AIBU to ask for mentally stimulating solo activities at home?

[Searchingforananswer2023]

Living alone, no friends or family and I was wondering if you have any suggestions for actives to do when alone at home. I have just bought a game of Bananagrams on Vinted as I can complete that alone. What else do you do that is mentally stimulating and can be done alone? I am looking for activities that I can get absorbed in

The following are a given: reading, watching a series, word searches, cooking, jigsaw, listening to music, knitting.

Am I missing something else?

I’m in the u3a and lots if people take up an instrument on retirement. Helps keep your mind going and your body strong. Never too old!

During covid my daughter bought me an adult painting by numbers and since then I have done loads. People scoff but choose carefully and sone of them are quite hard and take hours with really good results . I find that really absorbing.

I could paint by numbers but am in no way artistic at all.

Chess.com; crosswords; learn an instrument.

Cryptic crosswords. Dh and I do the Saturday Times Jumbo one every weekend. If you are not used to cryptic crosswords it's a sharp learning curve, but it's very mentally stimulating! There are all sorts of little tricks and conventions that you gradually learn in order to solve them.

I just googled this and its not my kind of thing, it might inspire some others though.

cross-stitch or some other craft? Teaching yourself home renovation skills?

Craft kits? I can knit but basic. No to writing and drawing.

I started quilting. Sewing with a machine and also English paper piecing (hand sewing). I am obsessed!

The 1000 Dot to Dot series of books.

Lego (art, botanicals, architecture)

Wordle, Quordle, Octordle, Octordle Sequence by Britannica.com

I like your theme for the year.

I watched a programme a few days ago all about the original London Bridge and Amazon delivered me a book all about it this morning. So I think I could run with this idea.

I also want to learn to crochet.

Killer Sudoku is my go to game of choice.

it's like ordinary Sudoku (all nine numbers, none of which can be repeated in any awaquare or line) except instead of giving you a couple of numbers to get you going, it tells you what the sum of a particular group of squares is within the grid.

it sounds like a game of arithmetic, but it's actually a game of logic. I find it both stimulating and soothing. And it has improved my mental arithmetic.

Sometimes I get the lyrics on my phone of old songs I liked as a teen and put on the song and sing along really loudly to them. I also go through lots of songs from musical films I liked when younger and do the same. It’s fun and nostalgic!

I’ve just taken up embroidery and I am LOVING it. Maybe sudoku/crossword type puzzles, crochet, little furniture type projects?

OMG dot to dot - I did that as a child and totally forgot about it. Have just googled and Amazon have some books - thank you!

Diamond art, jigsaws, cross stitch, embroidery, anything art - acrylics, watercolour, photo realism drawing, coloured pencils, oil pastels, soft pastels.

There are loads of art course/subscriptions online. I joined the Level Up Art Club and have been really surprised at what I’m achieving. The teacher is great.

It's strangely addictive. Make sure you have a pencil sharpener, ruler & rubber to hand. The numbers are tiny.

Have you tried adult colouring? There are so many Facebook groups with loads of ideas for inspiration. It’s not just those mandate patterns these days - there’s this ‘bold and easy’ style which is like children’s colouring book but made adult. Big areas to colour in.

I am presently dealing with profound grief after the loss of my daughter. I have found the following moderately helpful (various degrees of success). I do appreciate that these things require some element of financial outlay though:

Flower arranging.
Herb growing
Seed growing - on the windowsills.

Felting (didn’t really take off for me but others like it)
Decoupage (this is fun and really easy)

I play piano (badly) and speak French (even more badly) but learning any instrument or language is very diverting.

My daughter loved pyrography (and the starter kit is quite cheap).
And Scrapbooking

Developing skills in a particular cuisine

Patchwork.

An online book club

Candle or soap making.

I hope you find new things to interest you. You sound an interesting person. Best wishes

Build book nooks and diy miniature kits! Great fun and highly addictive. I am not arty at all but they all have step by step instructions. Check out amazon for ideas.

You will surprise yourself. I had never done anything creative, didn't do art at school. Got myself a little painting kit at 55 and my first painting was an Autumn forest. I love it. I paint for my own pleasure and am not trying to impress any one. I think we are all creative but we were told when we were little that we aren't good at art, at least I was, so we never explore our creative side.

Lego?

There is a Lego subscription service where you can get new sets every month.

Painting by numbers

Sending good wishes to you at this difficult time. I am recently bereaved and all alone, hence the request for things to do. Take care x

Jigsaws. Crafting.