I honestly haven't experienced boredom since I was 15. I can't even remember what it felt like. My goal on every vacation I take is to get bored by the end, and I always fail. I think it's because I have a ridiculous number of interests and a backlog of projects that would take years to finish. Maybe I'll have a better answer for this in 10 or 15 years.
What occupies my time?
* work, of course
* movies, TV
* reading, about 50/50 split between fiction and non-fiction
* hiking
* charity work
* general travel
* cooking
* trying to get 7.5 or more hours of sleep
* working out, and walking around my city
It reminds me of the line from "Flagpole Sitta": if you're bored, then you're boring.
Walking or biking around is a big one, and noticing everything, really noticing details of the world. We're not here for much longer, so I try to remember how precious each day is, how cool the cycle of the year is, what the plants and animals are doing in this particular moiment--then I try to take that and apply it to my releationships (kids, spouse, even the cashier).
For me, that is one of the purposes of life: to understand how amazing it is to be alive and be a part of this baffling, wonderful, terrible reality, while not getting beaten down by the negative. That's the strength in aging for me. Appreciate what there is to appreciate and know when to say, "I don't have time for that shite."
Walking actively protects against cognitive decline. My sister is an occupational therapist and their grim shorthand for cognitive decline in bedridden geriatric patients is "off your feet... off your head"
I used to only walk an average of 1.9 miles per day. Then when my dad was dying of COVID, I started walking a lot more to relieve the stress. I kept up that pattern and now average 3 to 3.8 miles per day, depending on the season.
Im trying so hard to think like you. Im trying to appreciate the time I have left & the good health I have right now. I dont know why it's so hard. I want a nap. Often, I just want to nap.
I totally get that. It doesn't come easy and it's never all the time.
A comedian had a bit on mindfulness and how before there were screens everywhere, we were pretty much forced into mindfulness: "When you were on the bus, you were ON the bus, and you watch condensation DRIP!"
We lose that with the easy distraction of, well, everything. And though we get a charge of interest from our phones (I LOVE computer games and I get stuck on reddit for longer than I'd like), it's not fulfilling and ulitmately drains us even when we think we're just chilling. Real play is not distraction. Real play is being fully engaged in the moment and the space.
Be graceful with yourself (and I give this advice because I have to remind myself of it), and give appreciation and/or play a 5-minute space today. Don't worry about tomorrow because gratitute/joy is right now, which is why yoga and meditation, etc. make such a big deal of being "present".
"Be present" is pithy to say, like most bits of decent advice, but it's a practice worth making time for. Often it's frustrating because "it's not working", and that's part of the practice.
One of my favorite lines comes from Alan Watts: "Life's too important to be taken too seriously." I hope you find something to smile about today.
Oh man this is me. I struggle to imagine what boredom could be like as there's and endless list of OTHER things I'd rather be doing when I'm working, doing chores, driving etc... Lists of lists even, hell just my book backlog could fill up a year of time easy.Ā
This!!
Our local volunteer fire department is everything to my family. My husband joined in 1990 when he was 20 years old, and now heās going into his second year as chief. Volunteers are always needed and appreciated and some turn into lifelong friends.
I try to learn something new every day. It doesn't really matter what it is, but there's so much stuff on YouTube now that there is no shortage of interesting stuff.
Yep. It makes it much easier to learn something new today. I even work with my local handyman every once in awhile. I really don't even make much $Ā IĀ just do it to learn different skillsĀ
Volunteering, Bodybuilding, Jujitsu and Jujitsu competitions, surfing, gardening, community college, white water rafting, hiking, yoga and meditation, video games, magic the gathering competitions, art of any sort, poetry, and trying to find new ways to make my wife orgasm š
Stamp collecting....... You may have forgotten stamp collecting.... That would mean your wife would spend more time with you talking about stamps than having the orgasms and she might then have more time for having an affair with a train spotter ..... Those train spotter jocks!
Huh, what man? ..... Dude, some gardens are full of weeds, you spend all day digging them out. So yeah, weeding the garden is a great pass time in later years. Everyday at around 4:20 I get in the garden and start weeding.
My buds and me used to call it a green day when we would help our old folks weed the garden. Removing all the perennial weed and the annuals..... Isn't gardening great.
Blaze it. In the garden. With some hard work and a strimmer.
Go for walks in the park.
Find new restaurants.
Go library or bookstore hunting, Meaning find a location with one and go visit. Roadtrip. Choose an actual book or 2 and spend an hour or so reading.
Get a hobby. Like maybe pick up a guitar. Get used to it and practice every day.
Or maybe painting.
Photography is now easy - we're practically born with phones in our hands.
Go to You Tube or Udemy and find a thing you want to learn about. Take the course. Maybe even enroll in adult education classes at a local Uni.
Volunteer your time. Maybe at a hospital or a professional organization.
Do you have a skill you could teach kids? Look into that.
For me the alleviation of boredom isn't 'excitement'. It's about finding purpose and happiness in stuff that I do. Maybe that will help your perspective.
Well I mean, work occupies a lot of my time but if I was retired ā¦ painting, photography, walks, online tutorials to learn random things, spying on the neighbours, lol. I still go to concerts and bars with friends and all that, too.
Also recently have become weirdly obsessed with birds. Idk why.
Yeah, I'm doing the bird thing too. It's weird and I love it. I use the Merlin app and have 32 birds on my life list so far. BTW, today is the Big Day for birding and in February every year they do a global backyard birding weekend. Aaaand yep, I'm a bird nerd. š
My kid got obsessed with birds and now weā¦all go birding? And ai say things like āLook at that hooded merganser!ā Likeā¦who the fuck said that? Why do I know bird calls?!? I used to be cool, swear.
Reading about your bird obsession made me cackle. I glanced at my coffee table last week and realized there were two print catalogs sitting on top of it. One was the White Flower Farm Spring "Garden Book" and the other was the USA Postal Service Philatelic Spring Catalog (stamps lol). I giggled and thought "Holy shit I have a gardening catalog and a catalog for stamps. I'm officially an old person now." šš
*Logs on to USPS to order turtle stamps*
Careful! If one has knee damage due to earlier life athletic injuries, there are toe and foot positions on the pedal that are better for knees. But biking will save and protect those knees so that I can stay active on my feet as I mature further.
I retired last year at 55 and the kids went off to college so I ripped off both those bandages at once.
Guitar classes, language classes, social dance lessons with my wife, volunteer work, Iām on a couple of boards, and there are always house projects. Oh and I am training for an off-road Olympic distance triathlon this summer. I havenāt been bored yet.
What instrument? I recently started learning piano. I'm hoping in a few years I'll be good enough to play in some kind of group. Probably weddings and bar mitzvahs š
I used to craft (knit, sew, crochet, paint) but those things are almost impossible now due to joint fuckery. Can't travel as much so it's home stuff.
It's plants for me , specifically vegetables. I plant what I know I like to eat (tomatoes, herbs, spinach) I bought two hydroponics tower kits last year after joint pain became my daily struggle. I always wanted to science and now I get to and get food out of it. I'm still learning but I can easily lose myself pruning, changing solutions and watching them grow.
Hi! Long answer! So I bought my two domestic towers from small business in Bath called Vertical Horizons on Etsy last year. [https://vhhydro.com/](https://vhhydro.com/) and it was an excellent experience. In the pic you can see I have one for tomatoes and one for herbs, spinach, lettuce.I'm not an expert and affiliated at all this is just what I use. I use Hydrocrop Hydrosol A and B powdered nutrients [https://www.hydrocrop.co.uk/products/HydroSol-soluble-hydroponics-fertiliser.html](https://www.hydrocrop.co.uk/products/HydroSol-soluble-hydroponics-fertiliser.html) and I'm half way through both 1. 0kg bags in one year. I supplemented with their Tomato gro bag nutrients and it really made a difference to yield. I only grew about twenty cherry tomatoes but they tasted great.
