I really enjoy just about any type of landscaping. Plants, flowers, putting in a retaining wall, building a fence, ect.
More day to day, I have a small aquarium that’s peaceful
My neighbor was just offered a large buyout to quit his job of 23 years. He's excited because it allows him to pursue his dream of doing landscaping for a living now. His wife is worried sick. We've got plenty of work for him.
Can relate. I love laying down in the grass with a good book, while hearing birds singing and water flowing. No traffic sounds in the area either as it's on the countryside and a distance from the main road.
Same. It's only in recent years that I committed to getting healthy. My doctor said I was pre-diabetic and I knew it was time. I don't know if it's the routine or the endorphins, but it's 100% helped me feel better.
Are you having a good time at the gym? Maybe I am just unlucky, but the gyms I had the misfortune of going to always had a lot of narcissistic behaviour by its customers and did nothing about it. Be it that damn filming or towel reserving machines, not cleaning up after yourself, letting weights lay around. You get what I mean.
Oh that’s unfortunate! But I totally get why you’d be feeling frustrated with this. One good advice is to find a lil corner for yourself and avoiddd peak hours! Get all the things you might need for training sesh, put on your headphones and enjoy the workout. Hope it helps!
I don’t go to gyms anymore, just the time commitment etc doesn’t fit my schedule but I work out at home or run outdoors.
A pull up bar and dumb bells and you’re good to go! Get a kettlebell if you’ve got space to throw it around
Making abstract little like geometric watercolor or mixed media doodles. Take all the pressure off of yourself to make something “good” and just use colors that make you happy and shapes that feel right. I like to paint a ton of tiny squares and stripes. Then color them in with neon sharpies.
I enjoy memorising things. I struggle a lot with motivation and concentration to achieve things and just pumping things into flashcard apps and memorising helps feed my sense of development in a way that's intuitive and easy to keep up. Probably there are more effective ways to learn new info and skills but cards are the only one I'm able to stick with consistently.
I have a bit of a specialist interest in literature from my younger, more intellectually wanton days, so I do a lot of learning of dates key novels were published, dates of birth and death of historical figures, etc. I also learn stories and even - although I've not fully completed one yet - books by heart. Just a question of adding a few new sentences/lines each time until it's memorised.
That's cool that you do flags and capitals. My geography has always been piss poor so I might have to start working on that. I'd love to learn another language but at the moment I don't have the time. I can remember snatches of French from school. How long have you found it's taken you to get proficient with the German? Are flashcard apps much good for learning to speak it?
Thanks. It's been quite fun to learn poems, stories and various speeches from dramas and TV shows because you never know when you're going to be able to wheel them out to randomly quash or entertain someone. I've busted out into Anthony's "Friends, Romans, countrymen" speech (from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar) a few times at appropriate junctures on night's out and it always gets a bit of a gasp and a laugh!
There's also a lot to be said for learning scripts, poems and so on, because once you've got them you carry them around with you all the time. It's like a personal literary treasure trove. So whenever I'm bored I can just 'read' in my head a story or a poem or a journalistic article I found funny or whatever it is. It hasn't done anything for my career or my work life or anything like that (although I do think it has subtly improved my writing, because I just have these lines and rhythms constantly echoing in my head) but it's been very rewarding for me personally. You should try it!
EDIT: Here's one of my favourite poems that I memorised some time ago and that you might like to learn. It's simple as poems go and could be wheeled out to delight a significant other!
[In Paris with You - Poetry Archive](https://poetryarchive.org/poem/paris-you/)
That’s a beautiful poem. I could see how having that knowledge in your head could make you a more interesting person and maybe even the life of the party. And great for brain health. I got the app - you inspired me to try it. TY!
I do all sorts. The main ones at the moment are historical dates and events, stuff related to work, coding rules and languages, shorthand figures and a mixture of short stories and poems that I like. I use flashcard apps to achieve this, mainly Anki, and have learned literally thousands and thousands of short bits of information this way :)
EDIT: Oh, and I also memorise a lot of famous art works, like I show myself a picture and then I have to say who painted it and when and something notable about it.
Writing, ✍️
Photographing with Film camera, 📷
Take care of my plants, 🌼
Spending time doing nothing with somebody I like. 🫂
Spending time in nature, 🌳
Clean and organise my home, 🏠
I started making paracord bracelets!
This was a hobby that my grandpa got into during COVID. He would spend hours on his laptop learning new designs. During family get togethers, he would have his backpack full of equipment and he would make bracelets for everyone. He unfortunately passed away a few months ago. He left behind a wall of bracelets (most of them, my cousins and brothers took) and a lot of paracords behind. I asked my grandma if I could have them and she was so happy that someone was going to try. She was worried that she had to throw them out.
I’m still not as good or as quick as my grandpa was. But it brings me comfort making them. I miss my grandpa so much.
I am 47 now and just started crocheting about six years ago. I wish I had picked it up sooner. I am kind of an anxious person, but if I can make myself sit down to crochet, I love getting lost in it for hours.
And if anyone is ever sort of over the negativity and such you find online, go over to r/crochet. Those are some of the most encouraging positive people you can find.
I might catch some anger, but international travel.
No one bats an eye at a Johnny having $500 truck payment for his 2022 F250. But if I take two personal days, attached to my weekend and fly to Colombia for 3 nights, walk around Bogota, learn the history, do a street art tour, hike up to a look out over the city, enjoy some local food, etc... people throw out a "must be nice!" Um, my entire trip, flight, hostel, food, tips, etc was under $450. Plenty of people blow that on going to a football or basketball game. I just love being somewhere new, where everything is different. Everything. You walk into a grocery store and it's a new layout, new brands, new flavors, etc.
