When someone asked me recently what I’m into I didn’t have answers. Existential crisis aside, what are some good hobbies/interests for someone in their mid thirties to pick up?
Really anything can be a hobby, but I’ll be a shill for my own hobbies real fast: playing guitar, hiking, writing, reptiles/snakes, tea, and tabletop games.
Pinball, unless you want a cheap one.
Probably some of these mentioned already:
- Cooking more instead of buying pre-made
- Learning some basic home maintenance like plumbing, keeping appliances cleaned, simple electrical stuff, etc
- Growing some small veggies
- Prepping for disaster - different time frames and scenarios like: fire, no power, poor air quality, floods, data loss, having to leave in a hurry
- Simple exercise and stretching routine
Do you prefer indoor or outdoor activities?
Both, but I live in a state where the summers are hot and the winters are cold and snowy. Finding something to do outdoors consistently had been difficult.
Do you have any creative outlets in your life? Doesn’t have to be for anyone but yourself.
It’s a good time to pick up a martial art or yoga. The strength and flexibility training will help stave off age very effectively, and they’re good at helping deal with stress too.
Play an instrument.
I had zero musical talent, I’m not coordinated, and I don’t even listen to music much to be honest. Yet one day I decided to try playing guitar and totally fell in love, it’s like a new part of my brain came online.
I’ll never be playing Wembley stadium or whatever but just practicing is so rewarding. It’s not about getting good, it’s about getting better.
Mid 30s here and just started guitar a couple months ago. So many great resources online and you can practice pretty much anytime anywhere. Have had a blast and even got my 2 year old son into it. Been a lot of fun learning parts of some of my favorite songs.
I got a tiny FX processor (boss pocket mini) and it can hook up to any set of speakers or headphones. The ability to move from rock to blues to metal to funk has made practice even more fun.
Plus it’s opened up the world of playing along to YouTube tracks, which has been an absolute blast!
I actually did this but with the ukulele! I picked it up partially because it’s small and really easy to pick up and put down when I’m bored at work, but also because it’s relatively easy.
Dude learning music is so fulfilling. I picked up the viola at 30. Am I good, no, not at all. However, it’s been super gratifying being able to hear gradual progress. I have improved enough that playing with other people is no longer a pipe dream. Learning music has given me so much happiness. I felt so anxious and stalled in my paid work because of the vagueness and lack of direction, so small achievable goals like learning a new piece has been really grounding. It’s also really peaceful to have something so completely selfish. My viola skills are not for anyone but me, so I always smile a little whenever I pick it up. I sincerely hope that the guitar brings you the same joy.
Man I really want to learn the piano but the community sometimes feels so gatekeepy. So many people will tell you if you don’t start off with a dedicated piano teacher, you won’t have the right foundational principles and you’ll be forever shit. I just dont have the time to commit to a schedule and regular piano lessons.
Love your comment bout getting better, not good. Maybe I shold just dive in and see where it takes me.
Just do it!
I did a ton of research and got a cheap bit quality monoprice starter electric guitar.
There’s definitely a ton of snobbery, same with any hobby. YouTube is a fantastic way to dip your toe in the water and you can always start lessons if you’re enjoying it!
If it helps, I never learned “formally” and play by ear pretty much all the time; and I’ve been playing in bands since college and have my music on streaming platforms. Obviously I’ll never be able to perform classical pieces or work as a sessionist because I can’t read sheet music, but I do make my own music. Go for it!
Same with the piano but when looking around for starter keyboards all they can tell you is everything is shit unless to throw out $500.
I don’t even know if this is going to click with me. I can’t spend that much on something that may end up gathering dust.
You can start with a midi controller keyboard for less than $200. It doesn’t have its own sound and you’ll need a laptop or ipad and software to actually play, but at least you won’t blow hundreds of dollars just to pick up a hobby. A full weighted keyboard will be a little more expensive though and can hit $300+.
I feel you man. It has to be 88 weighted keys otherwise it’s shit. 500 for the piano and $100 per lesson is what you’re supposed to spend. Put me off it, I bought a Ukulele instead haha.
So many people will tell you if you don’t start off with a dedicated piano teacher, you won’t have the right foundational principles and you’ll be forever shit.
Are you one of those people though?
I don’t think so, but when you’re told that it’s a little intimidating to start.
I’ve tried my hands at home brewing and lock picking. Not great at either, but I’ve learned a lot and had fun. You can get started in either for under $100. And if you enjoy them you can sink much much more into them!
