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Finding a new interest or hobby can be a fantastic way of developing a new skill, meeting new, like-minded friends, building your self-confidence and having a lot of fun.
There is no shortage of avenues to pursue, which can make the process of deciding which hobby to pursue daunting and not a little confusing. After all, when you live in an age of unlimited information and unprecedented levels of entertainment in the forms of YouTube, streaming services and social media, sticking to one interest is difficult.
On top of this, there is the very real challenge of fitting your new hobby within your existing lifestyle. If you work full-time, have a family or a busy social calendar, then you may think it is impossible to find time for a new hobby.
However, as long as you are organized, plan your weeks carefully and are prepared to sacrifice time-sapping pastimes like social media or watching movies, then you will free up more time than you might imagine.
This is why online hobbies work so well. They allow you to participate in your hobby without needing to waste time traveling to a set location or putting it on pause every time you need to travel.
Here are three great online hobbies you should consider trying in 2021:
One of the most popular online hobbies is gaming, which has gone from strength to strength over the past decade. Far from simply being a pastime popular with teenagers, gaming is now a thriving industry that offers a variety of immersive thrills.
Indeed, there is no shortage of games to choose from. You could, for example, become involved with esports, which hold both amateur and professional tournaments based on virtual versions of real sports - such as football and Formula One, as well as gaming titles like Dota 2 or League of Legends.
Alternatively, there is a range of role-playing and sandbox games such as the Elder Scrolls series or Grand Theft Auto, which boast huge online communities.
Online gaming is a great way to become involved in a passionate community of like-minded people, as well as relax after a long day at work. You can get started relatively cheaply, too, if you find gaming laptop deals.
Another great online hobby you should consider trying is a meditation app or course. While meditation has been around for thousands of years in various forms and practices, it has never been easier (or more important) to start, thanks to the variety of online apps, tutorials and courses on offer.
This means you can practice meditation easily wherever you are, whether at home, on the train, or even on your lunch breaks at work. Given how stressful and fast-paced modern life can be, meditation offers a rewarding experience, with minimal costs or discipline needed to start.
One of the most useful hobbies you can start is to learn a new language. While this is nothing new, language learning is considerably more accessible and easier now that you can engage with online content - such as apps, courses and podcasts - which allow you to learn wherever you go.
This accelerates the learning process and helps you to master a new language faster, which is ideal if you want to explore a particular country or learn more about a certain culture.
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When we decide to choose furniture such
as dining chairs to the colours we put on the wall, smart choices improve our
well being and general health. To understand why this is, we have to understand
how decorating works and how it affects our mood, and we have to look at what
our homes mean to us.
If we consider what home is, it offers
both shelter and protection. When you get home you feel safe and warm. This is
the place where you bring up your family, and where you sleep.
Whereas in the past, your home may not
have been decorated to the degree it is now, it still offered the qualities
outlined above.
As the twentieth century unfolded,
increasingly people wanted to
personalise their homes. As such, furniture design, DIY, and decoration
products became highly popular.
As well as having the means, choices can
be influenced consciously and subconsciously. This is why we often see a canopy
over a front door or a railing. This symbolises a barrier between our homes and
the outside world. It is a psychological comfort and protection.
Not every design decision is designed to
make us feel protected. Other mindfulness is at work with other decisions.
Google partnered with the Arts & Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University
where they experimented to assess the aesthetic impact of rooms. At the 2021
Salone del Mobile in Milan visitors were bands that tracked their physiological
responses as they moved from room to room.
They were encouraged to fully engage with
their surroundings and to remain quiet and avoid using their phones.
The results were interesting with around
50% feeling the calmest in rooms they were not attracted to visually. Ivy Ross,
VP of Product Design at Google concluded that people have been
approaching room design and décor too
cognitively and they needed to get back to what feels good rather than what
looks good.
Ivy Ross may have a point. When we
decorate to our tastes often it is to create a feel rather than a look. If you
feel good in your home you are more likely to feel protected and comfortable.
This contrasts a room that may look amazing but feels a little cold or you
simply can’t relax.
This makes furniture and décor choices
important. It isn’t just how it looks and gels with the rest of its
surroundings, it is also the feelings it generates. This also extends to the
artwork you have on your walls. Some point out that often art that conjures
childhood memories are the most
comforting.
Some hospitals from around the world
have started to employ interior designers and architects to make medical
settings less institutional and clinical. Organisations such as Maggie have
tried to make the clinical environment come across as more homely. This, they
believe provides a better environment
for healing.
So, when you come to make furniture and
design choices, go with what feels right rather than what looks right. You
won’t regret it.
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