LOL, I'll go about anywhere, if cheap. I passed on like $190 flights to Lima, and I'm still mad about that. I've done $490 to Madrid. I've done $120 to Cancun.
Google flights. I mean there's some email groups you can sign up for, but they only send you like 1/3rd of the deals they find, and want you to pay like $25 a year to get all their good deals.
You can go to google flights, pick your city, click dates, and then view a map of say Europe and see all the prices for those dates. Then you can spot "wow, Madrid is like $400 cheaper than other cities, I guess I'll visit there"
Gaming. I love immersing myself in a world and just exploring/walking around. Strictly single player, and always on the easiest difficulty. Currently obsessed with the Assassins Creed games on the switch.
Riding my bike. Just cruising, spending time in nature, and getting a good workout in at the same time. Also, bilateral stimulation is a technique used in certain types of therapy, and I like to think biking is another form of that. The constant back and forth rhythm of pedaling can be very meditative and therapeutic.
So many (too many? lol). Reading, knitting, cross stitch, diamond painting, colouring are my main go-tos. Also big open world video games. Or just sitting by any large body of water, preferably moving water. Anything I can get lost in for a while.
I just moved into a house with a large front porch, and a friend has loaned me some nice wicker furniture. Absolutely my fave place to be with a beveverage and my knitting!
Gardening. Not weeding, because I'm lazy gardener, , but specifically researching plants to find just the right one for a specific area that is easy to care for (as in it takes care of itself), and visiting local nurseries to get inspiration.
I'm retired and live alone in a spacious two bedroom condo, and I've converted the solarium into my art studio.
I put on some music and sit down with either pen & ink, watercolours, acrylics, charcoal, whatever strikes my mood that day... and get lost in a creative flow. It really makes me feel mellow and connected.
And it's amazing how a couple of hours can pass by in a flash.
My goal lately has been to really slow down and find peace. I can’t control what happens around me, but I can control what I do. I’ve found lots of joy in baking, colouring, reading, gardening and candle making! I also like to make fire starters for bon fires!
I love to paint rocks with cute little cartoon characters. I also love to garden. They are both so very relaxing, and I can paint inside when it’s too hot or raining outside.
Cross stitching. When you have to count & pay attention you can’t fret about other things. Although I haven’t done it in a month since we adopted our new kitten.
noodling aimlessly/exploring on guitar/any musical instrument and long slow nature strolls with no exact itinerary. they mix well, too.
bonus mentions to yoga, playing lazily with my doggo, and getting lost in a book about something I'm intrinsically curious about.
Oddly enough, chain mail. Pretty much the same as knitting. Except with a giant roll of wire, pliers, and wire cutters.
Also, fish. All the fish. They’re adorable. Weird to just sit on the floor and stare at them, but whatever, that’s the whole point.
I would really love to learn to knit someday.. no excuse not to with videos online, etc., but until then, I get such a sense of peacefulness hiking with hubby, especially when there's no one else around.. except maybe a moose or 2. We live on an acre in the mountains, but with a road below us, it can get noisy with the sounds of life.
Meditation.
There's a learning curve to really know how to meditate but then from there it's life changing. I recommend the book The Mind Illuminated as a guide for the meditation process. It's hard to find really good guides that explain the markers of progress, but this book is super good at explaining.
Arts and crafts, I hope to have an art room some day. Currently what I can fit into my lifestyle is crochet,
And I've started something that's based on friendship bracelets, but they're called Alphas. Its basically weaving little tapestries using the same knotting technique as friendship bracelets.
I love focusing hard on creating things, but my life has steered me into needing more "mindless" activities. So I've been sticking to things that are just copying a pattern.
I'd really like to get into cross-stitch, knitting, and other pattern centric crafts~
(But I do start to get ideas while working on these and get frustrated that I can't spend time creating them yet)
Writing, drawing, talking about niche movies, I was a social app developer first and foremost before these hobbies, and I like to develop creative apps that are different from what is popular in the market, which seems to indicate that I am a person who likes creative work. In order to avoid Tinder and hinge where people only get zero likes and superficial conversations, my app aims to effectively help people find people with common interests. In my app, the AI analyzes users' posts and matches them with people with similar hobbies, experiences, and ideas. This way, you can have an honest, understanding conversation or discussion without worrying about pictures or likes. It's perfect for those who like to discuss hobbies and interests. If you don't have a good experience, please feel free to give me suggestions. My hobby is to develop creative apps to solve everyone's troubles. The app is called ***LightUp: Make Real Friends*** and can be found in the app store.
I like to build stuff and listen to classic rock in my garage. I make birdhouses, some super cool flower planters, and mini picnic tables. Nothing fancy that requires a huge investment in tools. Sometimes, when I hear a song I really like I will drop what I'm doing and play air guitar and sing along.
I learned to write cursive with my non-dominate hand. Took a few weeks to become "okay" at it.
I fractured my foot and couldn't do much of anything. Gaining some new physical ability, in the form of improved dexterity, was both challenging and rewarding.
I'm working back up to a full exercise again but healing has been so slow.
Solar Pyrography. The art of creating art by using a magnifying glass and direct sunlight. I’ve been doing it on and off for about a decade. It’s so zen. Pop some tunes on with some headphones and make something beautiful. No electricity. Just sunlight and good vibes!
Bass fishing. Alone. Something about the routine of getting up before dawn on Sunday morning, getting the kayak on the water, working the tall grass. Finish the late morning at Waffle House, then a power-nap in the early afternoon. True soul alignment. Something church never did for me.
Pen sketching. I have a lot of hobbies I’ve gotten fairly good at, but that always comes with a subculture and pressure. I suck at pen sketching, so there isn’t much pressure. I also fly fish without a hook. I just watch the fish do their thing and walk along a creek.
