When you’re bored of video games, it’s easy to slip into a cycle of trying to find other games to replace the ones you were playing, but this kind of behavior only leads to more burnout. In reality, you may need something new to freshen up your experiences and that’s why we recommend taking up a hobby.
To help you with this process, we’ll include ten recommendations (below) that we think will give you an opportunity to try something new, but we’ll also include links to some of our other hobby lists that we think you may enjoy browsing.
1. Coding
Yes, you don’t need to drift too far from your gaming setup to try something new. Coding is a great opportunity to use your knowledge about games to build something wonderful that others can enjoy.
In fact, if you’ve ever played puzzle games then coding (as a hobby) is probably one of the biggest puzzles of all. There are so many pieces you can put together to build something totally unique and that’s why people enjoy it so much.
Most gamers will naturally want to start coding games which is a great idea, though, you can also make other things like automating certain tasks or optimizing pre-existing open-source projects.
We recommend getting started with Codecademy as they’ll teach you most of the basics for free.
2. Join a Gym
As a gamer, it’s easy to let other things fall by the wayside, especially when it comes to things like your physique. Most gyms are highly accessible these days and include a wide variety of machines and programs to help you get started. In fact, if you have a wonky sleep pattern due to your gaming escapades then you’ll be happy to know that some gyms are even open 24/7 meaning you can attend whenever it suits you.
The great thing about going to the gym is that it takes very little time out of your day but can really help stave off burnout and boredom. It gives your head a little space to do something different and to freshen up perspectives that may have been stuck in a rut.
3. Start Cooking
It’s easy to let healthy food habits fall apart when you’re a gamer — it’s much simpler to order takeout and continue gaming rather than taking the time to make something yourself. Believe it or not, though, cooking doesn’t have to be hard and some of the tastiest recipes can be made much quicker than even a delivery would take.
Literally, you can whip up a beast of an omelet in ten minutes flat with whatever ingredients you like and it’ll be tastier and cheaper than anything you could get from takeout. You can also make more indulgent things like cakes, fresh bread, and sweets if you fancy.
Once you realize cooking is, in essence, a giant tasty video game with millions of options you’ll never get bored. It’s all about how you frame your hobbies and we think learning to cook is a great substitute (or addition) to your gaming passions.
4. Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding is a unique hobby where you’ll literally be imagining and building fantasy worlds where all kinds of unique creatures and political systems can exist. J.R.R. Tolkien was perhaps one of the most famous worldbuilders who eventually went on to write things like Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and even the Hobbit. In fact, he invented hundreds of different creatures, sketched out maps, and even came up with his own unique Elvish language for the Middle-Earth world.
There’s no set path you need to take to be a good worldbuilder; it’s all about being creative and letting your mind wander. You don’t need to write your world into a book either — it can simply be a private passion if you desire or something you share with a select group of friends or a Discord group.
5. City Cleanups
This may not be the most glamorous hobby but it can have a hugely positive impact on the local area you live in to keep it clean and help the wildlife thrive around you.
Most cities have city cleanup programs where you can volunteer and get together with others to remove rubbish, scrub away graffiti, and improve the overall visual quality of the surroundings. It’s a great way to meet new people as you’ll all be tasked with the same job and usually within talking distance to strike up some conversation.
We know not all gamers are extroverted so this can be a good opportunity to make friends as you’ll naturally have to communicate with your cleanup team.
6. Miniature Painting
Instead of playing games, why not paint miniatures from those games instead?
Miniature painting can be a relaxing way to pass the time and can allow you to flex your creative side by coordinating the color palette you’ll want to use on your miniature.
For example, Arthas from Warcraft has a mixture of silvers, blacks, and blues in his color selection, however, you can try something new with your miniature meaning you’ll get to see and imagine a totally new concept for that character.
Warhammer is probably the most famous miniature painting company, though, if that doesn’t take your interest then there are other options out there if you know where to look.
Amazon and Google will be the best places to do custom searches if you’re wanting a more specific miniature selection.
7. Listen to Music
There are tons of music listening options these days such as Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer.
This means you can listen to pretty much anything you like whilst also being able to build specific playlists depending on your tastes.
If you’re not into mainstream services then we recommend trying out Audius which is a decentralized music streaming platform that fully rewards music creators with royalties paid out in cryptocurrency — and even better, it’s free to use!
As an added point on Audius, it doesn’t have quite the mainstream selection as services like Spotify, but it does have some amazing music which is great for people who want to try to find something new.
8. Hiking
Sometimes all you need is a long hike or a walk somewhere to freshen up your daily experiences. Video games can easily snatch this simple pleasure away from you without you even realizing it.
In fact, it’s not just gaming; other addictive and sedentary activities such as watching Netflix or spending too much time on social media can also have the same impact. Walking is free and is one of the easiest hobbies to do whenever you want. The main benefit is that it allows you to take in the natural sights and sounds of the landscape around you and can leave you feeling much better for it. Better yet, if you have any friends then why not invite them along for a walk with you to make it twice as fun? Don’t underestimate this free and wholesome activity.
9. Redecorate
Redecorating your room or home can be one of the most exciting activities when you’re feeling burned out from games. It gives you an opportunity to sort through things that haven’t been sorted in a long time and will allow you to optimize your setup to a new, higher standard.
In fact, we often go through philosophical changes in life whereby redecorating or renovating your living space can be a great conduit for implementing these changes. You don’t have to spend money either — sometimes rearranging and tidying things up can be enough of a change to get you feeling like a new person again.
10. Visit Friends or Family
Lastly, and not to be underestimated, is the act of visiting your family or friends. It’s not necessarily a hobby as much as it is a necessary part of life in our opinion, especially since most people thrive on social contact.
Yes, we hear the cry of some gamers stating the fact that they’re self-sufficient and have gotten along just fine with their games, though, most of the time, this is because they’ve been interlinked with an online community. Without some kind of social contact, it’s easy to become unhappy and that’s why we think it’s important to maintain some kind of face-to-face contact every once in a while.
It doesn’t take much effort to spend an hour or two of your time with loved ones and you’ll usually feel much better for it afterward.
Conclusion
This list includes only a few hobbies and most of them are really easy to get started with or would be suitable for most gamers regardless of their financial situation or disposition. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg and there are absolutely hundreds, if not thousands of different hobbies to try out. Because of this, we want to give you as much information and resources as possible to find something that suits your style.
Here are some of the most relevant articles we have to help advise you on some new hobbies to try out or just some general advice to make the most of things:
- 11 Hobbies to Replace Gaming (Do Them as Often as You Like)
- 28 Cool Hobbies To Try Right Now (Exciting and Surprisingly Fun)
- Top 20 Ultimate Adventure Hobbies (Satisfy Your Restlessness Now)
- 31 Quirky Hobbies for People Who Enjoy Something a Little Different (Not to Be Missed)
- 5 Reasons Why You Get Bored of People So Quickly (And What You Can Do About It)
- Here’s How to Get Back Into Old Hobbies and Previous Interests (Easy 5-Step Guide)
We also have a dedicated gaming section for all things related to video games which might tickle your fancy.
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