Long long hours at work and a visit to the cardiologist before my 40th birthday have convinced me that I need to take up a hobby to reduce my stress levels.
However, I don’t have anything relaxing that I do other than read, watch television, and surf the Internet.
So I need to hear from folks who have and enjoy a hobby. What do you do? How did you start? Why do you continue? What does it do for your mental state and stress level? How expensive or time-consuming is it?
Mine is taking flying lessons. It certainly isn’t cheap but it gives you a new perspective on life. Most middle-class people can afford it if they really want to if they set aside $10 or so a day to take a semi-regular lesson. I only do it because aviation is one of the few extracurricular things I care about in this world. Flying itself can be stressful (or very peaceful) but it gets your mind completely off of your everyday life. Some people take sailplane lessons which are cheaper and much calmer from what I hear as well as a load of fun so I might try that soon. You don’t have to commit to anything. Almost all areas in the U.S. have flying schools that will be more than happy to let you fly to the best of your ability with an instructor as much as you want.
I walk one hour per day, usually to get home from work (3 miles). This hobby is free, very relaxing (when done) and, I imagine, good for the health. I highly recommend it, it’s brought my stress levels down more than meditation or any pills could hope to do. I started by one day, just deciding to do it and keep on, because I know it’s so good for me. Also, I sleep like a log on days that I’ve done this.
Ever try fishing? It’s a good excuse to do nothing in a relaxing place. When people ask, “What’ve you been up to?,” you don’t have to say, “Nothing.”
Mine used to be horses/riding, but my horse died last year and I haven’t gotten into it again. It is very expensive unless you happen to own a horse farm…
My new hobby is geocaching. It is great for getting out and enjoying the outdoors. I got started in it when I took a GIS class and using a GPSr was one of the classes. My professor took us out to find a cache hidden on campus using the school’s GPSr units, and I was hooked.
The main expense is the GPSr, they can be had for $100-$600. Ideally, a geocacher is someone who enjoys being outdoors and hiking, but there are also many, many caches placed in city parks and other urban areas that are very easy to get to.
It is great for reducing stress. Being outdoors and getting exercise just does it for me. This hobby has brought me to many places that I never even knew existed - even in my own town. It can take very little time (grab a few easy caches close to home) or a long time (take a camping trip and cache farther from home).
Caches are rated to terrain/difficulty so you are never in a situation where the hunt is too difficult - just avoid the higher ratings.
So, that’s my hobby. After the initial outlay for my GPSr, the only other money involved is a $30 premium membership (optional) on Geocaching.com (so I can run pocket queries and get 500 caches at a time instead of just a few) and gas money to get to the caches.
I do various forms of needlework. I can knit very well while I watch a movie, because I don’t do very complicated patterns, and I rarely need to look at my work. I can crochet quite well when I watch TV, but I don’t watch TV that often.
Sometimes I do other artsy craftsy things, it just depends on what I’m interested in at the time.
I discovered scrapbooking and have really enhoyed it. There is really no right or wrong way to do it - you can just run with it. Local scrapbooking shops often have classes, but they aren’t necessary.
It can be as expensive as you want it to be, but it isn’t a cheap hobby. There is the cost of printing pictures, then albums, and paper, and embellishments, and isn’t this cute I know I’ll use it for something…
The Sunday papers are your friend in this…most chain craft stores will have ads in them. Hobby Lobby and Michaels here both have 50% off sales on everything I need fairly frequently.
Then there is the matter of storage - you have to store that expensive paper carefuly. A corner of my dining room has been given over to dedicated scrapbook material storage.
The beauty of scrapbooking is that you get to enjoy being creative and making it then you can give it away and you don’t have to dust it! I do scrapbooks for several members of the local hockey team, and I made one for a friend as her housewarming gift. I took pictures at the party and made a really great book.
That’s my hobby!
My hobby is kiteflying (AND kitemaking).
I fly, (for the most part) single-line kites, (though I do also fly some nice contraptions called rotorkites, which require two lines.)
It’s such a nice, calming experience, watching your kite up against the clear blue sky (or the nice puffy clouds), the occasional tug on the line, and the gentle warm winds.
It’s you and your kite, and it can be really pretty when the sun backlights your kite, where it kinds of sparkles like a jewel, and the colours of your kite let you plant flowers in the sky (so to speak!)
It’s fun every once in awhile, to send things up your kite line, maybe launch little gliders or parachutes.
Is there enough wind to fly it? Just hold your kite up by the bridle, and if it assumes flying position, your in business.
So, go fly a kite, Clovernook, it sure works for me, (almost a mini, restful vacation for an hour or so), and once you’ve gotten your kite (either store-bought or one you’ve made yourself), it’s FREE!!!