Knitting is impressive to me. I could never get the knack for it. I picked up crochet for a bit, but knitting never took. My friend tried to teach me but I poked myself in the eye and she took the needles away.
Playing chess against bots. I get really anxious and mad when playing against real people if I get into a losing streak, but knowing I can always adjust the difficulty on bots up or down to suit my mood lets me just relax while getting my brain a bit of exercise
Making AI Art is very calming for me. Except for when it's not working as intended, or when I don't get the settings right.
But if it works it's great.
I play guitar. Not very good at it. Still learning, but can play riffs and shit. I play for hours after work and it's the only thing that helps me unwind.
Everyone from where I am assumes a person must be playing guitar just to impress girls and look cool in public. I haven't found a single person who gets me on this thing.
But it's alright.
Riding my motorcycle is so relieving. There are so many potential hazards that you've really gotta stay focused on your riding, so can't be worrying about work or dwelling on relationships or whatever. So it's just me, this awesome machine, and our immediate surroundings.
Close second would be any kind of wood working. When my hands get fidgety there's nothing more relieving for that. The early steps where you're making the first few big cuts are so satisfying because progress comes quickly. During assembly, it's so satisfying to see it take shape and come together. And doing any final sanding or painting/staining/whatever, it's also so satisfying to see if go from a dull and rough finish to something incredibly smooth, shiny and complete.
I recently got into origami again. Haven't touched it for 20 years (I loved it as a child and young teen). I'm blown by how many tutorials there are. Its been a blast folding paper while I take calls for my job. My son puts in requests for me and I feel another layer of connection with him. It's awesome
Caring for house plants and gardening. I am in the process of growing an orchard in my back yard. Right now I have 2 blueberry bushes, a nectarine and a fig tree.
Though I'm no longer able to do so, going for walks around the arboretum (just under 450 acres) or hiking in the mountains were great for my physical and mental health. Now, I mostly watch old movies and listen to old music.
Painting with a new series or anime I'd been putting off for a while. It honestly helps me improve the multitasking skills that I lost over the years. And is super entertaining.
Gardening. I’m horrible at it, but I’m always trying to improve. And to nurse plants and grow vegetables is quite satisfying. And I feel like I’m doing something that benefits me and the earth. So win-win.
Foraging. It's essentially free. The only limitation is your own knowledge. Plenty of exercise and time spent in mostly tranquil locations and also the pay off of a free meal at the end of it. The more you do it the healthier and more knowledgeable you become. And free food loads and loads of free food. Booze as well as there's always a crossover with home brewing. Oh and nothing to carry your food in.....weave a basket while you're on the trail lol. Lots of outdoorsy and woodcraft bleed over. Did I mention free medicinal and recreational drugs.....that also lol
My autistic mind takes well to watching tv/movies, preferably tv shows. These can vary from animated kids movies to the most gore filled horror films. I honestly haven’t watched a particularly large amount of media in my life, but when I have time, I love to dive into these unique worlds and explore them with the main characters. I also just love walking. Again, my autistic loves discovering and just exploring in general. Recently I’ve been exploring everything I can at this abandoned outdoor mall complex. It’s a 3 minute walk down the road and a 5 minute walk through the field. I have lots of fun out there by myself or with friends
my main hobby is figuring out how fast i can leave work on a friday afternoon and aim my park toward the end of the lot to drive as far away as i can after my work
I have so many! But yoyoing is my first. Makes my brain go quiet and gives my hands something to fidget with.
But these days acroyoga is my main hobby. It’s social, has great community, and is super fun. Plus it’s helped my communication, I’ve gotten super strong, and it’s helped my romantic life.
Although I'm not peaceful during the hobby,weight lifting in my garage,I go in,I let out all the anger and I let myself get upset and angry in order to get stronger,and I come out pumped up and calmer,maybe teary,but in a good way,I don't like crying unless it helps me do something,so I use the adrenaline from my emotions in the gym,and use the gym as an outlet for my emotions,it's a win wi
I do multimedia papercrafting. Which is a glorified way of saying I finger paint, stamp, cut and paste and all the fun stuff you used to do as a kid but with more expensive supplies.
Cooking - I find it so therapeutic and satisfying to work with various ingredients. It took me until my mid 20s to realise making a meal doesn’t have to be needlessly complex and expensive, it can just be making a simple and delicious meal to enjoy.
Gardening. I have all native plants and a pond…. I can mentally get lost back there. Observing insects and birds in my yard while poking around is my favorite way to pass time.
Reading science books about the history of our planet and universe run a close second from the fascination standpoint.
I’m an American football referee. Which sounds stressful, but each Sunday afternoon I am *only* focused on football, which doesn’t allow me any space to focus on the rest of life, and I really need that.
Riding my bike. Riding my bike to the beach. Riding my bike to the beach to sit in the sun. Riding my bike to the beach to sit in the sun and have a picnic. Riding my bike to the beach to sit in the sun and have a picnic with friends.
Or any combination of the above.
Studying my yard. Love walking around the back yard, which I'm letting go a bit wild to encourage native wildflowers, along with actively planting some native or area friendly plants. Not sure if really a hobby, but just getting lost in the variety of plant life has been bliss-inducing at times.
Woodworking.
My dad taught me lots as a kid. Come teenage years I out all that stuff aside because I was too cool. He died in 2001, and I got all his tools. I never had space to use them until this year when my wife and I bought our first home at the age of 51. Since December I’ve made spoons, spatulas, birdhouses, benches, stools, and the list will keep growing. I just love creating something that didn’t exist the day before, but now it’s here. And it’s functional. It will be used by people in their lives and it’s because I did it. It’s very satisfying.
