Do you have 'passions' or hobbies? Or just things you like doing?

[HoldingOntoMySanity]

Recently I have been asked IRL what my hobbies are. There is a context of sorts (meeting an old friend I'd not seen and she talked about her passions - her job which is a vocation - and netball and i commented i don't have anything I like that much.... certainly not my job). She seemed surprised in a negative and disapproving way so it got me wondering.

I don't have anything I love hugely. I spend my free time on my family. I have a disabled teen and he takes up alot of my mental energy. I did Russian at university 30 years ago and enjoy watching netflix shows and always put on Russian subtitles. (That was my New Year resolution in fact and it has really helped). I like to travel. I belong to a book club but enjoy the lunch bit more than the book bit. I drink way too much wine than is good for me- usually alone reading a magazine. My disabled DS is a huge Marvel film fan and I am enjoying watching films with him. I like cooking and like watching youtube videos about cooking. I MN almost constantly as that is my main source of social interaction. But that's about it.

I feel like i am fairly normal. But i have nothing I can point to and say 'that's my hobby'.

I just felt I was being judged about not having a life filled with a job and hobbies that I was 'serious' about, if that makes sense. I do sometimes think I ought to take something up seriously. But I can't think of anything that feels like a contender!

I'd be curious about what other posters might like; love; be otherwise intense about.

Backpacks and carry items - collecting, trading, researching.
Watches - but that is now a career so can't class it as a hobby anymore.
Photography.

Gaming. Been doing it 40 years. I’m not stopping now

Cooking is my happy

Guide leader.
Occasionally sing in a choir if there's a come and sing event somewhere.

Family history research. Utterly addictive. I'm currently focusing on a tiny village in Gloucestershire, and also trying to find out more about my mysterious great grandfather.

Gardening - growing my own food. It's not a serious hobby because I don't enter marrows in the local show but I still enjoy it.
Most of it is edible (but not all ! )

Gaming, hiking, sewing by hand, board games, reading and swimming but only in the sea are things I really love.

I am glad I have some indoor and outdoor loves.

I adored climbing trees but with my back issues and the fact that an accident when you are older can be much harder to recover from I don’t do it anymore. The last one I climbed was when I was 42.

I’m like you OP.

I enjoy reading and travelling but wouldn’t class them as hobbies. Like my dogs and walking them but not a hobby. Spending time with the kids is always nice!

Don’t love my job but find it mentally stimulating

i find someone saying ‘my hobby is X’ a bit odd rather than just saying I enjoy X. Don’t know why though!

Its just things you enjoy spending time on through choice. It sounds like your hobbies are Russian, cooking and socialising with friends, which are all valid hobbies. Mine are mostly outdoorsy, which means I'm a bit grumpy in winter when it's more difficult to do them.

Knitting. Not tops and jumpers but Christmas items and fantasy knits like dragons and gargoyles.

I love reading, gaming, playing my musical instrument, collecting various things.. I have quite a few hobbies to be fair, plus things I wish I had the time to do.

But also, it's really normal to almost live through your kids when they're young. You'll have time soon enough to do things you enjoy again!

I'm similar to you. There are things I enjoy but I wouldn't call them hobbies. I read every day, there are tv shows I love, travel, friends, films, cats, otters. Make me happy but no hobbies.

Reading - I am an avid reader, about a book a week. Used to love yoga, but a chronic autoimmune disease diagnosis has put paid to that for now. I also love the theatre and cinema and go regularly with memberships. Ditto museums, big history enthusiast.

I've always been told reading doesn't count as a hobby - though it's what I spend a lot of time doing.

Ditto history - love days out round it and reading round and and finding things out but don't belong to groups often told it's an interest not a hobby. DH making things tends to get less push back.

Again with embroidery and gardening - because I dabble on own -embroidery often kits or from books rather than more individual self motivated stuff. Cooking I love baking but I'm not doing bake off level stuff.

