A hobby can be anything you enjoy that you like to do on a regular basis. Video gaming, reading, upcycling furniture, creating your own paintings – they all count. But some hobbies can make you feel like you spend all your time indoors away from people.
While that’s good for plenty, it’s not a lifestyle made for everyone! Some of us have to get out occasionally and have a conversation or two for the sake of our mental health. And if you’re one such person, here’s some good news: if you want to get out a bit more and meet more people, there are plenty of hobbies you can invest in.
You just need to find something you enjoy doing where you can strike up friendships that’ll really stay the course. However, that’s easier said than done if you’re not sure where your passions lie! So let’s go through a few ideas down below; they might just be the inspiration you need right now.
Go Gardening
Gardening can be a very social activity if you try it away from your own house. You can get involved with a community gardening project or you could apply for an allotment of your own. Get down there a couple times a week, make conversation with other gardeners, and share tips and tricks or seeds and saplings with each other. You’ll soon have a couple new friends or two!
Not to mention just how much generational knowledge you can pick up while you’re at it. There are a lot of older gardening methods still going around, including how to properly till soil or the best ways to cut plants to make them grow larger, and you’ll miss out if you don’t ask about them.
Play Music
Playing music can be a communal activity when you sign up to a class or workshop or you check out some community and wellness programs near you. After all, learning to play the guitar or the piano are two of the most common hobbies known to man – you can bet there’s some support to be found in the area!
And seeing as music is an innate rhythm in all of us, you could really find your flow here. Even if you don’t want to play either of these instruments, it’ll be easy to pick up something else and play along with a couple others who love it too.
Dance on the Weekends
Dancing is one of the best physical activities to get involved with. Why? Because it’s fun! You work up a sweat busting some moves, move along to a good tune, and you can laugh along with others as you go.
So think about joining a local dance school or trying a Zumba class once a week. You’ll be able to focus on your physical health and your social life at the same time, and there’s something very sweet about that!
Join a Book Club
Book clubs are perfect for both voracious readers and those who have barely touched a book in their lives. See if you can join one near you and turn up regularly. Find out what’s being read, pick up your own copy and go at your own pace, then check in to talk about it.
You can pinpoint the fine details together, get into heated debates about character motivations, and celebrate the parts of the plot you really loved. But if there’s no book club in your area, why not make the first one yourself?
Try Out a Theater Group
Theater groups are great for anyone with a secret love of acting – you can polish your skills right here! Amateur groups can be found in towns and cities all over the globe, and even if you’re not much good on stage, you can help out backstage and find your passion for the technical side instead.
If you’re worried you might embarrass yourself in a theater group, remember that everyone was in your shoes once. It’s OK to have fun and laugh at yourself when you’re feeling a bit silly, but the show must go on! And if you want to be a part of it, you’ll need to get into the groove and just go with it!
Hobbies that encourage your social life are great for picking up new skills as well as a few phone numbers! If you want to try something new while getting involved with your community, start with the ideas above and see how you go.