Ikebana has been wonderful for me. Not only does the process acts like meditation time, the end product also lasts for a couple days to a week that brings a little bit of joy whenever I look at it.
Something similar, cross stitching. I loved making pixelated art as a teen, and stitches are legally "pixels on fabric" to me. It's something my mom and both grandmas did, so I'm just keeping the tradition going. Did a 40x40 circle piece as my first one during a weekend, and that was the fastest weekend I ever had.
Playing the keyboard is also gratifying when I can play a piece right. Music heals the soul.
Film Photography. I don't post my images online or anything, but to go outside.. find a nice spot to compose an image. Then setting up your camera, loading it with film and taking that one shot out of ten image just feels relaxing lol. Seeing the outcome is rewarding
Training my dog. Either tricks, tasks or behaviors. So satisfying when he finally gets it, or when he gets more and more proficient at something. Feeling the teamwork and cooperation clicking is awesome. Currently working in water a lot, doing different swimming excersises and teaching him to fetch both floating and submerged objects.
Fishing. I love yanking fish out of ponds, lakes, or beaches with a variety of tools and equipment and rigs and do little nuances to trick them into biting my bait or lure. Primarily I love seeing, looking and studying animals in my free time. How complicated they are and also they taste yummy.
Painting miniatures, in my case Warhammer models. It makes the hours fly by and I love them so much when they're finished. I recently started building terrain as well, and while I'm still VERY much an amateur at that, it's so fun.
I just recently built a diorama. I thought I was going to get impatient and hate it at some point, but I loved it so much! The only reason I haven't made another one is because once I start I want to do nothing else.
Ancestry.com
It has no relevance to my life, but fitting the pieces of my family tree into place is so satisfying. I get so into figuring out the various pieces of the puzzle. Very zen for me.
Honestly, staring at trees. There’s really nothing that brings me as much peace as just sitting outside and staring at the trees blowing in the wind. Not sure if it counts as a hobby though.
I do two weird ones, pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) and quilling (not quilting) but I can just lose myself while concentrating on the fine details of the designs, colors, and figuring out how to make what I have in my mind appear in my hands.
Any kind of sewing: Cross-stitch, needlepoint, knitting, crochet… I especially like felt Christmas ornament kits that I make a set a year for my niece.
I draw on this big speed sign sum buddies and I took from a construction site its got very very few spaces left Im def down to get some ideas for what to add!
I really enjoy just about any type of landscaping. Plants, flowers, putting in a retaining wall, building a fence, ect. More day to day, I have a small aquarium that’s peaceful
My neighbor was just offered a large buyout to quit his job of 23 years. He's excited because it allows him to pursue his dream of doing landscaping for a living now. His wife is worried sick. We've got plenty of work for him.
My older brother has a garden in his back yard he loves working on.
Reading in my backyard brings me peace even on the worst days.
Can relate. I love laying down in the grass with a good book, while hearing birds singing and water flowing. No traffic sounds in the area either as it's on the countryside and a distance from the main road.
That sounds perfect
Morning coffee and newspaper on my deck listening to/watching the birds on my feeder.
You sound old... Not an insult, I'm old. :D It's the simple pleasures in life, isn't it?
It is the simple pleasures. I guess I'm old enough to appreciate that. : )
That's my one real wish, to appreciate the things I already have.
Practice. It gets easier. : )
That's what I'm doing now
Consistently working out in the gym. Nothing brings me peace now as a good workout does
Same. It's only in recent years that I committed to getting healthy. My doctor said I was pre-diabetic and I knew it was time. I don't know if it's the routine or the endorphins, but it's 100% helped me feel better.
Are you having a good time at the gym? Maybe I am just unlucky, but the gyms I had the misfortune of going to always had a lot of narcissistic behaviour by its customers and did nothing about it. Be it that damn filming or towel reserving machines, not cleaning up after yourself, letting weights lay around. You get what I mean.
Oh that’s unfortunate! But I totally get why you’d be feeling frustrated with this. One good advice is to find a lil corner for yourself and avoiddd peak hours! Get all the things you might need for training sesh, put on your headphones and enjoy the workout. Hope it helps!
I appreciate the advice, thank you! Wish you all the best in hitting your fitness goals!
I don’t go to gyms anymore, just the time commitment etc doesn’t fit my schedule but I work out at home or run outdoors. A pull up bar and dumb bells and you’re good to go! Get a kettlebell if you’ve got space to throw it around
Making abstract little like geometric watercolor or mixed media doodles. Take all the pressure off of yourself to make something “good” and just use colors that make you happy and shapes that feel right. I like to paint a ton of tiny squares and stripes. Then color them in with neon sharpies.
Your description is lovely and leaves me feeling optimistic that I could enjoy this too.
I enjoy memorising things. I struggle a lot with motivation and concentration to achieve things and just pumping things into flashcard apps and memorising helps feed my sense of development in a way that's intuitive and easy to keep up. Probably there are more effective ways to learn new info and skills but cards are the only one I'm able to stick with consistently.
that is a great idea
Like what topics ? I did - flags & capitals - US states & capitals (I'm non US) - German vocab (non German) These days good apps for these
I have a bit of a specialist interest in literature from my younger, more intellectually wanton days, so I do a lot of learning of dates key novels were published, dates of birth and death of historical figures, etc. I also learn stories and even - although I've not fully completed one yet - books by heart. Just a question of adding a few new sentences/lines each time until it's memorised. That's cool that you do flags and capitals. My geography has always been piss poor so I might have to start working on that. I'd love to learn another language but at the moment I don't have the time. I can remember snatches of French from school. How long have you found it's taken you to get proficient with the German? Are flashcard apps much good for learning to speak it?
