As much as we love our family lives, it’s always good to have something that you can enjoy by yourself. Focusing on a hobby you are passionate about, can be just what you need to take any stresses and strains away and allow you to relax. Getting out and doing something for ourselves can be great for our health as well as our mental well being, but could also lead to all kinds of new ventures. I’ve put together 5 simple ideas of fun hobbies that you too could take up and indulge in a little “me time”.
Photography
Photography is a popular one these days and my absolute favourite way to spend my alone time. There are lots of online photography courses that will help you upskill – or there are photography classes locally if you’d prefer to enjoy the social element. This will allow you to take great photos of your family and the kids, explore nature and gives you a good excuse to get outdoors. In some instances – people have enjoyed it so much that offering photography services as a side income has been an unexpected bonus.
Yoga
There is no doubt that if you don’t already practice yoga – that you will know someone that does. It comes with many health benefits. It is a relaxing exercise and can destress you as well as relieve anxiety. In some studies, there is evidence to suggest that it can have an anti-depressant effect on people giving you an overall better quality of life. You can also build up your core strength which is great to prevent back pain and posture issues. There will most likely be a yoga class near you, or else you can get some tips in online tutorials or workout DVD’s. There's lots of great YouTube channels now devoted to offering free yoga workouts, so it's a great place to start if you want a taste before braving a class with other people.
Wine Collecting
If you fancy yourself as a sommelier when you are out at dinner, this could be a great hobby for you. It is a bit of an investment, but perfect for those of you who like a nice glass of wine and maybe gives you a good excuse to have another! You can spend some time researching fine wines and creating a collection, going for tastings or travelling to see where they are made. You could even get a tour of somewhere like the Octavian wine cellars if you’d like to get a feel for how fine wine is properly stored. If you’d like to ensure your wine is cared for correctly, you can even enquire about storing your collection in these cellars.
Cycling
Once you get going with cycling it can become a bit of a healthy addiction. It has so many benefits that you will want to just keep going and you soon rekindle that love of bikes that most of us had as children. As well as this, it's possible to reduce the signs of aging, and lead to a healthier lifestyle overall – it’s also environmentally friendly. On top of this, you can save money on fuel if you use it as your main method of transportation. There are lots of great cycle routes that you can explore in the UK and abroad, and you can meet some new people on the way whilst getting fit and strong along the way.
Reading
Reading is a great hobby for all ages. It brings an element of escapism into your life and gives you the chance to enter new worlds and open your imagination. You can sit back, relax and pretend to be in another land if you want to, encountering wonderful characters and mystical beasts. Although reading isn’t a team effort – there are lots of great book clubs out there where you can get together with a group of people, choose a book and then discuss your thoughts on it with everyone once you have all had a chance to read it. That way you can share your interest and create another social group if that's your thing. Otherwise, it's a great way to unwind after a busy day, a super cheap hobby to start and you can literally do it anywhere!
If you've been meaning to try out a new hobby, but haven’t quite got around to it yet, why not try out some ideas from this list, you never know where it could take you!