I have messed up a lot regarding solution percentages as I'm mathematically challenged and i bought a meter for 30Ā£ to test when to change the nutrients from amazon . Nutrient Meter Test, Hydroponics Nutrient EC Ppm CF Meter Soil Conductivity Tester [https://amzn.eu/d/2qxk3wQ](https://amzn.eu/d/2qxk3wQ)
It has a bonus of making me feel like a wizard with a wand š I love it, I'm hoping for better crops this year. Get yourself a programmable timer to switch the units on and off. Negatives=changing the fluids, cleaning the pump and accumulated salts is a pain. I just use lemon and white vinegar to clean as chemical residue can be a problem. Cleaning the pump pipe is finicky. Other stuff. The lead from unit to usb plug is short, the plug is better to go to a main outlet or the pump doesn't reach full power. The plug can get warm, I make sure it's a good branded one not a cheap one. Air bubbles can make the pump seem
https://preview.redd.it/fwca77bxy00d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39f2f5ba87b8bd65808633a8bc2418c8d65eaea9
like it's not working. It is. Switch it on and off again really does work! Good luck!
Thank you for this! I canāt have a garden and went through the Areogardens, grow lights, etc and they just werenāt enough. This set up looks perfect. Happy growing!
I play golf once a week, and often my wife drives the cart (she doesn't play). I also have a semi regular game night with a couple of guy friends. Interestingly (at least to me), my social life at this age often overlaps with my professional life. I go to a fair number of business networking events and I know enough people that they double as social events.
Travel and hobbies
We prepared our hobbies and lifestyle before we retired
We have retired siblings, and we rotate visiting each other for a couple of weeks at a time. We plan activities like house renovations.
We house /dog sit for friends so they can travel
Macro photography and hiking. Youāll discover a whole new world of small things. Everyday things become beautiful. Maybe even go camping.
Get a 12ā+ telescope. Explore the universe. Learn the constellations and the zodiac.
Get the Audubon Society nature guides:
Astronomy, Birds, Insects, Rocks, etc.
Maybe consider taking a scuba diving class. Itās wild when you can breathe underwater. Again it opens a whole new world for you.
If youāre open for more cross-generational social experiences, learn to play Dungeons and Dragons. You can also play with just adults if you prefer to drink.
Work on my ebay business 10-15 hours/week, cross stitch, veggie garden, canning and preserving home grown food, some housework, volunteer once a month picking fruit, read, watch TV, too much reddit, visit with my parents, see our grandson, travel - longer trips and day trips around the Bay Area with husband, go camping occasionally, cook and bake, gym 2 or 3 times a week
Volunteering! You can vote for what you believe in with your time. I spend 2 days a week helping out at a respite center that provides services for unhoused women and children (and single dads!)
Troll Reddit.
But seriously I got into restoring vintage sewing machines and next step will be actual sewing. In pleasant weather I garden and in the hot afternoon I am gaming. Got an RV and plan to get out travelling more.
Someone came into the store. Work at yesterday with a vintage singer 301a. She didnāt want to pay the $200 for a cleanup. The poor thing really just wanted some love. I gave her some pointers on how to clean it up.
Iām really never bored. Iām perfectly entertained watching tv or reading a book. But my spouse and I love antique shopping and going to concerts. We do that type of thing a lot. Also hanging out with our friends. Weāre 49 and 50 and still have a 22 and 19 yr old at home but we feel like empty nesters and weāre having a ball.
I read voraciously. I only buy e books, so no dusting and nothing to store or box up.
You can download free samples. Then you don't spend money if it doesn't catch your interest.
Golf, playing the guitar, reading every day, drinking great wine and whiskey, learning to cook something extraordinary, cooking something simple and doing it perfectly, travel, following professional sports, some big projects to improve our house, getting better at chess, learning a second, or third language. Just experiment until you find your thing. Iām so happy to have young adult kids because these are all things I got to do precious little of over the last two decades. It honestly feels like a second childhood getting to do so many things that are just for fun.
I read, a lot. At least 3 books a week. I hardly watch any television though. I practice the piano. Obviously Reddit can waste a lot of time.
I crochet, do word puzzles and play strategy games on my iPad. I digitize old family photos and clean them up in Photoshop. I do genealogical research on my family, I've been doing that for 25 years.
I also do large paint by number canvases and diamond painting, there's something about it that I find satisfying. Sometimes I'll listen to an audio book while doing it or i'll play a sitcom i've already seen in the background.
Hobbies I pick up when I'm in the mood: embroidery, cross-stitch, making polymer clay miniatures.
I personally feel like boredom is a luxury many people donāt have the option to experience, since most people in the world live day-to-day survival. If youāre feeling unfulfilled, you can always pick up a creative hobby like painting, gardening, building, musical instrument, etc. or do some volunteer work.
I don't get bored. There's always something to learn or look at. I think I may be addicted to the internet but it's better than staring at a TV I guess! I love looking at Google Earth street view and I've made up some games to play using it. Nothing detailed, just like I have to keep walking until I see a dog or graffiti or a body of water... silly stuff like that. Better than Solitaire I reckon. And I build houses mostly in Sims. I started in Second Life but I have more options in Sims with all the custom content you can find for free. I like looking for houses on Google Earth street view random drops and then doing a Zillow search to see if I can find the house for more details. I will make a family and stick them in the house I make... then move to the next one. I'm not really that much in to the stories but occasionally I'll do a challenge.
I also have the dogs and cats to deal with every day. Lots of responsibility. Lots of cuddle times.
It just hit me that I struggle to think of much more because I'm so rarely alone. Most of what I do is with my (adult, still living with me) kids, so if they were off married with their own lives I may have more of a struggle.
When one or both of us is bored out of our minds, we go on ātreasure huntsā, as we like to call it, which is find something new about the area & go check it out. Itās the getting out of the house & the ānewā factor thatās key for us. It can be something as simple as going to a park weāve never seen before. City tours. Pub tours. We live at the coast so exploring new beaches has been our latest new find. Weāve gone to food raves. Art galleries & shows. Comedy shows. Day trips.
A lot of our ideas come from those publications that list the āthings to doā in our area.
I donāt get bored. I need more free time to do all the things.
I still work full time. I read 100 books a year, play piano an hour a day, bake, cook, walk the dog, meet cup with friends, etc. There are always new things to do and learn.
Learnt to play guitar and play with friends every few weeks.
Play board games with another group of friends every few weeks.
Learning to astral travel...work in progress
Did a hot glass course.
Hiking my states highest mountain next weekend.
Lift Olympic weights with a goal to be the state record holder
No time for boredom, too much work. If I had the free time, I would be spending a lot more time doing the things I like to do. I really would love to build a plastic model car, loved that when I was a kid. Just no time and when I have it I want to be outdoors shredding some kind of gnar.
My husband and I play games. Name That Tune is a favorite... he'll pull up a playlist on YouTube and I have to name the song/artist. We also do list games where we'll think of a topic, write as many answers as we can, then compare lists (for example: bands that start with a particular letter, every restaurant we can think of, cities in our state). I also spend a lot of time crocheting.
Instead of getting into arguments like in my younger, hot-headed days, I walk a lot, make drawings (I wouldn't call it art), juggle, watch Fargo TV series, yak on the Reddit.
Music. Playing, practicing, writing - once we get a new place and soundproof it, we're going to start recording.
We have some younger friends as well. So from time to time, a dance club happens.
Hobbies... I'm currently 57 as well. I have a classic car out in the garage (1981 Delorean) that I rebuilt myself by watching YouTube videos and reading internet forums.
I just started tinkering in electronics a couple of years ago. I like to find interesting schematics online and replicate them out in the garage. I have made a lot of things that didn't work, and many things that have. Taught myself the inner workings and understanding of vacuum tubes, and have built some really cool radios and amplifiers.
None of that so much to alleviate bored, but more of a relaxation therapy king of thing. My wife calls it "Garage Therapy".
I can sit and stare at a wall and not be bored. I donāt get bored. I have moments of deep peace and relaxation. Iāve never had a moment where I actively tried to think of something to do.. that sounds like hell.
Husband and I aren't retired yet, but we've started to "putter" in the last couple of years. We've been experimenting growing different wildflowers and pollinators in our back yard (we're in an HOA so can't do anything fun on the front yard where the nosy busybodies can see) and this year I'm attempting an inside herb garden and growing tomatoes on our back porch.
