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.

I’m really into sumo. It’s a very easy sport to watch and understand and the athletes are almost universally very wholesome and likeable. Sumo fans are great too. I’ve met some very nice people at sumo events, including one that I connected with through mumsnet initially. 👋

In real life it’s generally seen as a bit of a weird hobby to have. Every two months there’s a two week tournament to follow and I watch at least the top division highlights every day.

Interestingly I saw something on instagram about this just today. It said you should have 5 hobbies and I thought, oh dear I don’t have any.

Bit then it broke it down into categories and I realised that I do actually have things I do and enjoy that cover each of these categories, I just don’t really think of them as hobbies just things I do and enjoy.

1. something to stay healthy
2. something to be creative 3)something to feel peaceful
3. something to help you connect with others
4. something to help you grow/learn

The categories don’t actually matter but it did help me realise that I actually have several hobbies!

I would say I have passions and hobbies yes. Also have a disabled child…. For me it's important to have these things.

I love history podcasts and visiting sites.

I love to read.

Yoga, breathwork and meditation.

I loved Ypres. Would love to get the train to Lille and then cycle to Ypres. Spend a few days there and then cycle to Dunkerque.

Everyone is different when it comes to stuff like this. Some people need 'intense' passions and goals, others need very little. There's no normal.

Me, I'm the intense type. I live and breathe anything aviation. I hear a plane overhead I'm straight on flight radar, I talk or read about anything aircraft related any spare second I get, I spent an obscene amount of time and money learning to fly and continue to spend an obscene amount of time and money flying around to different places for absolutely no reason other than pure joy. I'm even considering changing my career it pulls me that much. I've always been the obsessive type though.

I am retired, I spend the whole day doing hobbies. French/German in the morning. Swim/bike/run in the afternoon. Music in the evening. Go watch non-league football at the weekend.

I wonder if in today’s performative, social media world we tend to think of hobbies as things you tell everyone about, things that take a lot of time and money.

A hobby can surely be a thing that makes you happy. It doesn’t have to be competitive, time consuming and expensive.

I guess netball is my passion and hobby. I've always played, my DC play and I now coach a lot more than I play. It has slightly taken over my life and I do quite a bit of paid work as a side hustle.

I also read and am into fitness as other hobbies.

Rabbits! I have 17 and love caring for them 🐇

I’m a trustee for a breed specific dog rehoming charity and I’m waaaaaaaay invested.

All volunteers and I love helping, promoting and supporting them so I suppose that’s my passion and my hobby, they became one at some point!

I miss the laugh emoji. You are right. What I do is just what I do, but written down it sounds like 'something'!

Thanks so much everyone for replying. i was feeling a bit - strange- after that meeting. Like I was boring and left wanting somehow. It was a starnge catch up anyway. We've been friends since we were 15 and I felt like I just disappointed her somehow. It was a bit stilted.

I am LOVING all the responses though. Also so many ideas that I think I will try out- it literally never occurred to me to go to a comedy club for example, but I think I'd love that. I also have always wanted to sew yet somehow though that was for 'other people' not me. I've been taking the DCs to various plays and the opera to 'expose' them to such things but have just realised i could do some of that on my own too. Sounds silly, I know.

And yes, people. I'm catching up with a friend later today for wine. I call her 'my favourite person in the world I'm not related to'. I have a small group of people incredibly special to me. I'm lucky. My life IS full. I don't know why I had a wibble about it all.

Love this!

Very good point.

I love my allotment, the gym and reading. They're my hobbies. I also enjoy baking for my toddler too

I miss having an allotment, it was so peaceful. Bloody hard work though!

My most obvious passion is reading. A book goes upstairs with me in the evening, comes down with me first thing in the morning. Gets taken to work and out on day trips. Ie, it's always st my side in case I get the chance to read a page or two.

Well everywhere we stopped in Belgium was a revelation. The people are just so nice with good sense of humour too which I love. Despite the tragedy of the war.

As for cycling, the entire country is built for it, there are segregated cycle lanes on most roads, and lots and lots of cyclists doing the cemeteries and battlefields. Go for it. I wouldn't be able to cycle like that, I have no co-ordination or balance ha ha, so it's a car for me!

I very much agree with this. My interests and passions are my allotment, academic writing, running, French and reading. None of which are instagram worthy or particularly performative . I get so much out of each of them.

Мне понравилось это читать Is that right OP? I have enjoyed reading this!

I know what you mean about hobbies and passions. I always feel the same about dreams too. I feel a bit inadequate when people tell me they have dreams. Maybe it's because I have a very happy and content life <touches wood frantically>

I really enjoy going to the gym most days; I love travel and have visited a lot of countries; I love history - reading about it, visiting historic places, learning more. I too like wine, but I prefer to go to the pub to do that.

When I retire, I am going to read much more like I used to before I lost my mojo, improve my knitting, volunteer at a museum, and maybe learn an instrument.

I think your interestes sound great and I have loved reading other people's hobbies and passions too s thank you for starting this thread.

Is you pal childless? We childless women have hobbies 😁, other women have... well, families.

Not exciting in the slightest, but reading. Actual books, not on a Kindle. I usually have at least two on the go.

It’s a good point. I let go a number of my hobbies when my DC were small. They are now at uni and I’m picking them up and adding new ones now.