Picture this, you are just arriving back home from school or work after a long day and you are yearning to sit down and partake in a hobby or activity you enjoy. This could be watching television or putting on a movie, cooking up something for lunch or dinner, or anything else that may cross your mind. But after a while, you might be feeling bored of your favorite hobby and you’re sure that you’re ready to try something new, but you’re clueless on what you should do. Let me suggest some ideas for hobbies or activities that I enjoy.

Typically, when I get home from school I choose to sit down for a little while and chill out from the long day I’ve just had. As I said, watching television or starting a movie could be great ways to help someone relax and take their mind off school or work, but there are many other hobbies that could be relaxing too. Drawing for example, lots of people all around the world like to draw in their free time and this includes drawing for your job itself, or even doodling at your desk. Drawing and sketching has been known to help people decompress. Personally, I only draw at school or when I am bored. It is not something I see myself starting seriously, but I still believe it is a good example of something people could do when it comes to alleviating stress after a long day. If you are really looking to improve at drawing, Apex High offers art classes along with drafting which is slightly more advanced, but it will still help you improve. 

Moving on, another hobby that I do is making music. Overall, I have been learning and improving at making music on my computer for roughly two years as of now. I remember it being a fun thing to pick up so I definitely recommend trying. As I said earlier, I make music on my computer. For anyone trying to begin, finding the right application or website could be hard and confusing. So if you are a  beginner, I recommend a website named ‘Bandlab’ for a number of reasons. To start, Bandlab is completely free and comes with a number of different digital instruments ranging all the way from pianos and synths, to brass and strings. The amount of different options with the instruments alone is endless and certainly gives you the resources to make a good song. Even when you’ve moved on from using unedited instruments, Bandlab has more than one hundred different effects you can add to change up the sound of your instruments however you like. Usually these effects would cost money if you used other applications, which is one more reason Bandlab is the perfect place to start making music. Overall, making music is a very fun hobby and it is definitely something you should start if you’re looking for something new. It could be a little hard at first, but if you remember to stay motivated and you don’t give up, you will start to see improvements.

Another activity I enjoy is cooking. This is something I have just recently started so relatively there is not much advice I can provide, but it is still something that I genuinely enjoy. If you’re looking to start, I recommend searching for easy recipes on websites like AllRecipes, or even Reddit to find the right meals that fit your taste personally. Cooking is a very important skill to have, so learning it is important, even if you are just starting. 

One more example of an activity that a lot of people have is playing video games. Whether it’s a classic like Minecraft or something newer like Fortnite, playing video games with friends or alone can be a great way to decompress and just have fun. Games like Minecraft can help people express themselves creatively with the infinite possibilities when it comes to building. The game also has an objective to beat, which is to fight the Ender Dragon. This gives people a set goal if that’s how they like to play and can help motivate them to stay focused. On the other hand, more competitive games like Fortnite can be a good way to train yourself and stay focused. In one round, dozens of things could be going on at once as you are playing against ninety-nine other people and still trying to win. This alone leaves much room for improvement and would be a good way to test yourself. 

One last recommendation is picking up a sport. If you’re looking to become more active, picking up a sport could be a good way to fill your free-time while remaining active. Some examples of easy sports to pick up could be soccer, basketball, or even golf. Personally, I’ve played volleyball and I believe it is also an easy sport to pick up, as long as you practice. 

Overall, any of these examples I listed above would be good and enjoyable for you to pick up as a hobby. For the most part, they are easy to access and will all benefit you a lot in life. From helping you express yourself creatively, or improving your focus, I heavily recommend that you try at least one of these out.