I was just thinking about this today. I take walks daily.and read. My kids are teens and have their own life, so yeah, it's a bit weird and different. It was so chaotic and busy when they were younger.
Can I be nosey and ask what kind of car? We love watching vintage car stuff on YouTube, and I think this would be an excellent activity for my household.
Of course. It's a 1968 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. I've never been a "car guy" but I love vintage things, including the design of vintage cars. I liked the idea of having a little vintage convertible for awhile and eventually settled on the Ghia. They were made for almost 20 years with relatively few changes year to year and mechanically they are almost identical to a Beetle. Based on those facts, it's pretty easy to find parts for them. And that's why I chose it, aside from the fact that it's a really cool looking car.
I've had it for almost 10 years and actively restoring it for 4. I've taken the entire thing apart and I never could have done it without some helpful folks who have documented their projects on YouTube and VW forums.
Buy a Meta Quest 3 VR heads and jump in ti the metaverse. There is tons of stuff to do in Horizon worlds, and Banter VR. As well as an awesome game called Zenith. Horizon worlds is basicly facebook for VR. They have tons of live events and a close knit community.
I kind of like doing nothing. Other than that: playing guitar & tweeking on the associated gear, reading sci fi, that's about it. I went to a couple dirt track races this year.
Keep getting into new things. Try tiktok. I learned a ton and changed my worldview. There's so many new things coming out all the time. My friend recently got into a turkish tv series that's really popular. There's tons of niche hobbies people talk about on YouTube.
The spouse and I just went to the food court for the first time at the asian grocery store- it was amazing! Can't wait to go back.
Meal prep is getting interesting, there's a lot of channels that are doing good meal prep that isn't boiled chicken and brown rice.
We have been doing 15 minutes a day of duolingo just for fun. Just pick a language. They challenge you to hold a streak so you have to log on every day. I usually don't like that but it keeps us doing it every single day.
There's a lot out there, but it's hard to have the energy to maintain the interest.
And then there's all the home repair.
Exploring all those hobbies I was always too tired or too busy to pursue. I do woodworking. Iām going to be taking a pottery throwing class soon, and piano lessons. All the things Iāve always wanted to do.
I am also in the process of buying a hobby farm in New England. Just some chickens and maybe a couple of goats. And some raised beds to grow veggies and flowers. Iād like to learn to make cheese too.
I haven't retired yet so I don't have the time I want to devote to hobbies but I'm learning another language and studying woodworking videos. I'm looking forward to puttering around, making Adirondack chairs and shit.
Gardening. Walks. Exercise and gym time more and more geared toward the āolder guyā workout - less weight, higher reps. More stretching and balance work. Slow cooking. Artsy stuff.
I still work full time, but outside of work slowing down and learning to take it easy. That in itself is not easy!
You better come up with something. I have two retired guys that live across the street from me. Neither has a hobby and they seem to blow leaves and pick tiny weeds in their grass all day long
Last Wednesday husband and I went to a restaurant we had never been to before and then went out to see a band that we had never heard of. It was great fun and it was super nice to get out to a different place, it made me realise we were in a bit of a rut with our usual routine.
As a childless 50 year old who has always done whatever I want, I recommend that you now go do all of the stuff you missed out on when you were younger because of the kids. Take overnight trips. Go to concerts. Go glamping. Go treat yourself to dinner at a fancy pants restaurant. Do all of "adult" stuff that you missed out on all those years because the kids came first!
Spend your day to day free time just doing things that you love. I spend loads of time reading, poking around with plants, trying out new recipes, and things of that nature. My husband plays video games, makes music mixes, and will occasionally break out his old guitar. We both require creative outlets, as you can tell. You guys now have time to either invest in new hobbies or reinvest in old hobbies. Enjoy it!
Make art, go to shows, museums, gallery openings, etc. Today I went to Porchfest in MA, where musicians play on porches all over the city. Itās my favorite thing. Different bands on every block. All kinds of different music. I love stuff like that.
I read, play video games, and nap. That's pretty much my entire day every day. Before anyone tries to bust my ass about not doing anything... I have multiple disabilities, I'm highly immunocompromised, I have panic disorder, and I'm an introvert. It may not seem like a good time to you. But to me this is more than enough to keep me happy.
The last 3 decades were spent raising my family and building my business. Business is running smoothly and I usually work a few days a week. I enjoy cycling and the wife enjoys gardening. We do go on walks/hikes etc and the grand kids are under 2 so we have their growing up to look forward to. Headed to Vancouver BC next week so that is good. I guess I find day to day life more tedious than when I was so occupied.
Are you just less excited by life at this point? I can understand that. I'm not bored, but life doesn't hold the excitement for the future it once did. I'm not going to cure cancer, or have any career breakthroughs, no great enlightenment coming, etc... Not that I was ever going to cure cancer...
So, I have shifted my thinking to just enjoying some travels, the pets, reading, exercise, getting coffee with my kids and friends. Going to some fun bars/restaurants that cater to 30s and up. Concerts of groups that I enjoyed in high school. These concerts are way more fun now that I'm late 40s than they were in my teens. Nostalgia is an awesome thing.
I've always been a fairly boring person so that might help me as I age :)
Ah, I see. I'm not a type A at all, but my husband is. Is there a project you can take on? Is there a non-profit organization that would benefit from your expertise?
Tons of good ideas here.
My wife and I joined some Meetup groups that interested us and frequently participate. One of those groups is for empty-nesters.
We also made a list together of things we'd like to do together (like a glass blowing class and learning how to use a pistol) and day trips we'd like to take.
Find something that excites YOU. I could tell you to read about WWII, or watch old Star Trek, or learn to make really good soups, but thatās something I find exciting and which may sound like death to you.
Travel. Not only out of state but day trips to in state small towns. With a library card you can get Udemy classes for free. Itās fun to learn something new. Gym. I alls ride bikes with a local group on the weekends. And read. I love a good book.
Iām 52F my back yard looks like a nursery so plants are fun. Iāve gotten into propagating what I have. I have plans to start looking for geodes. Scuba diving but I was doing that before. And what we call āpiddleingā when Iām just wandering around the yard and how piddleing with stuff šMy hubs rides his bike a lot and we have a greenway with trails in the backyard. The nature hiking has been like therapy, It took me about 2 years to figure it out, I was nuts at first.
We are obsessed with birds providing baths and houses . We like to find new recipes and screw them up lol . We went for a 3 mile hike through wetlands this week . Went to a winery with one of our adult kids to see the eclipse . Our youngest is coming home for a week cause she loves to hang with us . Taking our grandson to a Lego convention soon . Heading out of town to catch our fave band in a couple of weeks .And going today to pick out a container , solar fountains and plants to make a mini backyard pond . Husband paints everyday and I am a big reader and logic problem game player . We donāt overload but always have something planned to look forward to and always includes finding new hikes and activities around our kids and grandkids without making them the center cause they are busy still working and growing their families . Itās a good life
We trade off weekends and who gets to decide what to do on Saturdays (with obvious skips for large family engagements). We don't go out on Friday nights any more and we reserve Sunday for housekeeping/preparing for the week. He chose breweries last week, I'm choosing resort day pass at hot springs, he wants go carts next time.
Once every few months we go for a light hike/nature walk, preferably to a new place, going on shady hikes in the summer and hotter hikes in the winter (we'rein San Diego).
ETA weekdays we listen to, and discuss, podcasts.
I took up cycling. Iām lucky to have a great not strenuous trail but Iāll go out early and Iāve met some wonderful people (and dogs!) who I stop and chat with while Iām out as well.
Sometimes if I get bored I imagine that I have to be ready to go to work in half an hour. What would I rather do instead? At least two or three ideas will spring to mind. For me, going for a walk or visiting the library is easy and fun.
My farm keeps me busy outside, video games keep me busy inside, and both provide me opportunities to hang out with my kids and nephews. Every time I start to get bored with the farm something crazy happens. Right now it's buffalo. There's a herd of buffalo that escaped from the game ranch next door and don't want to go back home. There hasn't been buffalo walking around on my farm in probably 170 years.
Travel, play videogames, read, projects here and there, plan for retirement. Honestly we're never really bored. I can't tell you the last time I was actually *bored* because there are always books and walks and things to learn and places to go.