I do more walking than IL but theirs is by most people classes as hobby as they belong to a group to do it and have expensive equipement and have routes mapped out- whereas we just go out and do it.

Often feel with some people you can't win.

WW1 history. Just back from Belgium, and had a quick look at Brussels and Ghent (skipped Bruges as it's too crowded and manicured and is a twee version of Ghent anyway IMV). Straight off to Ypres and all the battlefields, museums, trenches etc. Was amazing. Stopped off at Waterloo on way back to airport.

Next year to the Somme.

I cross stitch and have a huge stash, in fact collecting the cross stitch stash is another hobby in itself! I’m currently about to open 5 parcels of cross stitch items that I bought last week while I was on holiday with my family, they all arrived today. 🤦🏼 it’s not as if I NEED any more!
I took an assortment of cross stitch projects with me and actually did spend time on them whilst I was away.
i also enjoy knitting, especially items like cardigans for my grandchildren.

Op - it sounds as if Russian is still a passion of yours?

There are lots of things I love but I wouldn't describe them as passions or hobbies. I don't get much time to do them due to caregiving responsibilities.

Running and training towards a new goal which takes up quite a bit of time. Audio books and dog walks. Baking and hosting get together and I love a good binge worthy series on tv, especially if it’s a horrible day. Being outdoors hiking, beach, anything really, find it really relaxing but awe inspiring at the same time.

I think if you had said travelling , Russian and of course my book club she would have been very impressed. I would anyway..especially the Russian bit.
My hobbies are golf, gym and gardening..fliwers only no veg. I read a lot too. But genuinely my favourite thing is to meet friends for coffee!

Until a few years ago I was very much like OP. The only thing I did enjoy was a bit of cooking and some reading. Otherwise very busy with family life and DC hobbies.

Fortunately, DC are mid teens/ young adults and I have carved out time for 2 time consuming hobbies: hiking & dog agility. (DH & DC have had to step up in terms of all aspects of housekeeping...)
I think I am fortunate, that I have time for both and get to enjoy them.

It's difficult if you have family and kids that depend on you. But I wouldn't knock things like cooking or even reading if that's what gives you joy and a little bit of time to relax and forget about the daily grind.

Yeah, I love Russian. I have a great set of books that have Russian on one page and the English translation on the other. I’ve made it through a lot of Chekhov and Bulgakov that way. Prob that’s my favourite thing right now.

I think some of it is personality. I tend to be a very enthusiastic person, who gets excited about things. I don't just like to travel, I have serious wanderlust. I have quite a lot of hobbies that I am really passionate about, and I really enjoy them. I will throw myself into those hobbies and as such have enough hobby related kits/equipment to last me a couple of years. I am not one of those people who buys stuff that doesn't get used, they absolutely will all get used, but if I see something I love I am so excited about having it to look forward to in the future.

My partner really doesn't do the same level of excitement, enthusiasm and passion about things. He has a hobby, but it just seems to be something he does. He also seems to like traveling, but it's usually me that decides where we go. I try to get him to choose and express his preferences, but he seems able to say where doesn't appeal, but not many places that he has a burning desire to visit.

It's not just my hobbies, it's my job as well. I think you need to have passion and enthusiasm to be good at the sort of job I do. No one wants to deal with professionals in my field that lack passion and a love of their job, as I am supporting people through some of the hardest times of their life. How awful would it be to have someone who hates their job or is bored by it, when it's something awful that you are dealing with.

That's a fantastic hobby/ passion, don't knock yourself down!

Yes, I have a few hobbies. One which I attended weekly/twice weekly classes for 10 years, and was involved in several performances in, and another creative activity which I studied to degree level (for my own interest, not career-related). I'm starting another hobby degree in October, although in a STEM subject (before funding for it gets withdrawn). I have an adult disabled DS and was able to make time for hobbies as I did it during school hours (accepting a lower income as a consequence).