Photography is a good one. There’s so many directions to take with it. It’s easy to share with other people digitally these days, and has never been more accessible since practically everyone has a pretty good camera on their phone. You can do landscapes, animals, macro nature, miniature scenes, food, old signs, buildings, all sorts of specialties within those and more.
You wanna get poor? Cause photography will inevitably lead you to a point where you start justifying spending thousands of dollars for a piece of glass to make a difference in your photos nobody but yourself will notice. I heard.
Sure, if you’re into analog photography or developing prints with chemicals or something. Digital photos with your phone isn’t going to cost anything.
Edit: I guess I read this wrong; you mean glass to set up a scene? Or a special lens?
Film photography can still be pretty cheap compared to digital. Any prime 50mm-ish from the last 70 years will be at least decent to great, any manual camera from the last 50 years is will be good if working. A lot of East-Asian and Eastern European bodies and lenses from the 70’-90’don’t hold much value but a lot are very competent workhorses. A lot of (especially Japanese) “basic” lenses like the SMC Taks, most Canons and Nikons have gotten very expensive tho because nowadays people can easily adapt them to any MILC for that “vintage” look.
Go black and white, buy a bottle of Rodinal (or any clone) and a film tank. They will both last forever.
Good b&w film like Ilford FP4+ is getting expensive tho, but you can still burn through 50 rolls before reaching the price of a decent, entry level cropped frame DSLR or MILC. Double or triple that if you want a full frame digital camera.
Plus, a full manual setup is an amazing learning tool, and having only 36 shots per roll force you to stop and think before shooting anything.
Only potential problem is that scanning negatives can be tricky without buying a film scanner.
Sounds like fun! Overall though it has to cost more than using your phone and not having to buy film, paper or chemicals, I’d think. Not that there’s anything wrong with spending a bit of money on an interest.
Rock climbing. Hit up a gym or hire a guide if outdoor climbing sounds interesting
If you have time and enjoy being active / outside - running.
If you prefer learning and/or experiencing something other than your daily life - reading.
Both can be tailored to your own availability/interest (fast or long running, solo or group, non-fiction or fiction, specific interests or genre.
I subconsciously separate hobbies into two categories, inside the comfort zone and outside the comfort zone. Do you want to fill your hours doing something you enjoy with people you like (or alone is good, too)? Or do you want to expand your horizons, meet new people (or learn to be content alone), and try something new?
That’s a critical first question to answer, because any hobby can expand to fill the available time and budget.
And those are the next two questions, both important. Do you have long stretches of continuous time and an unlimited budget? Traveling is a great hobby that will also help you find new hobbies.
Do you have zero budget and unpredictable pockets of time? Crafting can be fun and an inexpensive creative outlet.
Think about what you like, who you like to be around, and when it makes sense to be doing it. Do you want to play Warhammer in a comic book shop with people who are way into it? Would you enjoy playing golf every weekend at the local club? Hobbies are a great way to challenge yourself and meet new people, or it’s a great way to get all introspective and grow as a person in your spare time.
I took up target shooting about a year ago, and have been in love with it ever since. I shoot 9mm open sight semi auto handgun and cowboy action shooting in .44-40 on an old Winchester model 94. It’s a fantastic community and I’ve met some really great people through it.
How practical is it to do this without owning your own guns?
I can’t speak for other countries, but in Australia where I live, I’d say not very. Hiring range guns plus ammo is easily $150+ each session, so owning my own firearms is the only practical way to afford the hobby. I also own a 12 gauge shotgun and a .223 Taipan pump action ‘AR’ style rifle to use on the property I own, which I’ll also occasionally bring to the range with me.
Competitively, I shoot a CZ Shadow 9mm, and while the upfront cost was high, the amount saved over time makes up for it, plus I can better compete knowing I’m more familiar with my own gun. Range guns are also generally quite battered (the Glock 19 I did my training on would jam literally every other round and was miserable to use.) There’s also personal adjustments to sights and grip preferences that aren’t possible with hired range guns. 9mm ammo costs roughly $25-$30 per box of 50, while the .44-40 is substantially more expensive at $75 per box for Magtech (hard to find the genuine Winchester brand .44 ammo here.)
If you’re interested in picking up the sport, I’d go into a range and try out a few different guns to get a feel for it, then go through the process of acquiring your own, whether that be a safety course and training like here in Australia, or the much simpler process in the US (although I’d still recommend training, as it helps you become familiar with and respect your weapon.)
I hope that helped, even if my experience as an Aussie is likely to be far different from most of the world’s.
anything active. it’ll help keep your body and mind healthy for the long run
Go rock climbing! It’s a great workout and the people around are the most chill people ever!
I second this, it even got a little addictive for me at one point.