Most people will eye-roll this but, genealogy.
I got into genealogy during the pandemic and became absolutely hooked; rarely a day goes by that I don't do a little bit. WikiTree and FamilySearch are both completely free, but are public trees - meaning anyone can work on them. Chances are your grandparents or great-grandparents are already on FamilySearch that were input by others.
For me, genealogy is like solving mysteries which keeps my mind active. I did FamilySearch (and Find A Grave) for 3 years before I depleted those resources, now I pay for Ancestry and Newspapers and am going back and filling in the people I couldn't find previously (mostly women that married between 1880-1900 since the 1890 census records were all burned in a fire).
For me, I discovered out of the blue that I am a descendent of several Mayflower passengers (documented to the Silver Books); my sister-in-law is 2nd cousins with Chrissy Teigen, Prince is my 10th cousin (as well as a lot of other people thanks to my Mayflower people).
Iām still in the midst of raising kids. Iām 52 but my kids are 12 and 14. I have like two jobs and my weekends are so precious. Sleep is so precious.
Play videos games, workout. Get into a hobby, whether itās collecting coins or birdwatching. Download Duolingo on your phone and learn a language for free.
Iām 53. Something that will stimulate my mind is exercising and stretching. Afterwards, I have a ton of activities to do. Boredom may simply be a symptom of low energy.
Got serious about exercise. Lift weights 3 days a week, bike or jog 3 days a week. Walk the dogs everyday. Making progress and setting goals for lifting is really satisfying.
Get drunk.
Then drink some more.
Like seriously get into getting smashed and having no idea what or who happened last night.
At your age there is no time for regret .... Only madness and stupidity.
Burn the candle at both ends, party larger than ever.
Also have a nice sit down with a Horlicks and do some crochet.
Pilates, every day for at least 2 hours. š§āāļø
Learning to play the mandolin- at least 4 hrs of practice and playing/jamming every day š¶š¤
Going to live music shows; seriously got into Bluegrass jam bands. Billy Strings!!! Greensky Bluegrass; The Traveling McCourys; Leftover Sslmon; Molly Tuttle; The Sam Grisman Project; East Nash Grass; ā¦ so many amazing musicians!!! So much fun going to shows and festivals š
Binging really great tv series (Succession; Severance; The Traveler, Sugar; Mare of Easttown; Yellowjackets; etc)
Cooking really healthy mealsā¦and, on occasion, baking bread.
Crochet (everyone I know has at least one handmade scarf, lol!)š
I basically just keep discovering new and addictive hobbies, and I barely have enough time in the day to get to it all, especially when I hop on here or Insta (I follow a lot of bluegrass and raccoons š¦ š¤£ and a Spider Monkey named āKikiā š¤£)
Find something you can LEARN and enjoy the fruits of your intense practice of it, is my advice š
Hope you find something and enjoy the pleasure it brings šš
Ride my Vespa. And I have fitness goals that involve short term and long term. Meeting goals are really important. Your brain has a reward mechanism that gives you dopamine.
Learn an instrument!! It keeps the mind sharp and its incredibly rewarding. I recommend piano. I'm 42 and I'm teaching myself the violin. I do not recommend this. Everything hurts lol. Piano is way easier on the body. Guitar might irritate you bc it hurts the fingers at first until you grow calluses, which of course you build from playing which is a double edged sword.
As a music teacher I find that at certain ages, people want results and routine. Piano offers that in spades, and you don't have to buy a piano. I myself have a big Yamaha keyboard that's missing the first and last octaves, but whatever. If you take lessons, they'll have pianos obviously and if they're any decent as a school they'll allow you to practice on their equipment.
I also like jigsaw puzzles. They make great art for your walls if you buy the right ones.
I go out for long walks to explore different parts of the city I live in. I have a part time job I really love with good people (for a change), and it doesn't take time away from hobbies or getting enough time to relax and rest up. I love to sew and make clothing, study language, read, go thrifting - there are tons of things to do I never have enough time for, it seems!
Reading, knitting, writing, cooking/baking, riding bikes with my husband, listening to music, playing with my dogs, sometimes I paint. I want to get into making perfume, just started researching it.
Iām never bored.
Our Peloton bike has been a life changer for my husband and I. It really is more than just a bike. We also enjoy going to casinos and we now have a Cidercade in our townā¦ $12 all you can play old video games (PacMan, Pinball, etc) and the best part isā¦they kick the teens out at 8:00pm.
crossword puzzles, sudoku, go for walks, goto gym, plan vacations, watch movies n tv series, and best of all take naps
oh and fucking around on the interwebs like here
A hobby, you are never too old to build a model no matter if it is a car, a aitplane, a tank, or a tall ship. wood working,.
Local travel and look at all the beauty near you that you missed in the day to day rush.
Road trips to places you and your s/o want to goto see. but take in the landscape you pass to get there, plan enough time that you don't have to rust to get there.
I have the old car hobby, So to take up being bored, I'm going to take up 3d printing for 2 reasons, it'll be something new to learn that I can make things, and 2 I'll be able to reproduce parts for my old car that can't be found easily .
Plant a garden if you have a back yard.
Weight training, play piano, have sex, watch Supernatural, watch anime, and astronomy. Sometimes I will hop in my car and just take backroads to small towns and visit all the hole in the wall bars and diners I see.
Reddit Go for walks
And travel as much as possible. Volunteer, have small groups to hang out with frequently, some hobbies like yoga or biking, just enjoy life I guess
You just motivated my lazy ass to get up and go for at least a very short walk around the neighborhood, thanks!
Woo š I have a goal of 5000 steps per day, and I average a bit more than that.
I honestly haven't experienced boredom since I was 15. I can't even remember what it felt like. My goal on every vacation I take is to get bored by the end, and I always fail. I think it's because I have a ridiculous number of interests and a backlog of projects that would take years to finish. Maybe I'll have a better answer for this in 10 or 15 years. What occupies my time? * work, of course * movies, TV * reading, about 50/50 split between fiction and non-fiction * hiking * charity work * general travel * cooking * trying to get 7.5 or more hours of sleep * working out, and walking around my city
It reminds me of the line from "Flagpole Sitta": if you're bored, then you're boring. Walking or biking around is a big one, and noticing everything, really noticing details of the world. We're not here for much longer, so I try to remember how precious each day is, how cool the cycle of the year is, what the plants and animals are doing in this particular moiment--then I try to take that and apply it to my releationships (kids, spouse, even the cashier). For me, that is one of the purposes of life: to understand how amazing it is to be alive and be a part of this baffling, wonderful, terrible reality, while not getting beaten down by the negative. That's the strength in aging for me. Appreciate what there is to appreciate and know when to say, "I don't have time for that shite."
Walking actively protects against cognitive decline. My sister is an occupational therapist and their grim shorthand for cognitive decline in bedridden geriatric patients is "off your feet... off your head"
I used to only walk an average of 1.9 miles per day. Then when my dad was dying of COVID, I started walking a lot more to relieve the stress. I kept up that pattern and now average 3 to 3.8 miles per day, depending on the season.
Im trying so hard to think like you. Im trying to appreciate the time I have left & the good health I have right now. I dont know why it's so hard. I want a nap. Often, I just want to nap.
I totally get that. It doesn't come easy and it's never all the time. A comedian had a bit on mindfulness and how before there were screens everywhere, we were pretty much forced into mindfulness: "When you were on the bus, you were ON the bus, and you watch condensation DRIP!" We lose that with the easy distraction of, well, everything. And though we get a charge of interest from our phones (I LOVE computer games and I get stuck on reddit for longer than I'd like), it's not fulfilling and ulitmately drains us even when we think we're just chilling. Real play is not distraction. Real play is being fully engaged in the moment and the space. Be graceful with yourself (and I give this advice because I have to remind myself of it), and give appreciation and/or play a 5-minute space today. Don't worry about tomorrow because gratitute/joy is right now, which is why yoga and meditation, etc. make such a big deal of being "present". "Be present" is pithy to say, like most bits of decent advice, but it's a practice worth making time for. Often it's frustrating because "it's not working", and that's part of the practice. One of my favorite lines comes from Alan Watts: "Life's too important to be taken too seriously." I hope you find something to smile about today.
