Hands up if you learned how to bake bread during the COVID-19 lockdown! Our guess is a fair number of you brought out the baking tins to kill the boredom, along with other pastimes. Unfortunately for many, resuming normal life caused this enthusiasm to wane just as quickly as it was sparked. Work, school, or social obligations take over your time and money. Or maybe you were just going along with internet fads you didn’t really enjoy because, well, lockdown. If so, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together a list of hobbies that suit a variety of interests, schedules, and most importantly, budgets.
1. Pottery
There’s something inherently soothing about touching and molding clay. Is that because it takes us back to using Play-Doh as children? Either way, pottery is making quite the comeback, meaning it should be easy to find a class near you. We love a good, accessible hobby!
There are three main techniques used in making pottery: hand-building, slip casting, and the most popular, wheel-thrown pottery.
Newbies would do better to focus on one at a time, but this doesn’t limit the things you can make. From ceramic decorations for your house to more abstract items, there’s always something to take home after a good pottery session.
2. Archery
As with most things, becoming a skilled archer involves time, dedication, and practice, but this doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy yourself along the way.
In fact, geeking out on all the details while improving your skills will be incredibly fulfilling. Before you know it, you’ll be familiar with high-tech crossbows and competing with similar hobbyists.
The most popular types of archery are:
- Target archery involves shooting at a target from a set distance.
- Field archery targets objects at varying distances in an outdoor setting.
- 3D archery involves shooting at life-size animal models, a great way for hunters to develop their skills.
Ensure you select the right type of bow or crossbow for each.
3. Origami
This artsy hobby is a must-try if you like to create with your hands. Though it originated in China, it became more popular among the Japanese who coined the name: “ori” meaning folding, and “gami” meaning paper.
Origami is both therapeutic and fulfilling, requiring the maker to concentrate and follow detailed instructions to create beautiful pieces such as birds, flowers, animals, and more. Getting started is also easy, as there are a lot of free guides and video tutorials online.
4. Hiking
We know what you’re thinking: not another activity list suggesting I visit the Grand Canyon. Yes, it kind of is; but really, hiking is a popular hobby, and for good reason.
It’s a great way to enjoy nature while moving your body — two factors proven to improve health and wellness. Plus, it requires little commitment to start.
No doubt the famous trails of the world are worth adding to your bucket list. However, you can find breathtaking sights anywhere if you’re willing to explore.
Start with trails that are close to home and expand your radius as you conquer longer and more challenging terrains. Or you could stick to easy hikes, picking locations by their diversity of flora and fauna instead.
5. Martial Arts
This one is right up your alley if you’re the more intense type who finds hiking slow and dreary but would rather get into something more engaging than running. Most martial arts involve high-intensity training that promotes cardiovascular health, weight loss, flexibility, and more. They also teach self-defense, an important life skill for any gender. If you’re interested in learning more about martial arts, you can search online for taekwondo classes near me for example, to find out more information.
In today’s world, the social and mental health benefits of the sport might just outweigh the physical. Martial arts like Karate or Tai Chi emphasize focus, calmness, and self-control. For example, karate training highlights meditation and stoicism, teaching the student how to remain calm in stressful situations. So if office drama is getting on your last nerve, find a class to attend during your lunch break!
6. Puzzles
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this hobby, it has great mental benefits on top of being an enjoyable way to fill up leisure time. Puzzles challenge your brain’s logic, pattern recognition, reasoning, spatial awareness, and other important areas that develop your problem-solving skills.
To make it more rewarding, choose puzzles that have beautiful images like a city skyline or an attractive bird, or maybe even get custom puzzles made up for that personal feel. That way you can frame your complete puzzle to hang up or give to a friend.
7. Target Shooting
Speaking of activities that develop focus, target shooting regularly also teaches your brain to concentrate for long periods and quickly zero in on a subject. That’s right, target shooting is not just an activity for adrenaline seekers. It has a host of holistic benefits such as mental discipline and strength building.
Visit a gun range or reach out to local clubs to learn the ropes and get started. Most ranges rent out different guns, but beginners may want to carry their own laser sights to help them build confidence in target acquisition.
Find What You Love
It’s a great thing to have a hobby as an escape. Try out these suggestions to discover one that is enjoyable and fulfilling for you!
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