Is hiking an option where you live? Here in Phoenix there are several mountains in the city. Aside from shoes and bottles of water, it is free. Of course, I spend some money downloading more music than I probably would to listen to on my ipod while I’m hiking, but that isn’t required.
Crossword puzzles are available in any newspaper, in compilation magazines or books, or online. A very inexpensive hobby.
I play a lot of online chess. While I"m not very good, I enjoy playing.
Fishing is definitely good, but remember Murphy’s Inverse Law Of Success with fishing…
“The more you spend on your gear/lures/hardware, the less succesful you’ll be”
Basically, if you spend huge amounts of money on the latest rod, reel, line, lure and other accesories technology, you’ll either catch nothing, or catch tiny fish
the angler with a tree branch/bamboo stick, with heavy duty twine tied to it and a simple baited hook will haul in lunker after lunker while you sit there fishless…
Another fun hobby is target shooting, and once again, simple/inexpensive is the key here, my favorite target shooting setup is an inexpensive Savage Mark IIG bolt-action .22LR rifle with a basic Bushnell 3-9X scope and a cheap bipod, shooting common bulk pack Federal/Winchester/CCI high-velocity rimfire ammo at paper plates with Sharpie bullseyes (or those paste-on “Shoot-n-C” flourescent reactive stickers) on them, start off at 50 yards, then go to 100 yards, then 200 yards
at 50 yards, I can generally keep my groups at 1/2 to 1/4", at 100 yards, they open up to 3/4" or so, and that’s with no other accessories, just a simple rifle, bipod, and cheap bulk ammo
you can generally pick up a decent used semiauto .22 (Marlin Model 60) for $80-100 depending on condition, used single shot rifles can range from $40 up depending on condition, used bolt action repeaters are generally around $120ish, scopes and mounting hardware (if the used firearm doesn’t already have one mounted) are generally around $40+
the bare minimum to get started in 50/100 yard target shooting is a basic rifle (single shot is fine), a box of ammo, some targets, and a place to shoot
Used single-shot rifle $50
Box of bulk .22 (550 rounds) 20
Targets (retail) >10
Targets (found objects) Free
another angle if noise is a problem, is to get an adult spring-piston air rifle (break-barrel style) I have a Crosman RM-522 .22 caliber pellet rifle that’s accurate out to 25 yards, and is almost dead silent, a faint Sproing when it fires and the thwack of the pellet hitting the target, I could shoot in my back yard without disturbing the neighbors
The fun of target shooting is that it’s a skill test, how close together can you place your shots, the real object of target shooting is the mythical “One Ragged Hole”, you shooting the gun so accurately that you send all your projectiles through the same hole, it’s a test of how accurately you align your sights on target, how steady you can hold the rifle, how smoothly you can pull the trigger, how you compensate for wind, for bullet drop at extreme distances, heck, even air temperature and humidity can play a part in chasing that mythical One Ragged Hole…
I brew beer. 'Nuff said.
Seconding this. I run several times a week–usually about only half an hour at a time–but it still feels really good. And I agree, sleeping feels so good when you’ve gone for a run. So does eating for that matter.
ETA: Forgot the other questions.
Yes, it’s great for stress. If I’m feeling depressed or jumpy, it calms me down. It just makes me feel good all over. It’s free in theory though I do it at a gym in my building. I just started by going to a track near my old home and I started slow at first because I wasn’t in great shape but I just kept at it and it felt good. I think I started because I was afraid of weight gain (yeah, I know, real healthy) but I continue because it feels good.
I’d like to second knitting, because I believe that it has a niche for almost anyone. As Lynn mentioned, knitting simple things is great, because it provides a relaxing, rhythmic thing to do with your hands while watching movies or reading and it makes that “wasted” time productive. (What do I have to show for watching all those episodes of The Venture Bros. and True Blood last semester? A sweater, a scarf, and a hat, that’s what!)
There’s also something to be said for complicated knits. You might love making complex and beautiful things with lace or colorwork, or perhaps you’d prefer to knit the humorous and bizarre.
Mainly, I just love the fact that I have the power to turn a featureless ball of yarn into a sweater, a pair of gloves, or even a useless but charming squid. It makes me feel great.
Recreational drug use. Marijuana, mostly, and when you gather a circle of friends together to smoke, you find an excuse just to talk and catch up with your friends.
I would only consider this semi-serious
If running counts as a hobby, then I suppose paddling can as well! I dragon boat, but I’ve also recently discovered outrigger canoes, and I also love to kayak if that’s an option. I’m out on the water 2-3 times a week (usually an hour at a time), and wish I could do more. If I was in a position to have my own boat, I think I’d be out every day in the summer! It’s fun, can be relaxing, and in the case of dragon boating, it’s a great way to make friends and have some friendly competition. It’s also a great way to stay in shape, and the water is so refreshing.