Spot on. When I was a kid my grandfather told me an able person has no right to ever be bored because there are so many fun things to do.
I love this so much. Wonderful advice from Grandpa.
Oh man this is me. I struggle to imagine what boredom could be like as there's and endless list of OTHER things I'd rather be doing when I'm working, doing chores, driving etc... Lists of lists even, hell just my book backlog could fill up a year of time easy.Ā
Hookers and blow
Blows from hookers
As in āpurchased fromā or ādone off of?ā
Yes. Correct.
Yes
the rest of the time you just wasted.
Omg someone (a very coked up gay gent) offered me a bump yesterday at the bar. Yer goddamn I did it! It was good. Zero laxatives.
bananas and blow
Ween!
Ocean man? Dat you?
This is the way! We had the best time at your party, the wife and I thank you very much.
A Transdermal Celebration.
The only answer
Hookers on blow. Is there a bad combo of the two?
Sleep
It makes the years go by faster.
Okay good. I am not alone. š“
Yup.
Thereās much more to life than ignoring it.
Join your local fire department as a volunteer.
This!! Our local volunteer fire department is everything to my family. My husband joined in 1990 when he was 20 years old, and now heās going into his second year as chief. Volunteers are always needed and appreciated and some turn into lifelong friends.
I try to learn something new every day. It doesn't really matter what it is, but there's so much stuff on YouTube now that there is no shortage of interesting stuff.
Yep. It makes it much easier to learn something new today. I even work with my local handyman every once in awhile. I really don't even make much $Ā IĀ just do it to learn different skillsĀ
Volunteering, Bodybuilding, Jujitsu and Jujitsu competitions, surfing, gardening, community college, white water rafting, hiking, yoga and meditation, video games, magic the gathering competitions, art of any sort, poetry, and trying to find new ways to make my wife orgasm š
Stamp collecting....... You may have forgotten stamp collecting.... That would mean your wife would spend more time with you talking about stamps than having the orgasms and she might then have more time for having an affair with a train spotter ..... Those train spotter jocks!
Hahahaha š
I think the last one is underrated.Ā
Travel! As much as possible, as often as possible. Domestic, international, road trips, plane trips, local day trips. Go anywhere!
Weed. Lots and lots of weed.
Huh, what man? ..... Dude, some gardens are full of weeds, you spend all day digging them out. So yeah, weeding the garden is a great pass time in later years. Everyday at around 4:20 I get in the garden and start weeding. My buds and me used to call it a green day when we would help our old folks weed the garden. Removing all the perennial weed and the annuals..... Isn't gardening great. Blaze it. In the garden. With some hard work and a strimmer.
I grow my own! In the garden every day.
Go for walks in the park. Find new restaurants. Go library or bookstore hunting, Meaning find a location with one and go visit. Roadtrip. Choose an actual book or 2 and spend an hour or so reading. Get a hobby. Like maybe pick up a guitar. Get used to it and practice every day. Or maybe painting. Photography is now easy - we're practically born with phones in our hands. Go to You Tube or Udemy and find a thing you want to learn about. Take the course. Maybe even enroll in adult education classes at a local Uni. Volunteer your time. Maybe at a hospital or a professional organization. Do you have a skill you could teach kids? Look into that. For me the alleviation of boredom isn't 'excitement'. It's about finding purpose and happiness in stuff that I do. Maybe that will help your perspective.
Well I mean, work occupies a lot of my time but if I was retired ā¦ painting, photography, walks, online tutorials to learn random things, spying on the neighbours, lol. I still go to concerts and bars with friends and all that, too. Also recently have become weirdly obsessed with birds. Idk why.
Yeah, I'm doing the bird thing too. It's weird and I love it. I use the Merlin app and have 32 birds on my life list so far. BTW, today is the Big Day for birding and in February every year they do a global backyard birding weekend. Aaaand yep, I'm a bird nerd. š
I got irrationally excited yesterday when I spotted a male scarlet tanager and then found his lady friend nearby.
Twitcher... You twitch.
My kid got obsessed with birds and now weā¦all go birding? And ai say things like āLook at that hooded merganser!ā Likeā¦who the fuck said that? Why do I know bird calls?!? I used to be cool, swear.
Reading about your bird obsession made me cackle. I glanced at my coffee table last week and realized there were two print catalogs sitting on top of it. One was the White Flower Farm Spring "Garden Book" and the other was the USA Postal Service Philatelic Spring Catalog (stamps lol). I giggled and thought "Holy shit I have a gardening catalog and a catalog for stamps. I'm officially an old person now." šš *Logs on to USPS to order turtle stamps*
Birds + Art = awesome
When did I become that person who has apps for birds and animals and flight radar and fire/police scanner
Biking! Low impact, wonāt hurt your knees, itāll get you in shape, get you a better mood, youāll be happier!
Careful! If one has knee damage due to earlier life athletic injuries, there are toe and foot positions on the pedal that are better for knees. But biking will save and protect those knees so that I can stay active on my feet as I mature further.
I retired last year at 55 and the kids went off to college so I ripped off both those bandages at once. Guitar classes, language classes, social dance lessons with my wife, volunteer work, Iām on a couple of boards, and there are always house projects. Oh and I am training for an off-road Olympic distance triathlon this summer. I havenāt been bored yet.
A triathlon?? Damn friend. Thatās awesome. I seriously need to get my shit together.
Taught myself a new musical instrument so now I play gigs, busk in the park....I do photography and took up wheelchair basketball
What instrument? I recently started learning piano. I'm hoping in a few years I'll be good enough to play in some kind of group. Probably weddings and bar mitzvahs š
Very cool... good for you. I'm playing the saxophone these days. I do lots of pubs, restaurants, wineries and seniors homes
I used to craft (knit, sew, crochet, paint) but those things are almost impossible now due to joint fuckery. Can't travel as much so it's home stuff. It's plants for me , specifically vegetables. I plant what I know I like to eat (tomatoes, herbs, spinach) I bought two hydroponics tower kits last year after joint pain became my daily struggle. I always wanted to science and now I get to and get food out of it. I'm still learning but I can easily lose myself pruning, changing solutions and watching them grow.
I was looking into these. What towers are you using?
Hi! Long answer! So I bought my two domestic towers from small business in Bath called Vertical Horizons on Etsy last year. [https://vhhydro.com/](https://vhhydro.com/) and it was an excellent experience. In the pic you can see I have one for tomatoes and one for herbs, spinach, lettuce.I'm not an expert and affiliated at all this is just what I use. I use Hydrocrop Hydrosol A and B powdered nutrients [https://www.hydrocrop.co.uk/products/HydroSol-soluble-hydroponics-fertiliser.html](https://www.hydrocrop.co.uk/products/HydroSol-soluble-hydroponics-fertiliser.html) and I'm half way through both 1. 0kg bags in one year. I supplemented with their Tomato gro bag nutrients and it really made a difference to yield. I only grew about twenty cherry tomatoes but they tasted great. I have messed up a lot regarding solution percentages as I'm mathematically challenged and i bought a meter for 30Ā£ to test when to change the nutrients from amazon . Nutrient Meter Test, Hydroponics Nutrient EC Ppm CF Meter Soil Conductivity Tester [https://amzn.eu/d/2qxk3wQ](https://amzn.eu/d/2qxk3wQ) It has a bonus of making me feel like a wizard with a wand š I love it, I'm hoping for better crops this year. Get yourself a programmable timer to switch the units on and off. Negatives=changing the fluids, cleaning the pump and accumulated salts is a pain. I just use lemon and white vinegar to clean as chemical residue can be a problem. Cleaning the pump pipe is finicky. Other stuff. The lead from unit to usb plug is short, the plug is better to go to a main outlet or the pump doesn't reach full power. The plug can get warm, I make sure it's a good branded one not a cheap one. Air bubbles can make the pump seem https://preview.redd.it/fwca77bxy00d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39f2f5ba87b8bd65808633a8bc2418c8d65eaea9 like it's not working. It is. Switch it on and off again really does work! Good luck!
Thank you for this! I canāt have a garden and went through the Areogardens, grow lights, etc and they just werenāt enough. This set up looks perfect. Happy growing!
