Gaming is not necessarily a bad thing. They can be good for your brain development, you could play professionally and make a career out of it, you can start a YouTube channel or stream your gaming sessions on several streaming platforms. If however, none of these apply to you and you just like to spend several hours a day playing a game, just for the fun of it, but, after you’re done you feel like you’ve wasted your day, then you should probably consider developing a new hobby. Since you’re here, you have probably already started searching for alternatives. Well, your quest might just end here since we’re going to present you with 12 different activities you could be doing instead of gaming.
1. Yoga
Having a physical hobby will be focal point of the first part of the article and there is no better way to start improving your life than with yoga. Yoga is a great and easy way to get in shape, improve your posture, stretch and so on. All of the stuff that sitting and gaming for extended period of time will not do. It’s a great activity for beginners, since it doesn’t require much strength or flexibility at an amateur level and it’s basically free since there are many videos online that can help you start.
2. Working out
This is another great option to improve your health, physique and overall well-being. This does not require going to gym, you could and probably should, but for starters, you could just start with bodyweight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups or squats, right from your bedroom. If you realize that this is something you might enjoy doing, you can always join a gym or hire a personal trainer.
3. Swimming
Swimming is said to be one of the best physical activities for non-professional athletes. It’s a very healthy hobby, it moves and works out your whole body and on top off all that it’s a very fun activity. If you can swim, own a swimsuit and have a pool nearby, try it out, only thing to worry about is falling in love it.
4. Martial arts
If you like video games chances are you’ve played some fighter games. Why not become one of those warriors you so eagerly controlled? It’s a great, fun activity and a healthy habit. Also, there are so many options to choose from: karate, jiu-jitsu, boxing, krav maga etc. You will certainly meet some new people along the way and you might just discover your inner ninja.
5. Drawing
You remember those days when you were a kid and you’d scribble for hours and just have the time of your life? Well, it could still be that way. All you need is a pen and paper, sometimes not even that. You can create art any way you want. Draw on paper, use watercolors on a canvas, draw on your tablet or PC and create digital art. It’s free, it’s creative and it’s fun. And hey, you just might become so good that you end up designing a new, loveable game character.
6. Collecting action figures
This is a fun thing to do as well. Why not grab your favourite characters from games, anime or cartoon and have them on your shelf. It can be a really good conversation starter and if you ever decide to part ways with it, collectors could offer you a significant amount of money for the whole thing. If this seems like something you might enjoy doing, you can start by checking out tempestemporium.com and see what they offer.
7. Collecting comic books
We live in times where comic book characters are making a huge comeback. To be fair, it’s mostly on film and television shows, but, they are definitely rising in popularity. Is there a better way to explore that world than in the original form? Probably not. Having a big collection of comic books is a fun cultural relic and an awesome hobby.
8. Learning a new instrument
Let’s get a bit more creative now. Learning how to play and instrument can be a great hobby, one that can become very lucrative if you stay dedicated. One of the most common excuses as to why you’re not picking up an instrument is – it’s too late now. No it isn’t. Why would it be too late to sit in front of a piano or pick up a guitar and just start playing? Music is fun, that is all that matters. If that’s something you might enjoy, definitely go for it.
9. Practice DJ-ing
We live in digital era, that’s just the way it is. So, if learning a new instrument isn’t really what would be fun for you, but you still like music, this might be the move for you. Make a collection of your favourite songs, get yourself a entry level mixer and just play some music. You can find awesome tutorials and guides online to help you master another skill.
10. Photography
Chances are you have an Instagram page. Even if you don’t it doesn’t really matter. You could pursue analog photography, shoot whatever you want and develop photos in your garage just for a private collection. If digital photography is your more up your alley, snap some pictures, upload them to your device, learn how to use photo editing software and share your stuff with your friends or fans on your Instagram page.
11. Gardening
We were mostly talking about some indoor activities so far. But, why would we neglect the beautiful nature around us? If you like spending time outside and have a place for a small garden, why not try it out? Grow some vegetables, plant some flowers, whatever you want. You could even redecorate your whole backyard into an oasis of peace and quiet. Possibilities are virtually endless.
12. Reading
Last, but certainly not least, a good old fashioned – reading. This could mean so much and could make a huge difference in your life. You could read anything. This could be an introduction step to most of the stuff we’ve previously mentioned. Want to learn how to garden? Read a book on gardening. Want to learn how to work with lights and shadows while taking a photo? You know where this is going. Needless to say, you can always read a book just for fun. It certainly won’t do you any harm. Nowadays, you don’t really need a book read one. You could always listen to an audiobook if you’d prefer it that way.
There are a lot of other things to do instead of gaming and we haven’t even scratched a surface with these ones. If, by any chance, you can’t decide, pick any of the mentioned activities. You could always pick another one if the first one doesn’t work out. Have fun!
