You're never too old for a new hobby!
Author's Note: Hey, future Sarah here to quickly cut in! This post was written prior to the news of COVID-19 and the heartbreaking effect it is having globally. This point of this article is in no way to profit off the misfortune of others in self-isolation. I still wanted to post this in case it does inspire someone to pick up a new hobby as a form of distraction during self-isolation. I'm currently still in London and working from home for the foreseeable future. I hope you're all staying safe where possible. If you suffer from ill mental health and/or are struggling to adapt to the self-isolation life, this resource from Mind is worth the read. Sending you all lots of love. 💖
I don't know about you but whenever I was asked to introduce myself as a kid, it went a little something like this: "Hi I'm Sarah, I like fish fingers and my hobbies are reading and shopping". As a kid, I racked my brain is trying to work out what my hobbies were. Now, as I'm older, I think the meaning of a hobby has kind of changed. Many outgrow those childhood hobbies, they might even people part of your job or daily life that it's no longer seen as an enjoyable extra. as I've left uni and have more time to try other things, I've picked up a few things I maybe I tried once when I was younger and forgotten about or just picked up a new skill or hobby for the fun of it! It's never too late to try something new and this might give you some inspiration for what new hobby to pick up next.
Knitting
My mum taught me to knit when I was a lot younger but I quickly got bored and forgot about it. Only recently I've picked it up again with some help from friends and family and I've got the hang of it again pretty quickly! It's been such a great form of self-care for me as, once you've picked up the basics, it can be quite mindless and meditative. It's also a great way to put down that phone - instead of having my phone distract me, I'm knitting instead and it's so much less distracting. I've stuck with simple scarves and hats for now but I think I'll be trying a jumper next - wish me luck!
Reading
This isn't exactly a revelation considering the number of bookshops I've visited and my other recent book-related post: Slump-busting books. I still wanted to mention this as I've spoken to many friends who became demotivated to read during uni and so did I! I couldn't think of anything worse than finishing lecture reading to pick up another book. But, after a reading break, I now can't put my books down and I'm flying through my reading challenge for the year. I now know what genres I love, the best time to read and I love discussing them with friends.
Learning Korean
This is a very recent addition. After learning French on Duolingo, I'd grown quite bored and it was no longer part of my daily routine to pick it up and learn. I fancied trying something completely different and as I've watched more and more Korean shows on Netflix over the years, it seems like a really interesting language to learn. I've been using the book Talk To Me in Korean* - they're not the cheapest but highly-recommended and I'm really loving using it. They also have some great free resources on their website as well.
I've been trying to do a lesson a day, every morning when I get into work I grab a coffee and sit and complete a lesson but unfortunately, it doesn't always happen but I'm trying. I'm already annoying my friends by repeating random Korean words and phrases so I thank them for putting up with me!
Writing
My friend recently set up a writing group - kind of like a book club but a place to share ideas, writing problems, read each other's drafts and it has really inspired me to dust off my notebook and pick up the pen again. While a cohesive idea is yet to form, I'm not rushing myself as it's been so long. It's been really nice to just write out some nonsense and give this writing thing another go.
Sewing
Another hobby for the creative kind, sewing was something I did intermittently throughout my summer holidays are a teenager but as much as I wish I took my sewing machine to uni with me, that didn't happen. Now in London, I'm surrounded by so many other makes at work and so many great fabric stores at the weekend, this is a hobby I always go back to when I want to great creative with. Now I have my sewing machine with me, I'll be sure to be making and more as we head into summer.
What are some of your hobbies? Are they the same ones you had as a child or have they changed over time?
I hope you're doing great,
Sarah x
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