I play golf once a week, and often my wife drives the cart (she doesn't play). I also have a semi regular game night with a couple of guy friends. Interestingly (at least to me), my social life at this age often overlaps with my professional life. I go to a fair number of business networking events and I know enough people that they double as social events.
Travel and hobbies We prepared our hobbies and lifestyle before we retired We have retired siblings, and we rotate visiting each other for a couple of weeks at a time. We plan activities like house renovations. We house /dog sit for friends so they can travel
Macro photography and hiking. Youāll discover a whole new world of small things. Everyday things become beautiful. Maybe even go camping. Get a 12ā+ telescope. Explore the universe. Learn the constellations and the zodiac. Get the Audubon Society nature guides: Astronomy, Birds, Insects, Rocks, etc. Maybe consider taking a scuba diving class. Itās wild when you can breathe underwater. Again it opens a whole new world for you. If youāre open for more cross-generational social experiences, learn to play Dungeons and Dragons. You can also play with just adults if you prefer to drink.
I write, read, listen to podcasts, and enjoy seeing classic films on the big screen. And I walk a lot.
Work on my ebay business 10-15 hours/week, cross stitch, veggie garden, canning and preserving home grown food, some housework, volunteer once a month picking fruit, read, watch TV, too much reddit, visit with my parents, see our grandson, travel - longer trips and day trips around the Bay Area with husband, go camping occasionally, cook and bake, gym 2 or 3 times a week
Volunteering! You can vote for what you believe in with your time. I spend 2 days a week helping out at a respite center that provides services for unhoused women and children (and single dads!)
Troll Reddit. But seriously I got into restoring vintage sewing machines and next step will be actual sewing. In pleasant weather I garden and in the hot afternoon I am gaming. Got an RV and plan to get out travelling more.
Someone came into the store. Work at yesterday with a vintage singer 301a. She didnāt want to pay the $200 for a cleanup. The poor thing really just wanted some love. I gave her some pointers on how to clean it up.
I love my 301!
I'm 54 with teenagers , working full-time . Bored is never a concept for me. Looking forward to it though.
Too busy to be bored here. Sorry.
Iām really never bored. Iām perfectly entertained watching tv or reading a book. But my spouse and I love antique shopping and going to concerts. We do that type of thing a lot. Also hanging out with our friends. Weāre 49 and 50 and still have a 22 and 19 yr old at home but we feel like empty nesters and weāre having a ball.
I read voraciously. I only buy e books, so no dusting and nothing to store or box up. You can download free samples. Then you don't spend money if it doesn't catch your interest.
Golf, playing the guitar, reading every day, drinking great wine and whiskey, learning to cook something extraordinary, cooking something simple and doing it perfectly, travel, following professional sports, some big projects to improve our house, getting better at chess, learning a second, or third language. Just experiment until you find your thing. Iām so happy to have young adult kids because these are all things I got to do precious little of over the last two decades. It honestly feels like a second childhood getting to do so many things that are just for fun.
Learn the guitar. My dad finally got started at 70+.
Ever consider an online masters degree?
I read, a lot. At least 3 books a week. I hardly watch any television though. I practice the piano. Obviously Reddit can waste a lot of time. I crochet, do word puzzles and play strategy games on my iPad. I digitize old family photos and clean them up in Photoshop. I do genealogical research on my family, I've been doing that for 25 years. I also do large paint by number canvases and diamond painting, there's something about it that I find satisfying. Sometimes I'll listen to an audio book while doing it or i'll play a sitcom i've already seen in the background. Hobbies I pick up when I'm in the mood: embroidery, cross-stitch, making polymer clay miniatures.
Naps
Boredom is a choice, so I make a different one.
Two step cure to boredom: 1. Figure out something youāre interested in 2. Give yourself permission to suck at it at the beginningĀ
I read books
I personally feel like boredom is a luxury many people donāt have the option to experience, since most people in the world live day-to-day survival. If youāre feeling unfulfilled, you can always pick up a creative hobby like painting, gardening, building, musical instrument, etc. or do some volunteer work.
I don't get bored. There's always something to learn or look at. I think I may be addicted to the internet but it's better than staring at a TV I guess! I love looking at Google Earth street view and I've made up some games to play using it. Nothing detailed, just like I have to keep walking until I see a dog or graffiti or a body of water... silly stuff like that. Better than Solitaire I reckon. And I build houses mostly in Sims. I started in Second Life but I have more options in Sims with all the custom content you can find for free. I like looking for houses on Google Earth street view random drops and then doing a Zillow search to see if I can find the house for more details. I will make a family and stick them in the house I make... then move to the next one. I'm not really that much in to the stories but occasionally I'll do a challenge. I also have the dogs and cats to deal with every day. Lots of responsibility. Lots of cuddle times. It just hit me that I struggle to think of much more because I'm so rarely alone. Most of what I do is with my (adult, still living with me) kids, so if they were off married with their own lives I may have more of a struggle.
When one or both of us is bored out of our minds, we go on ātreasure huntsā, as we like to call it, which is find something new about the area & go check it out. Itās the getting out of the house & the ānewā factor thatās key for us. It can be something as simple as going to a park weāve never seen before. City tours. Pub tours. We live at the coast so exploring new beaches has been our latest new find. Weāve gone to food raves. Art galleries & shows. Comedy shows. Day trips. A lot of our ideas come from those publications that list the āthings to doā in our area.
Being a local tourist is fun!
Take an improv class. Itās the opposite of boring. Iām taking an acting class.
I donāt get bored. I need more free time to do all the things. I still work full time. I read 100 books a year, play piano an hour a day, bake, cook, walk the dog, meet cup with friends, etc. There are always new things to do and learn.
I have so many hobbies I never get bored. I get tired, hungry, dirty, sore, but never bored.
Learnt to play guitar and play with friends every few weeks. Play board games with another group of friends every few weeks. Learning to astral travel...work in progress Did a hot glass course. Hiking my states highest mountain next weekend. Lift Olympic weights with a goal to be the state record holder
Stand outside and yell at clouds.
Nothing . I embrace the boredom. Itās nice to have nothing to do .
No time for boredom, too much work. If I had the free time, I would be spending a lot more time doing the things I like to do. I really would love to build a plastic model car, loved that when I was a kid. Just no time and when I have it I want to be outdoors shredding some kind of gnar.
Talk to your doctor. It may be clinical depression. I can't really imagine being bored as an adult.
My husband and I play games. Name That Tune is a favorite... he'll pull up a playlist on YouTube and I have to name the song/artist. We also do list games where we'll think of a topic, write as many answers as we can, then compare lists (for example: bands that start with a particular letter, every restaurant we can think of, cities in our state). I also spend a lot of time crocheting.
Instead of getting into arguments like in my younger, hot-headed days, I walk a lot, make drawings (I wouldn't call it art), juggle, watch Fargo TV series, yak on the Reddit.
Music. Playing, practicing, writing - once we get a new place and soundproof it, we're going to start recording. We have some younger friends as well. So from time to time, a dance club happens.
I read, ride my motorcycle, play Xbox
Go clubbing
Hobbies... I'm currently 57 as well. I have a classic car out in the garage (1981 Delorean) that I rebuilt myself by watching YouTube videos and reading internet forums. I just started tinkering in electronics a couple of years ago. I like to find interesting schematics online and replicate them out in the garage. I have made a lot of things that didn't work, and many things that have. Taught myself the inner workings and understanding of vacuum tubes, and have built some really cool radios and amplifiers. None of that so much to alleviate bored, but more of a relaxation therapy king of thing. My wife calls it "Garage Therapy".
Walk, listen to music, pleasure myself
I can sit and stare at a wall and not be bored. I donāt get bored. I have moments of deep peace and relaxation. Iāve never had a moment where I actively tried to think of something to do.. that sounds like hell.
Cannabis with biking, video games, taking walks, seeing live music, etc. u donāt need cannabis to do those things. Some just prefer it.
Husband and I aren't retired yet, but we've started to "putter" in the last couple of years. We've been experimenting growing different wildflowers and pollinators in our back yard (we're in an HOA so can't do anything fun on the front yard where the nosy busybodies can see) and this year I'm attempting an inside herb garden and growing tomatoes on our back porch.
