To ask about your engaging hobbies?

[youareminebestfavourite]

On paper, my life looks pretty fab - great job, happily married, 2 DS's who are awesome teenagers, a lovely extended family and great friends.
But I'm so fricken bored! After a bit of introspection, I have realised that I don't really have anything in my life that I do just for fun.
I go to the gym 6 days a week, walk the dog, work, catch up with friends etc but apart from that, I don't really do anything that engages and entertains me.
I have considered things like art classes, but I'm frankly shit at art and I also don't want to fill my house with crap tat that I'm keeping for the sake of it.
So, please tell me what you do as a hobby that engages you and brings some meaning to your life.
TIA

I'm currently trying to figure out where I can learn to play croquet.

But my current hobby is crochet in front of the telly. I make lap blankets using very simple stitches. They are fun to design colours and choose wool for, take forever to make so one project keeps me going for ages, and the result is something practically useful that can be kept or given as a gift

If orienteering sounds like your sort of thing, @SpringLobelia, you should find your local club. They are almost certain to organise events where you can borrow a ‘dibber’ and give it a go. The dibber is an electronic chip that you touch to each control as you go round the course. You get an extraordinarily detailed map, and try to find a route between each control.

Karate - somehow I managed to get second dan black belt despite not being fast or able to think on my feet (I invariably lose at sparring, even to the new starters the same age as me, even to the woman with even worse eyesight )

Bellringing - sociable, mentally stimulating to whatever level you choose to take it, mildly physical. Learn to handle a bell and you'll be welcome in any (well, apart from 2) tower in the land and beyond.

Dog stuff! Agility, Hoopers, showing, Scent work, meeting other dog people to talk about dogs plus long walks outside and finding new walks.

Outside of that, I like visiting national trust properties and taking in the scenery, walking, just generally being outside. Not sure if that's a hobby as such though

@YesILikeItToo

If orienteering sounds like your sort of thing, *@SpringLobelia*, you should find your local club. They are almost certain to organise events where you can borrow a ‘dibber’ and give it a go. The dibber is an electronic chip that you touch to each control as you go round the course. You get an extraordinarily detailed map, and try to find a route between each control.

Thanks! I have looked up one near me and they do beginners courses of approx 2 km which seems really intruguing! The whole idea had literally never crossed my mind before so i am very excited to look into it further!

Roller derby. It doesn't bring any meaning to my life but it's fun

I stream gaming VR and Nintendo on twitch.
And I get paid for it.

I also read and play piano.

@Mummadeze That is exactly how I feel about my sporty hobby, which is figure skating.
It's not all big scary jumps and acrobatics, like what you see on TV, and you don't have to have done it as a child.
There's a growing adult skating community in the UK and there's loads you can do at every level. Some people just do edges and turns (so feet not leaving the ice), others do single jumps and basic spins, and some even do doubles and more complicated spins. There's always something new to learn and it's the best workout (and a lot of fun!)
When I was younger I did amateur competitors and went to training camps around Europe...some truly great memories. Now I fit it in around work and bringing up children, so I've scaled it right back but still fit in a training session or two a week.
Most rinks have Learn to Skate classes, that's how I got started.

I also enjoy hiking, travel (before Covid), the theatre and reading books.

Another vote for sewing! It’s absorbing and fun and requires enough thought to take my mind off stressful things. And such a useful skill to develop.

Thanks for all the fabulous suggestions- you lot are inspirational and have given me lots to think about.
I'm already in a book group and have previously been a very enthusiastic half marathon runner, although that has fallen by the wayside in the last couple of years.
I think I do miss the social side of running, along with the structure and satisfaction of having something to aim for and achieve, not to mention the fun weekends away at events around the country.
I like the idea of producing something so DIY skills and crochet etc also appeal, as does pottery.
Thanks for the inspo!

Archery, historic european martial arts, climbing, mountain biking, wild swimming when I can. I always fancied ice hockey too, but I'm useless on skates!

I have horses, so they're my primary hobby, but there's so many fun things to do out there

@Crackersnack

I'm currently trying to figure out where I can learn to play croquet.

But my current hobby is crochet in front of the telly. I make lap blankets using very simple stitches. They are fun to design colours and choose wool for, take forever to make so one project keeps me going for ages, and the result is something practically useful that can be kept or given as a gift

There is a croquet club in my town in Surrey….but if you live at the opposite end of the country, it’ll be of no use to you!

Genealogy, using Ancestry.com to do my family tree

@YesILikeItToo

Orienteering. Has come on leaps and bounds since the 70s, now a really accessible sport with something for everyone.

How do you get into this?

Read. It will fill up all your empty hours, improve your mind, and best of all, it is completely free because all you have to do is join your local library.

@TooManyPJs I would recommend trying to find your local club. They are almost certain to organise events that are at a ‘come and try it’ level suitable for beginners. The courses are colour coded - white and yellow courses are typically used by children and families. And adult beginner might try yellow, or if they have some confidence that they know how a map works, orange.

@youareminebestfavourite

On paper, my life looks pretty fab - great job, happily married, 2 DS's who are awesome teenagers, a lovely extended family and great friends. But I'm so fricken bored! After a bit of introspection, I have realised that I don't really have anything in my life that I do just for fun. I go to the gym 6 days a week, walk the dog, work, catch up with friends etc but apart from that, I don't really do anything that engages and entertains me. I have considered things like art classes, but I'm frankly shit at art and I also don't want to fill my house with crap tat that I'm keeping for the sake of it. So, please tell me what you do as a hobby that engages you and brings some meaning to your life. TIA

Firstly my educational research journal When I get intrigued with different topics I write different sections in the journal about the different aspects of the subject, e.g. Forensics, archaeology, ancient egypt, Genghis Khan, cold war espionage, ect

Then their is my photography
I love photography, from flowers, to architecture, to urbex ect the main thing is my juices are great do plenty of photography then it fizzles for a bit, until I re motivate myself.

Magic the gathering card game
An excellent game to play with some friends. Easy to learn with basic decks until your more competent, then you can build creature decks from many types, e.g. Cats, unicorns, humans, vampires etc.

Overall they are my main priority ones.

Singing in a folk choir. Singing in a choir is the best hobby for the soul!

@Afan

I’d love to own and learn to use a sewing machine. Any suggestions on where to begin……

With a Brother LS14 sewing machine, a tape measure, a sharp pair of dressmakers scissors some old bedsheets or very cheap cotton fabric and any Tilly and The Buttons pattern (I'd personally recommend the Jaimie Pajama bottoms as a starter project)

Horse-much beloved but a financial burden and exhausting. You have to be smitten.

Chicken keeping - lots of fun to keep as long as you don’t mind chicken shit everywhere and endlessly extracting the little buggers from your kitchen all summer.

I actually long for no hobbies these days! And a lie in.

Photography

2 years ago I had no hobbies! I started trying new things to see what I liked and if it's something I could enjoy. The things that stuck were: baking (the most dominant hobby as people keep ordering things of me!), gaming, yoga and bullet journalling.

Ones that I didn't enjoy (or used to enjoy but have since lost my interest) were: creative writing, reading, drawing and colouring and the gym.

Op try some things and see what happens 🙂

I make CP soap.

Started it during first lock down and I’m now hooked.

I now make solid bars and also liquid soaps and shampoos. I’ve experimented with micas for colours, and moved into making my own plants based infusions to use as natural colorants.

My friends are really bored with my chatting about the ins and outs of my new obsession, but they adore luxuriating in my hobby, and there are compliments aplenty, specifically from my clay range of soaps.