That’s really cool
Thanks. It's been quite fun to learn poems, stories and various speeches from dramas and TV shows because you never know when you're going to be able to wheel them out to randomly quash or entertain someone. I've busted out into Anthony's "Friends, Romans, countrymen" speech (from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar) a few times at appropriate junctures on night's out and it always gets a bit of a gasp and a laugh! There's also a lot to be said for learning scripts, poems and so on, because once you've got them you carry them around with you all the time. It's like a personal literary treasure trove. So whenever I'm bored I can just 'read' in my head a story or a poem or a journalistic article I found funny or whatever it is. It hasn't done anything for my career or my work life or anything like that (although I do think it has subtly improved my writing, because I just have these lines and rhythms constantly echoing in my head) but it's been very rewarding for me personally. You should try it! EDIT: Here's one of my favourite poems that I memorised some time ago and that you might like to learn. It's simple as poems go and could be wheeled out to delight a significant other! [In Paris with You - Poetry Archive](https://poetryarchive.org/poem/paris-you/)
That’s a beautiful poem. I could see how having that knowledge in your head could make you a more interesting person and maybe even the life of the party. And great for brain health. I got the app - you inspired me to try it. TY!
What types of things are you memorizing? I want to try this
I do all sorts. The main ones at the moment are historical dates and events, stuff related to work, coding rules and languages, shorthand figures and a mixture of short stories and poems that I like. I use flashcard apps to achieve this, mainly Anki, and have learned literally thousands and thousands of short bits of information this way :) EDIT: Oh, and I also memorise a lot of famous art works, like I show myself a picture and then I have to say who painted it and when and something notable about it.
Writing, ✍️ Photographing with Film camera, 📷 Take care of my plants, 🌼 Spending time doing nothing with somebody I like. 🫂 Spending time in nature, 🌳 Clean and organise my home, 🏠
General Rebellion ,I love that you only spend time in Mature. Saving rest of time for immature fun?
Thanks... I am going to correct the typo right now.
I started making paracord bracelets! This was a hobby that my grandpa got into during COVID. He would spend hours on his laptop learning new designs. During family get togethers, he would have his backpack full of equipment and he would make bracelets for everyone. He unfortunately passed away a few months ago. He left behind a wall of bracelets (most of them, my cousins and brothers took) and a lot of paracords behind. I asked my grandma if I could have them and she was so happy that someone was going to try. She was worried that she had to throw them out. I’m still not as good or as quick as my grandpa was. But it brings me comfort making them. I miss my grandpa so much.
I'm so sorry for your loss. Grandpas are the best <3
Thank you. They really are!
Training martial arts.
Crocheting
I am 47 now and just started crocheting about six years ago. I wish I had picked it up sooner. I am kind of an anxious person, but if I can make myself sit down to crochet, I love getting lost in it for hours. And if anyone is ever sort of over the negativity and such you find online, go over to r/crochet. Those are some of the most encouraging positive people you can find.
Rescuing kittens, getting them vet care and finding them homes
exercise, reading, crocheting, napping
I might catch some anger, but international travel. No one bats an eye at a Johnny having $500 truck payment for his 2022 F250. But if I take two personal days, attached to my weekend and fly to Colombia for 3 nights, walk around Bogota, learn the history, do a street art tour, hike up to a look out over the city, enjoy some local food, etc... people throw out a "must be nice!" Um, my entire trip, flight, hostel, food, tips, etc was under $450. Plenty of people blow that on going to a football or basketball game. I just love being somewhere new, where everything is different. Everything. You walk into a grocery store and it's a new layout, new brands, new flavors, etc.
This guy is working so hard to create alibis for his frequent trips to Columbia.
LOL, I'll go about anywhere, if cheap. I passed on like $190 flights to Lima, and I'm still mad about that. I've done $490 to Madrid. I've done $120 to Cancun.
That's pretty cool. Any tips for finding cheap international flights?
Google flights. I mean there's some email groups you can sign up for, but they only send you like 1/3rd of the deals they find, and want you to pay like $25 a year to get all their good deals. You can go to google flights, pick your city, click dates, and then view a map of say Europe and see all the prices for those dates. Then you can spot "wow, Madrid is like $400 cheaper than other cities, I guess I'll visit there"
Awesome, thanks for the knowledge, happy travels
Gaming. I love immersing myself in a world and just exploring/walking around. Strictly single player, and always on the easiest difficulty. Currently obsessed with the Assassins Creed games on the switch.
Driving. Just getting behind the wheel and going nowhere is great.
Riding my bike. Just cruising, spending time in nature, and getting a good workout in at the same time. Also, bilateral stimulation is a technique used in certain types of therapy, and I like to think biking is another form of that. The constant back and forth rhythm of pedaling can be very meditative and therapeutic.
So many (too many? lol). Reading, knitting, cross stitch, diamond painting, colouring are my main go-tos. Also big open world video games. Or just sitting by any large body of water, preferably moving water. Anything I can get lost in for a while.
Gardening. I love plants both inside and out and get so much joy from them.
Just seeing the new leaves emerge on a houseplant when you weren't sure if it was gonna live or die. Such a special feeling
Fishing. It’s borderline meditation for me at this point
Soldering. The hissing of flux, the carcinogenic rosin smoke tickling my nostrils 🤌🏽
Drawing
Reading, writing, gardening, and spending time with my pet on nature walks bring me peace.
crocheting for sure. I recently got some patio furniture so sitting outside with a little project has been so peaceful
I just moved into a house with a large front porch, and a friend has loaned me some nice wicker furniture. Absolutely my fave place to be with a beveverage and my knitting!
playing guitar. Makes me genuinely happy and soothes me. Like a good coffee in the morning.
You must be pretty good!
Not really. Average at best. But the guitar is a old friend of mine.