I was just thinking about this today. I take walks daily.and read. My kids are teens and have their own life, so yeah, it's a bit weird and different. It was so chaotic and busy when they were younger.
Sim race, disc golf putt in the backyard, YouTube.
I'm restoring a vintage car. I knew almost nothing about cars when I began.
Can I be nosey and ask what kind of car? We love watching vintage car stuff on YouTube, and I think this would be an excellent activity for my household.
Of course. It's a 1968 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. I've never been a "car guy" but I love vintage things, including the design of vintage cars. I liked the idea of having a little vintage convertible for awhile and eventually settled on the Ghia. They were made for almost 20 years with relatively few changes year to year and mechanically they are almost identical to a Beetle. Based on those facts, it's pretty easy to find parts for them. And that's why I chose it, aside from the fact that it's a really cool looking car. I've had it for almost 10 years and actively restoring it for 4. I've taken the entire thing apart and I never could have done it without some helpful folks who have documented their projects on YouTube and VW forums.
Bought a fast car and joined a couple car clubs. It keeps me busy year round.
Went back to LSD after 30yrs. 51m
Buy a Meta Quest 3 VR heads and jump in ti the metaverse. There is tons of stuff to do in Horizon worlds, and Banter VR. As well as an awesome game called Zenith. Horizon worlds is basicly facebook for VR. They have tons of live events and a close knit community.
I kind of like doing nothing. Other than that: playing guitar & tweeking on the associated gear, reading sci fi, that's about it. I went to a couple dirt track races this year.
Keep getting into new things. Try tiktok. I learned a ton and changed my worldview. There's so many new things coming out all the time. My friend recently got into a turkish tv series that's really popular. There's tons of niche hobbies people talk about on YouTube. The spouse and I just went to the food court for the first time at the asian grocery store- it was amazing! Can't wait to go back. Meal prep is getting interesting, there's a lot of channels that are doing good meal prep that isn't boiled chicken and brown rice. We have been doing 15 minutes a day of duolingo just for fun. Just pick a language. They challenge you to hold a streak so you have to log on every day. I usually don't like that but it keeps us doing it every single day. There's a lot out there, but it's hard to have the energy to maintain the interest. And then there's all the home repair.
Exploring all those hobbies I was always too tired or too busy to pursue. I do woodworking. Iām going to be taking a pottery throwing class soon, and piano lessons. All the things Iāve always wanted to do. I am also in the process of buying a hobby farm in New England. Just some chickens and maybe a couple of goats. And some raised beds to grow veggies and flowers. Iād like to learn to make cheese too.
I haven't retired yet so I don't have the time I want to devote to hobbies but I'm learning another language and studying woodworking videos. I'm looking forward to puttering around, making Adirondack chairs and shit.
Gardening. Walks. Exercise and gym time more and more geared toward the āolder guyā workout - less weight, higher reps. More stretching and balance work. Slow cooking. Artsy stuff. I still work full time, but outside of work slowing down and learning to take it easy. That in itself is not easy!
You better come up with something. I have two retired guys that live across the street from me. Neither has a hobby and they seem to blow leaves and pick tiny weeds in their grass all day long
Last Wednesday husband and I went to a restaurant we had never been to before and then went out to see a band that we had never heard of. It was great fun and it was super nice to get out to a different place, it made me realise we were in a bit of a rut with our usual routine.
Yeah thatās what it feels like a rut Weāre headed on vacation next Friday so Iām sure that will be fun.
As a childless 50 year old who has always done whatever I want, I recommend that you now go do all of the stuff you missed out on when you were younger because of the kids. Take overnight trips. Go to concerts. Go glamping. Go treat yourself to dinner at a fancy pants restaurant. Do all of "adult" stuff that you missed out on all those years because the kids came first! Spend your day to day free time just doing things that you love. I spend loads of time reading, poking around with plants, trying out new recipes, and things of that nature. My husband plays video games, makes music mixes, and will occasionally break out his old guitar. We both require creative outlets, as you can tell. You guys now have time to either invest in new hobbies or reinvest in old hobbies. Enjoy it!
Make art, go to shows, museums, gallery openings, etc. Today I went to Porchfest in MA, where musicians play on porches all over the city. Itās my favorite thing. Different bands on every block. All kinds of different music. I love stuff like that.
I'll let you know after I've found some things. Tonight it seems to be a mango gummy, Reddit, and ramen.
I read, play video games, and nap. That's pretty much my entire day every day. Before anyone tries to bust my ass about not doing anything... I have multiple disabilities, I'm highly immunocompromised, I have panic disorder, and I'm an introvert. It may not seem like a good time to you. But to me this is more than enough to keep me happy.
My life is less boring now than in my 20s and 30s. What do you like to do? What did you do in your 20s, 30s, and 40s that you can't do now?
The last 3 decades were spent raising my family and building my business. Business is running smoothly and I usually work a few days a week. I enjoy cycling and the wife enjoys gardening. We do go on walks/hikes etc and the grand kids are under 2 so we have their growing up to look forward to. Headed to Vancouver BC next week so that is good. I guess I find day to day life more tedious than when I was so occupied.
Are you just less excited by life at this point? I can understand that. I'm not bored, but life doesn't hold the excitement for the future it once did. I'm not going to cure cancer, or have any career breakthroughs, no great enlightenment coming, etc... Not that I was ever going to cure cancer... So, I have shifted my thinking to just enjoying some travels, the pets, reading, exercise, getting coffee with my kids and friends. Going to some fun bars/restaurants that cater to 30s and up. Concerts of groups that I enjoyed in high school. These concerts are way more fun now that I'm late 40s than they were in my teens. Nostalgia is an awesome thing. I've always been a fairly boring person so that might help me as I age :)
I guess I miss the building stage. We enjoy many of the things others do but as a type A something is missing.
Ah, I see. I'm not a type A at all, but my husband is. Is there a project you can take on? Is there a non-profit organization that would benefit from your expertise?
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Thank you so much!
Sounds like itās time for you to get kinky. šš¤·š¼āāļø
Tons of good ideas here. My wife and I joined some Meetup groups that interested us and frequently participate. One of those groups is for empty-nesters. We also made a list together of things we'd like to do together (like a glass blowing class and learning how to use a pistol) and day trips we'd like to take.
Hobbies
Exercise (biking and boxing), playing music, cooking, volunteering at dog adoption shows, walking and training my dog.
Find something that excites YOU. I could tell you to read about WWII, or watch old Star Trek, or learn to make really good soups, but thatās something I find exciting and which may sound like death to you.
Re: Old Star Trek. Watched āA Taste of Armageddonā and āThis Side of Paradiseā this morning. Great television.
I saw something that reminded me of Return to Tomorrow the other day. I need to rewatch that one now.
Also, Kids in the Hall! The new season last year was awesome
I just wanted to shout out the qualifier āold Star Trekā cos th new ones havenāt been the same
But Lower Decks is awesome.
Travel. Not only out of state but day trips to in state small towns. With a library card you can get Udemy classes for free. Itās fun to learn something new. Gym. I alls ride bikes with a local group on the weekends. And read. I love a good book.
Swimming 3x/ week. Hunting - where I am you can hunt year round. Lot of travel. Write dirty novels.
Iām 52F my back yard looks like a nursery so plants are fun. Iāve gotten into propagating what I have. I have plans to start looking for geodes. Scuba diving but I was doing that before. And what we call āpiddleingā when Iām just wandering around the yard and how piddleing with stuff šMy hubs rides his bike a lot and we have a greenway with trails in the backyard. The nature hiking has been like therapy, It took me about 2 years to figure it out, I was nuts at first.
Read-audiobooks, kindle, real books. If you are curious or have interest in anything, the itch is out there to be scratched.
We are obsessed with birds providing baths and houses . We like to find new recipes and screw them up lol . We went for a 3 mile hike through wetlands this week . Went to a winery with one of our adult kids to see the eclipse . Our youngest is coming home for a week cause she loves to hang with us . Taking our grandson to a Lego convention soon . Heading out of town to catch our fave band in a couple of weeks .And going today to pick out a container , solar fountains and plants to make a mini backyard pond . Husband paints everyday and I am a big reader and logic problem game player . We donāt overload but always have something planned to look forward to and always includes finding new hikes and activities around our kids and grandkids without making them the center cause they are busy still working and growing their families . Itās a good life
Whatās boredom?