I’d like to recommend you try a Martial Arts class.
I take a Tang Soo Do Class (a type of Korean Karate). I find that it
One class 3 times per week helps reduce my stress levels as well as increase my physical activity, improve my self discipline… all while learning self defense techniques.
Any martial art you choose would be fine, just as long as you are comfortable with the style and instructor. Remember that the purpose of martial arts is self improvement so beware of places that make promises of making you a black belt in a year.
Boomeranging.
It’s like playing catch…with yourself.
Waht do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back?
A STICK!
I used to play Airsoft a while back. Getting together with 20-or so grown men and running through the woods playing soldier while shooting plastic pellets at each other is a great way to burn off a few calories. Of course, you gain back most of those calories from all of the beer drinking.
How about water aerobics? Low impact but you still get quite a workout.
Riding horses was mentioned above . . . it doesn’t cost me much these days because I made a friend through riding who has two horses and not enough time to keep them both exercised every day, but it did cost a decent amount of money for a while. How much does it cost? It depends on your level of involvement. Riding lessons on someone else’s lesson horses can be had around here for an average of $20-25 per week, but that’s only one lesson per week. Thus, many people start half-leasing or full-leasing (very roughly speaking, $300/month and $600/month, respectively, around here), but you are dependent on being able to find a horse to lease that you get along with, AND an owner that you get along with. Thus, many people are led to the next phase of horse addiction, buying their own horse. The initial outlay depends on what you want from the horse – more athletic, more reliable mentally and physically, and more highly trained horses cost more. Let’s say that you just want a friendly trail horse who can do some trail riding with you – in this economy, you might only have to spend a couple thousand dollars. However, the main expense comes later, in the upkeep of the horse. These are numbers for your average, non-fussy, low-maintenance, healthy horse. There’s board, which around here runs $200-$350/month for field board, which is healthier for most horses anyway, or $400-$600/month for stall board. You have to have the farrier (blacksmith, horseshoer, horse podiatrist dude) out every 6-8 weeks to the tune of $100 (although prices vary widely). The horse needs vaccines every year: if you learn to do them yourself, you may end up spending a couple hundred buying the vaccines. It’s more if you buy them through a vet and if you have the vet make a farm call to give the shots. It costs money to buy tack (a bridle and saddle) to outfit your horse for riding – possibly hundreds of dollars. However, these are all predictable expenses. You also must be prepared – mentally and financially – for the possibility that your horse will try to die on you, or at least maim itself. A simple wound that needs to be stitched up or a mild colic that resolves with one vet visit can be several hundred dollars (a lot of vets charge an emergency fee because most horses decide to commit suicide at unreasonable times like 10 PM on a Saturday). If you are unlucky and your horse gets a wound into a joint (their lower legs are very delicate and the joints are close to the surface; joint infections require aggressive treatment, since the blood supply and thus immunity (and antibiotic levels with systemic treatment) are very low in joints) or has a bad colic and needs fluids and/or surgery, suddenly you are looking at FOUR TO FIVE figures to save your horse’s life, with the other option being putting your horse to sleep and looking for a new horse.
That said, I love it and I can’t imagine not being involved with horses. If I get too old and creaky to get up on a horse, I’ll take up carriage driving; even when I don’t have time to ride, or when I hurt my ankle and wasn’t allowed to ride, I love just spending time around horses. They’re like big dogs in some ways, but they’re not. They have their own unique personalities; although they are prey animals (vs dogs being predators) and thus somewhat wary, they are definitely herd animals and can form bonds just like dogs and cats do with their owners. Horses are majestic creatures that can humble the overconfident and empower the timid. It doesn’t matter what you weigh or how strong you are because horses are much larger and stronger than any person. You have to earn their trust and attempt to be smarter than the horse (not always possible when you are playing on THEIR home turf). The act of riding can be sheer exhilarating physical pleasure; jumping or galloping on a good horse feels as if you are flying a few feet above the ground, and the partnership formed with working with the same horse for a long time is very rewarding.
TLDR: Birding
If this all sounds too intense and expensive for you, or if you are afraid of big animals, I recommend bird watching. You only have to buy a book ($20-30 new, less if used) and a pair of binoculars to go out into the world looking for our avian friends. I recommend spending $300-$400 getting a decent pair of binoculars; ironically, the people who least need fancy optics to be able to identify birds are the most likely to shell out big bucks for spotting scopes, fancy binoculars, and such, whereas beginners who need a clear view to make an ID are likely to go for the bargain binoculars with inferior optics.
Birding provides the mental stimulation of required pattern recognition, the luxury of being outdoors in natural settings, as much physical activity as you want to make of it, and the entertainment of watching wild animal behavior. You are under no obligation to go out when the weather is bad, and by going to different sites at different times of year you end up becoming more familiar with your local natural treasures.