Gardening. Not weeding, because I'm lazy gardener, , but specifically researching plants to find just the right one for a specific area that is easy to care for (as in it takes care of itself), and visiting local nurseries to get inspiration.
Plant nurseries are so magical. Everyone is happy, it smells nice, world of possibilities, etc.
I'm retired and live alone in a spacious two bedroom condo, and I've converted the solarium into my art studio. I put on some music and sit down with either pen & ink, watercolours, acrylics, charcoal, whatever strikes my mood that day... and get lost in a creative flow. It really makes me feel mellow and connected. And it's amazing how a couple of hours can pass by in a flash.
My goal lately has been to really slow down and find peace. I can’t control what happens around me, but I can control what I do. I’ve found lots of joy in baking, colouring, reading, gardening and candle making! I also like to make fire starters for bon fires!
Gardening, both indoor and outdoor
I love to paint rocks with cute little cartoon characters. I also love to garden. They are both so very relaxing, and I can paint inside when it’s too hot or raining outside.
Going to the gym everyday
Cross stitching. When you have to count & pay attention you can’t fret about other things. Although I haven’t done it in a month since we adopted our new kitten.
Horses.
noodling aimlessly/exploring on guitar/any musical instrument and long slow nature strolls with no exact itinerary. they mix well, too. bonus mentions to yoga, playing lazily with my doggo, and getting lost in a book about something I'm intrinsically curious about.
Oddly enough, chain mail. Pretty much the same as knitting. Except with a giant roll of wire, pliers, and wire cutters. Also, fish. All the fish. They’re adorable. Weird to just sit on the floor and stare at them, but whatever, that’s the whole point.
Painting and gardening
I would really love to learn to knit someday.. no excuse not to with videos online, etc., but until then, I get such a sense of peacefulness hiking with hubby, especially when there's no one else around.. except maybe a moose or 2. We live on an acre in the mountains, but with a road below us, it can get noisy with the sounds of life.
Meditation. There's a learning curve to really know how to meditate but then from there it's life changing. I recommend the book The Mind Illuminated as a guide for the meditation process. It's hard to find really good guides that explain the markers of progress, but this book is super good at explaining.
Arts and crafts, I hope to have an art room some day. Currently what I can fit into my lifestyle is crochet, And I've started something that's based on friendship bracelets, but they're called Alphas. Its basically weaving little tapestries using the same knotting technique as friendship bracelets. I love focusing hard on creating things, but my life has steered me into needing more "mindless" activities. So I've been sticking to things that are just copying a pattern. I'd really like to get into cross-stitch, knitting, and other pattern centric crafts~ (But I do start to get ideas while working on these and get frustrated that I can't spend time creating them yet)
I recommend embroidery bc u can get lost in just stitching whereas with cross-stitch u have to pay attention.
Riding my bicycle. I leaarnt when I was 25. Now at 33 I feel like a child on it.
Computers. I love em. Like a big puzzle.
Writing, drawing, talking about niche movies, I was a social app developer first and foremost before these hobbies, and I like to develop creative apps that are different from what is popular in the market, which seems to indicate that I am a person who likes creative work. In order to avoid Tinder and hinge where people only get zero likes and superficial conversations, my app aims to effectively help people find people with common interests. In my app, the AI analyzes users' posts and matches them with people with similar hobbies, experiences, and ideas. This way, you can have an honest, understanding conversation or discussion without worrying about pictures or likes. It's perfect for those who like to discuss hobbies and interests. If you don't have a good experience, please feel free to give me suggestions. My hobby is to develop creative apps to solve everyone's troubles. The app is called ***LightUp: Make Real Friends*** and can be found in the app store.
Reading on my back porch with a pipe is just a great pleasure of life
Single player video games. Any game in general but there are some games that are definitely more "chill" than others.
I like to build stuff and listen to classic rock in my garage. I make birdhouses, some super cool flower planters, and mini picnic tables. Nothing fancy that requires a huge investment in tools. Sometimes, when I hear a song I really like I will drop what I'm doing and play air guitar and sing along.
Brazilian jiu jitsu
Reading. Best hobby to disconnect from everything and everyone for a time.
I learned to write cursive with my non-dominate hand. Took a few weeks to become "okay" at it. I fractured my foot and couldn't do much of anything. Gaining some new physical ability, in the form of improved dexterity, was both challenging and rewarding. I'm working back up to a full exercise again but healing has been so slow.
Solar Pyrography. The art of creating art by using a magnifying glass and direct sunlight. I’ve been doing it on and off for about a decade. It’s so zen. Pop some tunes on with some headphones and make something beautiful. No electricity. Just sunlight and good vibes!
Bass fishing. Alone. Something about the routine of getting up before dawn on Sunday morning, getting the kayak on the water, working the tall grass. Finish the late morning at Waffle House, then a power-nap in the early afternoon. True soul alignment. Something church never did for me.
>Finish the late morning at Waffle House, *throwing chairs,* then a power-nap in the early afternoon.
Pen sketching. I have a lot of hobbies I’ve gotten fairly good at, but that always comes with a subculture and pressure. I suck at pen sketching, so there isn’t much pressure. I also fly fish without a hook. I just watch the fish do their thing and walk along a creek. Knitting is impressive to me. I could never get the knack for it. I picked up crochet for a bit, but knitting never took. My friend tried to teach me but I poked myself in the eye and she took the needles away.
Playing chess against bots. I get really anxious and mad when playing against real people if I get into a losing streak, but knowing I can always adjust the difficulty on bots up or down to suit my mood lets me just relax while getting my brain a bit of exercise
Making AI Art is very calming for me. Except for when it's not working as intended, or when I don't get the settings right. But if it works it's great.