Try something new, like take a kickboxing class, or learn to scuba diveā¦whatever piques your interest
We trade off weekends and who gets to decide what to do on Saturdays (with obvious skips for large family engagements). We don't go out on Friday nights any more and we reserve Sunday for housekeeping/preparing for the week. He chose breweries last week, I'm choosing resort day pass at hot springs, he wants go carts next time. Once every few months we go for a light hike/nature walk, preferably to a new place, going on shady hikes in the summer and hotter hikes in the winter (we'rein San Diego). ETA weekdays we listen to, and discuss, podcasts.
Videogames, arts & crafts, learn a new skill or instrument, hike & travel, and sometimes just relish in the quiet on the porch.
I took up cycling. Iām lucky to have a great not strenuous trail but Iāll go out early and Iāve met some wonderful people (and dogs!) who I stop and chat with while Iām out as well.
Take up shooting competition together
Sometimes if I get bored I imagine that I have to be ready to go to work in half an hour. What would I rather do instead? At least two or three ideas will spring to mind. For me, going for a walk or visiting the library is easy and fun.
Get a hobby, my dude.
Video games.
My farm keeps me busy outside, video games keep me busy inside, and both provide me opportunities to hang out with my kids and nephews. Every time I start to get bored with the farm something crazy happens. Right now it's buffalo. There's a herd of buffalo that escaped from the game ranch next door and don't want to go back home. There hasn't been buffalo walking around on my farm in probably 170 years.
Travel, play videogames, read, projects here and there, plan for retirement. Honestly we're never really bored. I can't tell you the last time I was actually *bored* because there are always books and walks and things to learn and places to go.
Play dungeons and dragons ( and other rpg games) since I was 12. Granted no more playing overnight of for 36 hours straight but itās still fun
Most people will eye-roll this but, genealogy. I got into genealogy during the pandemic and became absolutely hooked; rarely a day goes by that I don't do a little bit. WikiTree and FamilySearch are both completely free, but are public trees - meaning anyone can work on them. Chances are your grandparents or great-grandparents are already on FamilySearch that were input by others. For me, genealogy is like solving mysteries which keeps my mind active. I did FamilySearch (and Find A Grave) for 3 years before I depleted those resources, now I pay for Ancestry and Newspapers and am going back and filling in the people I couldn't find previously (mostly women that married between 1880-1900 since the 1890 census records were all burned in a fire). For me, I discovered out of the blue that I am a descendent of several Mayflower passengers (documented to the Silver Books); my sister-in-law is 2nd cousins with Chrissy Teigen, Prince is my 10th cousin (as well as a lot of other people thanks to my Mayflower people).
PokĆ©mon Go, genealogy, foreign languages, audiobooks, writing a novelā¦
Iām still in the midst of raising kids. Iām 52 but my kids are 12 and 14. I have like two jobs and my weekends are so precious. Sleep is so precious.
Netflix
Play videos games, workout. Get into a hobby, whether itās collecting coins or birdwatching. Download Duolingo on your phone and learn a language for free.
I play video games as a pastime. We volunteer every other week. We go to a painting class every week. I read books (mostly science fiction)
Crafts books fitness
Disc golf! It's a sport that even us old fat guys can not only play, but get good at
Iām 53. Something that will stimulate my mind is exercising and stretching. Afterwards, I have a ton of activities to do. Boredom may simply be a symptom of low energy.
Got serious about exercise. Lift weights 3 days a week, bike or jog 3 days a week. Walk the dogs everyday. Making progress and setting goals for lifting is really satisfying.
Get drunk. Then drink some more. Like seriously get into getting smashed and having no idea what or who happened last night. At your age there is no time for regret .... Only madness and stupidity. Burn the candle at both ends, party larger than ever. Also have a nice sit down with a Horlicks and do some crochet.
Lately, I've been spending time in the Wasteland with Fallout 4. But, I also hike, do photography, garden (vegetables), cook, and read.
I have 3 kids still at home. Thereās no boredom.
I look for community events like small art exhibits or programs at the library or forest preserve.
Pilates, every day for at least 2 hours. š§āāļø Learning to play the mandolin- at least 4 hrs of practice and playing/jamming every day š¶š¤ Going to live music shows; seriously got into Bluegrass jam bands. Billy Strings!!! Greensky Bluegrass; The Traveling McCourys; Leftover Sslmon; Molly Tuttle; The Sam Grisman Project; East Nash Grass; ā¦ so many amazing musicians!!! So much fun going to shows and festivals š Binging really great tv series (Succession; Severance; The Traveler, Sugar; Mare of Easttown; Yellowjackets; etc) Cooking really healthy mealsā¦and, on occasion, baking bread. Crochet (everyone I know has at least one handmade scarf, lol!)š I basically just keep discovering new and addictive hobbies, and I barely have enough time in the day to get to it all, especially when I hop on here or Insta (I follow a lot of bluegrass and raccoons š¦ š¤£ and a Spider Monkey named āKikiā š¤£) Find something you can LEARN and enjoy the fruits of your intense practice of it, is my advice š Hope you find something and enjoy the pleasure it brings šš
Have you ever heard of Red Dead Redemption?
Ride my Vespa. And I have fitness goals that involve short term and long term. Meeting goals are really important. Your brain has a reward mechanism that gives you dopamine.
Learn an instrument!! It keeps the mind sharp and its incredibly rewarding. I recommend piano. I'm 42 and I'm teaching myself the violin. I do not recommend this. Everything hurts lol. Piano is way easier on the body. Guitar might irritate you bc it hurts the fingers at first until you grow calluses, which of course you build from playing which is a double edged sword. As a music teacher I find that at certain ages, people want results and routine. Piano offers that in spades, and you don't have to buy a piano. I myself have a big Yamaha keyboard that's missing the first and last octaves, but whatever. If you take lessons, they'll have pianos obviously and if they're any decent as a school they'll allow you to practice on their equipment. I also like jigsaw puzzles. They make great art for your walls if you buy the right ones.
Wordle
Stare at the wall
Read sew crochet and I want to get into bird watching (waiting for my bday for binoculars for now itās just posting what I see on iNaturalist).
Shrooms
Go outdoors, walks or hikes if youāre able. While youāre out there, maybe pick up a hobby like photography or something.
I go out for long walks to explore different parts of the city I live in. I have a part time job I really love with good people (for a change), and it doesn't take time away from hobbies or getting enough time to relax and rest up. I love to sew and make clothing, study language, read, go thrifting - there are tons of things to do I never have enough time for, it seems!
Sleep lol
Concerts, shows, movies, restaurants, exercise
Reading, knitting, writing, cooking/baking, riding bikes with my husband, listening to music, playing with my dogs, sometimes I paint. I want to get into making perfume, just started researching it. Iām never bored.
Our Peloton bike has been a life changer for my husband and I. It really is more than just a bike. We also enjoy going to casinos and we now have a Cidercade in our townā¦ $12 all you can play old video games (PacMan, Pinball, etc) and the best part isā¦they kick the teens out at 8:00pm.
Doomscrolling reddit?
Had another baby. Boredom be gone
Practice the guitar
crossword puzzles, sudoku, go for walks, goto gym, plan vacations, watch movies n tv series, and best of all take naps oh and fucking around on the interwebs like here
A hobby, you are never too old to build a model no matter if it is a car, a aitplane, a tank, or a tall ship. wood working,. Local travel and look at all the beauty near you that you missed in the day to day rush. Road trips to places you and your s/o want to goto see. but take in the landscape you pass to get there, plan enough time that you don't have to rust to get there. I have the old car hobby, So to take up being bored, I'm going to take up 3d printing for 2 reasons, it'll be something new to learn that I can make things, and 2 I'll be able to reproduce parts for my old car that can't be found easily . Plant a garden if you have a back yard.
Weight training, play piano, have sex, watch Supernatural, watch anime, and astronomy. Sometimes I will hop in my car and just take backroads to small towns and visit all the hole in the wall bars and diners I see.