Leisure!

[LittleWaySoul]

So. Leisure. Lately I've been very aware of the value of spending leisurely time in one's life, if only to get away from the job, school, and/or other responsibilities for a time. I believe that, for me, anyway, mindlessly scrolling through facebook for hours on end does not constitute leisure. I almost never actually enjoy it or feel better for having done it.

So I'm trying to do things that I actually find enjoyable and which are good despite not being "useful". The main things I enjoy are drawing and art. I'm not the best at doing this frequently, but I try. I also consider a certain amount of Netflix to be leisure, because I really do enjoy movies and TV shows and think they can often be intellectually stimulating. Moderation is necessary, though. Binge watching is something I try to avoid. The thing I'm worst at is pleasure reading or extraneous/non-required academic reading. I'd like to get better at that. Thanks to @Deus te Amat and C25K, I've also been running three times a week.  

Anyway, I just wanted to post this to ask you all: what sorts of things do you consider to be leisurely activities in your life? Things that you find enriching but that have little to no "practical" purpose. Hobbies, if you will. I'm interested to hear what you enjoy doing!

[Peace]

Hmm. The only genuine hobby I have is photography. I tried Judo for a few months earlier this year but gave up.

To relax it is the usual stuff. I read a good amount. I watch sports. Not much TV. I like to go for a swim. And I like to go out to the movies. I like to go out to for a drink or a wine tasting. And I will go to a museum or gallery every once in a while - I especially like "installation art" type stuff. I will go listen to some classical or jazz too, if I can get a cheap ticket. . .

One of the big things for me is to go for a massage, take a long bath/shower and clean up really good, give myself a nice shave. Put on some decent cologne.  If I have been stressed out at work I will go somewhere and do that to relax.

[dUSt]

Pokemon hunting.

Beard grooming.

IPAs.

Baseball.

[CountrySteve21]

Calligraphy, Outdoor stuff (like fishing, hiking etc.) reading and I find making home made bread from scratch fun.

[truthfinder]

I like the process of knitting - haven't ever made anything that was good, often tangled, etc. Also, every once and a while a planned afternoon of movie/netflix watching can be absolutely fantastic (when you actually have nothing that you have to do, and not bingeing). 

Sometimes I'll try a new recipe, and when I had a car, I'd love to just set off and drive and see where it took me. 

[Selah]

Making bracelets and latch hooking. Coloring, anything art and craftsy. Hiking, guitar, writing poems, reading, listening to a meaningful song on replay...

 

And eating chocolate chip cookies

[CatherineM]

Running in the swimming pool. 

Watching disaster movies. 

Listening to Yankee games on the radio. 

Sewing. 

Making mosaics. 

[LittleWaySoul]

Quite a diverse set of interests! Wow, everyone here is so cool.  

[Guest]

I don't think that leisure must be something "useful", because anything that relaxes a person is useful, proving of course (it goes without saying really) it is not something harmful. 

I'm a weirdo (also goes without saying) who finds light housework and equally light gardening enjoyable and relaxing.   I can paint and draw and can enjoy it immensely, but just now I have no motivation (nor the money).  I can knit, do macramé, and mosaics.  I think basically it is having the available finances holds me back.  End of November this year should sort out my budget again.  Just at this point it is a real stretch to buy food and pay bills.

Nowadays to relax I watch mainly documentaries on FoxtelGo in spare time.  I sometimes watch a movie. My son put it on this computer for me and it is free.  I don't feel guilty about it.  I also love reading and researching on the internet.  These are free too.  I was on an adult campus for 7 years in my previous suburb and I absolutely loved having to research a subject - I have carried that love over to my now.

The great thing about FoxtelGo is that I can watch it for available time and then switch off and pick up where I left off the next time.

I also love to write - especially researching something or other and then write my own thoughts.

There are also free online courses at Yale University http://oyc.yale.edu/courses 

 

In my last suburb, I had a prie dieu which the parish had lent me.  I had to return it as I needed to take in a boarder and needed the space.

Father: "Fancy keeping a boarder rather than a prie dieu"

Me: "Father, The Lord might be putting food on your table, but He isn't on mine

 

 

 

 

Edited September 16, 2016 by BarbaraTherese

[EmilyAnn]

I like knitting and embroidery.

[xSilverPhinx]

I really like listening to music, which is something that can be done while reading or studying. 

I used to draw frequently, and was told I was quite good at it, but I haven't put pencil to paper in quite a while.

I like to write when I have the time and am currently working on an adaptation of a classic for English Language Learners (won't say which one ). 

I like to watch good movies. 

I don't know if it counts as leisure time but when I feel drained I like to shut my eyes and take a short nap. 

 

 

 

 

[Spem in alium]

My favourite thing is simply to be outside in nature (either just sitting somewhere, going for a walk in my suburb or going to the mountains). I like drawing and calligraphy, watching a good movie or reading a good book, writing on my blog, working in the kitchen (either helping someone else or cooking on my own), and crochet, though I haven't done that one for a long time.