Eating healthier and exercising more were two of the top three New Year’s resolutions for the past year according to statista.com. There’s a good chance one of those is included among your resolutions as well. Yet no matter what your goals are for 2023, it’s important to remember to incorporate fun.
An easy way to incorporate fun and achieve goals is by trying out a new hobby. If you’re not sure how to get started, here’s a list of eight new hobbies to try out in 2023.
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1. Hiking
Getting yourself out into nature for a vigorous walk is a beneficial hobby to try out. According to National Park Services, hiking can improve your heart health as well as strengthen your muscles.
In addition to this, there are mental health benefits, according to a study done at Stanford University. This study compared the physical and mental effects on two groups: one that spent time walking in nature, and another that spent time walking in an urban environment. Those who spent time in nature showed significant changes in the brain, such as decreased rumination of negative thoughts. Participants also had improved moods and showed a calmer state of being.
2. Foraging
“Foraging” is a word you’ve most likely heard in your history class when you learned about early settlers. Foraging is the act of collecting food in the wild.
Before you skip over this hobby, thinking you’d rather buy your food from the grocery store, consider this benefit. Food that is grown in and picked from the wild hasn’t been chemically altered or modified.
Alexis Nikole Nelson is one Black woman who is leading the charge and has used Instagram and TikTok to highlight the importance of foraging. Nelson shares on her channels her adventures of going into the forests and onto the beaches to find things such as acorns and edible seaweed. She brings her findings home to cook and create something delish.
If you’re intrigued by this hobby but aren’t quite sure where to start, hobbyknowhow.com shares 10 places in the United States where you can forage to your heart’s content.
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3. Learning to play an instrument
When it comes to playing an instrument, many people attended piano lessons as a kid or were in band. For those who didn’t grow up playing an instrument, it can feel like you missed your time to learn.
If you’re questioning whether 40 is too old to learn to play an instrument, the answer is no. According to musichousechool.com, there are many benefits to learning or relearning how to play an instrument as an adult. These benefits include reducing stress, preventing Alzheimer’s disease, enhancing patience and discipline, and providing a creative outlet.
4. Thrifting
Whether through garage sales or utilizing Facebook marketplace, you’ve most likely done some thrifting.
What has probably been more of a seasonal activity, something you do when you’re spring-cleaning or moving, can turn into a yearlong hobby.
Thrifting is a great way to save money and prevent items from piling up in landfills. It can be like a modern treasure hunt as you find unique accessories that can enhance your wardrobe or home decor. It can also enhance your creativity by enabling you to put together things that you wouldn’t normally come across.
5. Restoring furniture
If you enjoy thrifting and want to exercise your creative juices a little more, you can try restoring furniture as a new hobby.
Restoring furniture not only is a fun and useful activity but also can be a side hustle. Refurbishing old tables, chairs, and sofas is about seeing the potential beauty in something that was discarded or broken.
To get started, take a look at items you already have in your home. Reach into the back of your garage for the discarded dresser or lounge chair that is collecting cobwebs. If you don’t have anything in your immediate vicinity, try taking a walk or driving down your neighborhood streets to see what’s been discarded at the side of the road. Even a neighbor’s garage sale can offer some furniture that needs refurbishing.
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6. Playing paintball — for both men and women
This may seem like a hobby that’s more common for men, yet there are many benefits for women who get into the sport. Besides crushing gender stereotypes, paintball is a great way to exercise, blow off some steam, and let your hair down. If you’re new to the activity, here are some suggestions to get started from hobbystrategy.com.
They suggest layering up and wearing protective gear such as kneepads. Paintball isn’t a gentle sport, so having plenty of protection is important in being able to enjoy the sport. Additional advice for newcomers is to focus on playing on a team to better support one another. When out on the field, keep moving and don’t be intimidated by the other players.
7. Hosting game nights
Hosting a game night is a low-cost and fun way to socialize without leaving the comfort of your home.
If you’re interested in hosting, Dicebreakers.com suggests getting started by creating a guest list. It’s ideal to have a mixture of competitive and noncompetitive people. Next, you’ll want to schedule a time and location.
Once you know when the game will be happening and who will be attending, you can choose the right games. You can set up games as the host or invite guests to bring their favorite games. Lastly, you’ll want to make sure everyone feels comfortable by providing a welcoming space.
If you like the idea of a game night but don’t want to take on all the responsibility of hosting, you can ask a friend to co-host with you.
8. Learning a new skill
Whether you want to find a new job or excel in your current position, learning a new skill is an important activity to take on. If you’re not sure which skill you should learn, focus on high-income generating skills such as SEO, copywriting, video editing, coding, AWS cloud, and project management.
For 2023 the best way to achieve your goals and enjoy more of life is to combine a goal with a fun new hobby. For instance, you can incorporate hiking into your goal of getting into shape. You can try thrifting or restoring furniture to support the goal of creating a new stream of income. When you can find the balance between hard work and enjoyment, goals become a little bit easier to achieve.
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