National Hobby Month
January is a month of new beginnings and it is also National Hobby Month, which means it’s a great time to try new hobbies that fit in your lifestyle. Finding a hobby you love can be a rewarding experience. It’s not only a great way to build new skills but reduces stress and gives you a sense of purpose and enjoyment.
Since it’s winter, we spend more time inside and a new hobby can reduce boredom while accomplishing something new. Perhaps you could venture into the creative arts. Try your hand at painting, or if your imagination needs a helping hand, maybe paint by numbers, or diamond painting where you place sparkling resin “diamonds” (rhinestones) onto a color-coded, adhesive canvas. You could also try sculpting, or calligraphy. You could begin journaling, create your biography, or even start blogging as others may be interested in what you have to say. Perhaps give photography a try. With filters available now you can create real art from your photographs.
Learn to knit, crochet, do embroidery, or make jewelry, candles, and soaps with your crafting skills. For a tasty hobby, develop your culinary skills by learning some new French dishes, or baking bread, brewing (beer, kombucha), cheese making, or cake decorating.
New skills that would be advantageous for today’s communications are coding, graphic design, creating a website, or stop-motion animation. You could become a digital creator! Take advantage of technology today and the world open to us. Use the internet to learn a new language, create a podcast, learn an instrument, take an educational course, gaming, or join an online discussion group specific to your age, location or interests.
You can start a book club or begin attending one in your local library or community group. Perhaps you can reach out on social media to find people with like minds to start a special interest genre book discussion group such as Sci Fi, mysteries, history, bible studies, or women’s studies.
There are many tranquil hobbies to enjoy at home such as puzzles, reading, meditation, yoga, Pilates, journaling, crosswords, listening to podcasts, or starting a collection (stamps, coins, rare books, vintage watches, comic books, vinyl records, luxury handbags, vintage cameras, maps, Bakelite jewelry, beer steins, old Avon, sports memorabilia, paper weights or anything that strikes your fancy). For living art that evolves over time, collecting bonsai trees brings together nature, patience, and meticulous care. These miniature trees, shaped and cultivated over years or even decades, represent harmony, balance, and beauty.
As you choose your hobbies, try to ensure you are nurturing different aspects of well-being. Have you heard of the “5 Hobbies Rule”? It is a framework for a balanced life, suggesting you have five types of hobbies: one to make money, one to keep you fit, one to build creativity, one to grow your mind, and one to evolve your mindset (or socialize/add value).