. What do you like to do. I know we do this all together so we might have some things in common. Tell me what you like to do and rate it if you can. Use what ever scale you like. Hope you have a great day. Thanks for your time and energy. 

 

I definitely understand where you are coming from, when I moved to Portland I didn't know anyone and lived alone, found myself just sitting at the computer playing games and watching TV on weekends lol.  the reality is that there's not a whole lot of ways to get involved but here are some things that have helped me:

 

 

making lists/goals - easy ones that are attainable (I find the momentum triggered by small easy things gets me into a groove)  i think this especially helpful on the weekends

reading (I try to do 10-15 pages a day)

intramural sports (has helped me a lot and have met some of my closest friends through it)

working out - specifically joining a gym or class-based program.  good way to get engaged and hold yourself accountable

brewing beer - they have really easy kits to get involved with the process for like 40-50usd.  i got really into it and bought some of my own gear eventually

cooking - love to find new recipes and share them with whomever

traveling - more specifically, i've been trying to knock off national parks

photography - personally not so much of a hobby but this is loosely tied to traveling

building things - DIY can be a lot of fun and, honestly, pretty easy to attain with the help of website, youtube, etc...  i found this particularly helpful when I owned my condo and fixed/replaced a lot of things

long walks - i did this a lot on saturday AM's, would pick a new coffee shop or bookstore and just walk there.  would listen to a podcast or radio both ways.  i started this back up a few weeks ago.

[KaleebtheMighty 1,507]

Honestly a fun hobby I’ve been doing focuses on exploring your food palate through cooking and tasting things. Taking up cooking gives you the ability to make some great food for yourself and see what flavors you like. Maybe explore some different cookbooks with different styles too!

 

Emphasis on walks too, or hiking. I travel for work a lot, and that’s also something I’ve been trying to do when I travel and have time. Getting outside can be a great refresher while also offering up opportunities to explore new areas. One time I went on a walk near a national forest and stumbled upon a small waterfall; you just never know what you could find.

Edited February 6, 2022 by KaleebtheMighty

[Dil 1,756]

1 hour ago, rjfryman said:

I am a programmer by trade so if I am being honest I think I would enjoy not being at my desk if I can help it

…well there go all of my ideas 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Dil

[Shindigs 1,771]

Basically going to be reiterating a lot of what was already said. But:
 

Cooking: I consider it a creative outlet, much like doing graphics in PS or anything else where you are creating something. I'm not one for recipes, but rather experimenting with spices and ingredients to find new ways to do things. It's not for everyone, but once you stop seeing cooking as a chore and start looking at it as a chance to unwind and have a fun creative time in the kitchen. It can really help be a way to disconnect for a bit. Also gives you a nice reward for your efforts.

 

Working out: It really helps me so much with managing mental health. Just so many aspects of it that helps. Especially since I have panic attack syndrome and working out is one of the, if not the, best preemptive treatments for it. I don't really need it for that aspect anymore, as I have my condition under control. But it really makes me feel like I'm doing something good for myself, and tracking your progress in a workout journal/spreadsheet really helps keep a perspective on how you're improving. So you have a proof of sorts, that you are doing something good for yourself. Whenever I can't work out for health reasons. I really feel the hit on my mental health way before my physical health. I'm introverted AF and hate the gym though. So I'm doing a body weight program from home. It's what suits my goals the best, as it makes it way more enjoyable for me. Obviously won't give you the same physique, or anywhere near as fast. As going to the gym would, but then the goal for me is to be healthy and feel better. Not to get swole.

 

Long walks: For me I basically live completely surrounded by forest, so as long as I'm not struggling with a cold etc. I'll try and walk 8+ miles a day through the forest on roads/paths. I usually do it after I finish up working for the day. Not only does it give me a sort of natural "switch" to flip. To tell myself I'm no longer in work mode. But the combination of fresh air, nature and just getting to stretch my legs makes it a very therapeutic experience. I don't do podcasts or anything like that while I walk. I just use the time to process and reason through all the things I feel a need to. Plan whatever things I need to plan for etc.

 

I usually try and not really "scout ahead" unless I need to. As the exploration part of my walks helps make them more enjoyable. I usually try and progressively walk further and further. With the upper limit being how much time I can commit in a day. So on weekends I'll usually try and walk about twice as far. Except during winter where everything is covered in black ice, because Sweden. Then I'll usually have to settle for my "shorter" 8 mile route. As that will still take me about 2 hours. Same thing as with the workouts here. When I can't do the walks for health reasons, I feel it hit my mental health way before my physical health.

 

So for me personally, the latter two are pretty much crucial to my mental well being. Whereas cooking is more just something I like to do. I don't "need" to do it to help with my mental health, but everyone is different.