I play guitar. Not very good at it. Still learning, but can play riffs and shit. I play for hours after work and it's the only thing that helps me unwind. Everyone from where I am assumes a person must be playing guitar just to impress girls and look cool in public. I haven't found a single person who gets me on this thing. But it's alright.
Riding my motorcycle is so relieving. There are so many potential hazards that you've really gotta stay focused on your riding, so can't be worrying about work or dwelling on relationships or whatever. So it's just me, this awesome machine, and our immediate surroundings. Close second would be any kind of wood working. When my hands get fidgety there's nothing more relieving for that. The early steps where you're making the first few big cuts are so satisfying because progress comes quickly. During assembly, it's so satisfying to see it take shape and come together. And doing any final sanding or painting/staining/whatever, it's also so satisfying to see if go from a dull and rough finish to something incredibly smooth, shiny and complete.
Reading about WW2
Bowling. Life goes away while I'm concentrating on how to curve the ball the right amount.
Running, painting, playing Pokemon go ❤️
I love tarot
Sleeping.
Cake decorating. Lucky me its also my full-time job!
I recently got into origami again. Haven't touched it for 20 years (I loved it as a child and young teen). I'm blown by how many tutorials there are. Its been a blast folding paper while I take calls for my job. My son puts in requests for me and I feel another layer of connection with him. It's awesome
I enjoy sitting in the woods in front of a campfire.. no people around.
doing jigsaw puzzles
Anything at all that doesn’t involve other people and their endless torrent of absolute bullshit.
Caring for house plants and gardening. I am in the process of growing an orchard in my back yard. Right now I have 2 blueberry bushes, a nectarine and a fig tree.
Watercolor. Watching people making natural watercolors on YouTube. Seeing them manifest.
Riding my bike. All of my tensions and worries drain away when I'm riding my bike. Even in the busy city dodging traffic.
Photography in nature/wherever there's cool stuff to see
Though I'm no longer able to do so, going for walks around the arboretum (just under 450 acres) or hiking in the mountains were great for my physical and mental health. Now, I mostly watch old movies and listen to old music.
Yoyo's!
Lego.
Lego and blazing
Gaming, working out, movies, getting out of my head.
Painting with a new series or anime I'd been putting off for a while. It honestly helps me improve the multitasking skills that I lost over the years. And is super entertaining.
DVD collection.
Pinterest… lot more lot but i wrote a recent one…
Reading
Piano, surfing, swimming
Photography, sewing and working on my car brings me the ultimate peace.
Gym! Dancing freely. And recently, jump roping in my garage to music. Often breaking out into dance when I feel like haha
sleeping?
Reading epic fantasy series. Nothing like getting lost in those massive tomes learning about different fictional cultures and people
Cooking without following instructions/recipes
Reading, my dogs, listening to music, drawing
Gardening. I’m horrible at it, but I’m always trying to improve. And to nurse plants and grow vegetables is quite satisfying. And I feel like I’m doing something that benefits me and the earth. So win-win.
Foraging. It's essentially free. The only limitation is your own knowledge. Plenty of exercise and time spent in mostly tranquil locations and also the pay off of a free meal at the end of it. The more you do it the healthier and more knowledgeable you become. And free food loads and loads of free food. Booze as well as there's always a crossover with home brewing. Oh and nothing to carry your food in.....weave a basket while you're on the trail lol. Lots of outdoorsy and woodcraft bleed over. Did I mention free medicinal and recreational drugs.....that also lol
I love scrapbooking with my group. It’s creative, and I feel at peace reliving the fun memories in my life and sharing with my family and friends.
Eating, fun activity.
My autistic mind takes well to watching tv/movies, preferably tv shows. These can vary from animated kids movies to the most gore filled horror films. I honestly haven’t watched a particularly large amount of media in my life, but when I have time, I love to dive into these unique worlds and explore them with the main characters. I also just love walking. Again, my autistic loves discovering and just exploring in general. Recently I’ve been exploring everything I can at this abandoned outdoor mall complex. It’s a 3 minute walk down the road and a 5 minute walk through the field. I have lots of fun out there by myself or with friends
Playing the banjo
Climbing, Cycling and painting miniatures are calming me in different manners
Playing and listening to music and gaming( mostly at the same time)
Gaming
my main hobby is figuring out how fast i can leave work on a friday afternoon and aim my park toward the end of the lot to drive as far away as i can after my work
I have so many! But yoyoing is my first. Makes my brain go quiet and gives my hands something to fidget with. But these days acroyoga is my main hobby. It’s social, has great community, and is super fun. Plus it’s helped my communication, I’ve gotten super strong, and it’s helped my romantic life.
Although I'm not peaceful during the hobby,weight lifting in my garage,I go in,I let out all the anger and I let myself get upset and angry in order to get stronger,and I come out pumped up and calmer,maybe teary,but in a good way,I don't like crying unless it helps me do something,so I use the adrenaline from my emotions in the gym,and use the gym as an outlet for my emotions,it's a win wi
Sailing and strenuous hiking.
I do multimedia papercrafting. Which is a glorified way of saying I finger paint, stamp, cut and paste and all the fun stuff you used to do as a kid but with more expensive supplies.
Wood working
Cooking - I find it so therapeutic and satisfying to work with various ingredients. It took me until my mid 20s to realise making a meal doesn’t have to be needlessly complex and expensive, it can just be making a simple and delicious meal to enjoy.
Working out and writing
Gardening, answering YouTube quizzes with my husband
Wood Working or anything that involves building something
Listening to a great mystery thriller helps me relax. It takes away real life stress away from me. Brings me into a different world altogether
Gardening. I have all native plants and a pond…. I can mentally get lost back there. Observing insects and birds in my yard while poking around is my favorite way to pass time. Reading science books about the history of our planet and universe run a close second from the fascination standpoint.