[Gaikoku-hito 1,995]

I`m going to say a lot of what has already been said but here is what I like to do:

 

Explore: This usually is more or less unplanned but requires most of what others have stated long walks, hiking, bird watch etc.... I simply like to explore areas around where I work, live or even just a point of interest to find that off the path quiet spot that most won`t take the time to find. It could be a nice little waterfall, old castle ruins, shrines, parks etc....  ( a ton of these in Japan in my area). This was something I learned to do when I got stressed at work and need time to recharge so by picking a location and just exploring every flower, rock, tree or bird gives a much need relaxing moment as Thad states above everything could be burning to the ground around you but if you find that quiet place then you are never a lone but at peace with yourself, nature and everything else around you. Find that one thing that really interest you in Nature; like an animal, waterfall, lakes, ponds etc.... I really found my peace when I lived in the Canadian Rockies and I would go off the beaten path away from the tourist and find new hidden lakes, cabin, waterfall etc... While all the time spotting different animals from Black Bears, Grizzlies, Elk, cougars etc.... It was amazing calm even when facing a ranging 700lb Black bear in a brand new car.

 

Photography: Part of the calming aspect of exploring and being able to relive the moment since you may never be able to return to the same area again is taking the perfect picture that reminds of your explorations. But also research photography and taking the that interesting photo is also entertaining as you will learn there is no such thing as the perfect picture. The failures bring more memories sometimes then the successful ones. Like when we came across a Grizzly with cubs and since the animals where on the other side of the car I handed the camera to my wife to take pictures. None the less she complete butchered the photos and we only ended up with picture of the bears butts. The memory though is a strong one due to the failure or success depending on how you look at it.

 

Cooking/Eating out: Again this goes with exploring but finding interest place to eat or trying something you would never try is always bring great experience but exploring a new restaurant, new food or cooking food is a great way to experience an area, culture etc.... I am a horrible cook but I love cooking since if you get the recipe just right or just wrong you have a new experience of something that you created good or bad and you start to learn what you like and don`t like. Only rule I set with friends or family is when we eat new food and they know what it is; don`t tell me until after I tasted it so that I have an unbiased opinion of the food or dish. This has allowed me to try Chicken feet, Cows tongue and other interesting foods. I like cow tongues but Chicken feet not so much. They are more like spits or sun seeds in the way of flavoring. 

 

Trying something New: Part of exploring again is trying something new. This could be a new sport, activity that you always wanted to try etc.... Tandem bike rides around Stanley Park, Segway tours, Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, Horse back riding etc..... experiencing something new to yourself is a great way to make new memories good or bad; funny for others. Like when I tried curling for the first time. Yup, Being a hockey player I was like how hard can throwing a rock down the ice actually be? Yeah, a Lot harder then you would think not to mention I split my pants from the knee to half way up my arse. Had to go home and change into sweet pants to continue curling. Not wear stretch clothes if trying to curl. Nearly killing myself skiing since I spent years Snowboarding, again I thought Skiing would be easy since not that much different then tight turn in hockey right? Yeah, After my legs kept parting like the grand canyon and having yard sell after yard sell. I went back to snowboard half way through the day. It harder then it looks. (I also notice a trend here.)

 

Key aspect of exploring is take your time be it Photography, cooking, Eat at a new restaurant, hiking, walking around a city/town, car drives, bus rides or even train rides.  

[Josh 1,655]

I'm quite surprised no one has suggested learning / playing an instrument yet! 

 

Also journaling

[Gustav 6,324]

26 minutes ago, Josh said:

I'm quite surprised no one has suggested learning / playing an instrument yet!

 

YES. It's not super difficult to learn guitar on a basic level (and that's all you need to play more songs than you think). Really any instrument you want is cool.

 

I also like writing music. Recording software is cool (and something worth exploring) on its own, but I know more about theory and composition than I do about recording, so I use a (free!) program called Musescore that's used for making sheet music. If you can learn even the most basic music theory (example: you have a melody that you wrote in the key of G; what chords do you use under it, where do you use them, and why?) it's fun to mess around with that and see what you can make. I don't know how much you know about these things, so I apologize if it seems like I'm assuming you know nothing, but the Berklee School of Music has some great online resources if you're looking to get started.

[Molholt 2,185]

I've been learning to play the drums and while it's not the simplest to just "jump into," it's been a lot of fun for me. Triggers creativity in a much different way for me than my normal job as a graphic designer.

 

So I second or third learning an instrument.

[DMaximus 1,046]

Great question and thanks for reaching out. Lots of great suggestions in here so far.

 

A 3D printer is a good mix of tech and crafting. Might be worth exploring. I have a love/hate relationship with mine. Seeing as it’s currently unplugged, it might not get the highest rating from me at the moment. Can be really frustrating and annoying when it doesn’t work, but amazing when it works.

 
We have really enjoyed getting into woodworking and/or DIY projects.

Like many hobbies, cost can get as high as you want, but you really only need some simple tools to start wood projects. Make a toy box for your kid. Well maybe that’s not for yourself, but the joy and satisfaction of creation is. Or the toy box could be for you. Super high rating from me because the possibilities are endless. 
 

I know this isn’t really the time for it, but gardening might be the most rewarding and delicious thing to take up. There is no scale for the joy of eating a fresh tomato you just picked from your own garden. Come to think of it, we’re not too far from starting from seed indoors. And building a raised garden bed is a great first woodworking project.

Edited February 8, 2022 by DMaximus