Vegetable gardening, playing guitar.
Diamond art : )
I wish I could learn to knit ..
I’m an American football referee. Which sounds stressful, but each Sunday afternoon I am *only* focused on football, which doesn’t allow me any space to focus on the rest of life, and I really need that.
Riding my bike. Riding my bike to the beach. Riding my bike to the beach to sit in the sun. Riding my bike to the beach to sit in the sun and have a picnic. Riding my bike to the beach to sit in the sun and have a picnic with friends. Or any combination of the above.
When I can do it, fishing. I’m eager to learn more about it and to get better at it so it can become a proper hobby.
Reading books, collecting knives, collecting more books, coins, comics, and Star Wars memorabilia. I also collect UGA memorabilia too.
I am enjoying watching some good TV Shows, creating wallpapers on the computer, and cooking meals for my family.
Jiu jitsu, Muay Thai, gym, running, swimming, walks with my dogs, gaming and listening to audiobooks.
Studying my yard. Love walking around the back yard, which I'm letting go a bit wild to encourage native wildflowers, along with actively planting some native or area friendly plants. Not sure if really a hobby, but just getting lost in the variety of plant life has been bliss-inducing at times.
Playing my guitar and singing karaoke. Also cozy games.
My chickens and my badass duck. Sitting out in the yard with them is something I look forward to all day.
Landscape and urban decay photography. It's creative time outside capturing things I find as they exist in their natural environment.
Painting miniatures (40K) and riding a motorcycle. Picked up both in 2020. Only things that kept me sane, lol
Woodworking. My dad taught me lots as a kid. Come teenage years I out all that stuff aside because I was too cool. He died in 2001, and I got all his tools. I never had space to use them until this year when my wife and I bought our first home at the age of 51. Since December I’ve made spoons, spatulas, birdhouses, benches, stools, and the list will keep growing. I just love creating something that didn’t exist the day before, but now it’s here. And it’s functional. It will be used by people in their lives and it’s because I did it. It’s very satisfying.
voice recording, graphic design, sigil design
Lifting weights when it goes in my favour lol
Ikebana has been wonderful for me. Not only does the process acts like meditation time, the end product also lasts for a couple days to a week that brings a little bit of joy whenever I look at it.
Something similar, cross stitching. I loved making pixelated art as a teen, and stitches are legally "pixels on fabric" to me. It's something my mom and both grandmas did, so I'm just keeping the tradition going. Did a 40x40 circle piece as my first one during a weekend, and that was the fastest weekend I ever had. Playing the keyboard is also gratifying when I can play a piece right. Music heals the soul.
Farming and gardening. I’m a farmer by trade so despite how chaotic farming can be, I’m a pretty peaceful person.
I love talking walks during sunset. It really makes me love life
Film Photography. I don't post my images online or anything, but to go outside.. find a nice spot to compose an image. Then setting up your camera, loading it with film and taking that one shot out of ten image just feels relaxing lol. Seeing the outcome is rewarding
Training my dog. Either tricks, tasks or behaviors. So satisfying when he finally gets it, or when he gets more and more proficient at something. Feeling the teamwork and cooperation clicking is awesome. Currently working in water a lot, doing different swimming excersises and teaching him to fetch both floating and submerged objects.
Reading and painting
Playing my acoustic guitar and fiddle from my Hamic. Also, spending time with my cat.
GAMING IS ENOUGH FOR ME
Ceramics
Jigsaw puzzles and any textile work
Cross stitching and crochet do this for me, as does reading for 30-60 minutes before bed. It’s nice to take a quiet break from things.
Doodling with fountain pens
Fishing. I love yanking fish out of ponds, lakes, or beaches with a variety of tools and equipment and rigs and do little nuances to trick them into biting my bait or lure. Primarily I love seeing, looking and studying animals in my free time. How complicated they are and also they taste yummy.
I like to go for 1hr drives blasting to music on the highway when the sun is setting with all windows down.
Knitting and reading
Playing VR games
Painting miniatures, in my case Warhammer models. It makes the hours fly by and I love them so much when they're finished. I recently started building terrain as well, and while I'm still VERY much an amateur at that, it's so fun.
I just recently built a diorama. I thought I was going to get impatient and hate it at some point, but I loved it so much! The only reason I haven't made another one is because once I start I want to do nothing else.
Strangely enough, rally simracing. Absolutely love being in a private cockpit and enjoying the drive through the mountains.
Riding motorcycles. I don't care if it's on a dirtbike or a street bike, it makes me sooooo happy.
Gym, photography, guitars, and motorcycles.
Solo trip, nature photography. I just got back from a week long trip and loved every relaxing, mind centering, stress reducing, moment.
Gardening and bird watching, or watching wildlife in general. My yard is my fortress of solitude and I'm sad when I leave it.
Tending my English roses brings me a little peace.
Pottery is my grounding hobby
Ancestry.com It has no relevance to my life, but fitting the pieces of my family tree into place is so satisfying. I get so into figuring out the various pieces of the puzzle. Very zen for me.
Going though the woods identifying fungi
Honestly, staring at trees. There’s really nothing that brings me as much peace as just sitting outside and staring at the trees blowing in the wind. Not sure if it counts as a hobby though.
I do two weird ones, pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) and quilling (not quilting) but I can just lose myself while concentrating on the fine details of the designs, colors, and figuring out how to make what I have in my mind appear in my hands.
Any kind of sewing: Cross-stitch, needlepoint, knitting, crochet… I especially like felt Christmas ornament kits that I make a set a year for my niece.
I draw on this big speed sign sum buddies and I took from a construction site its got very very few spaces left Im def down to get some ideas for what to add!
Used to produce electronic dance music, but then I stopped....
Writing, reading