Introduction
If you need to observe silence or are just looking for a hobby that isn’t noisy then some of these quiet hobbies might be for you.
To be honest, there are lots of reasons why you might need to be quiet such as parents sleeping in the next room, being courteous for neighbors, or maybe you have a certain disposition that makes you hate loud noises.
Whatever the reason, quiet hobbies are a great way to get some peace and relaxation whilst also being lots of fun at the same time.
Don’t forget, if you’re unable to find anything to your tastes then we have tons of other hobby lists to browse on our site too.
14 Quiet Hobbies for When You Need Silence
1. Reading
This wouldn’t be a quiet list without the quintessential quiet hobby that is reading.
Reading is an amazing hobby when given the time — most people struggle to stay engaged at first because they’re so used to hyper-stimulating activities like watching Netflix or playing video games, however, reading can also transport you to similarly fantastical worlds and there’s a massive abundance of options too.
Some of the most famous books include the likes of the Lord of the Rings book series and dystopian novels like George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.
There are tons of factual options too ranging from war history, cookery, how-to guides, and even biographies from famous celebrities you follow.
As well as that, reading a book uses no energy and is basically free aside from the cost of the book meaning you’ll be able to save your pennies for other hobbies too.
2. Board Games
From famous classics like Monopoly to more nuanced fantasy options like Scythe, board games are great for when you can’t make a lot of noise.
Some games can be played alone and some can be played with others — it’s worth doing some serious research especially since there are some fantastic niche board games outside of the regular games that most people play like Cluedo etc.
In fact, board games are experiencing a bit of a renaissance at the moment and lots of start-ups are giving prospective players the option to play early if they kickstart their ideas.
Depending on how serious you take your games, similar to video games or books, you can really get invested in the idea of a board game and can even implement role-playing aspects throughout the game.
3. Meditation
Meditation is another “ultimate” quiet hobby and that’s because the goal is to focus your mind on a specific thing while trying to remain still (physically and mentally).
Because of how the activity is performed, it naturally gives rise to silence or at least relatively little noise.
Some forms of meditation involve chanting or performing mantras, however, most modern forms of meditation are performed without the need to do so and can even be assisted through modern apps installed on your phone or devices.
In case you didn’t know, meditation is known to provide lots of positive benefits including the ability to help you unwind at the end of a stressful day, and best of all, it doesn’t cost any money.
4. Audiobooks
In case you prefer your reading to be done in an audio-based format then audiobooks are another great way to relax without causing any noise.
Essentially, you can download an app like Audible that can give you access to millions of different audiobooks and within about ten seconds, you can already have a full book ready to be listened to — Access their free trial here.
The only caveat being that you’ll probably need a pair of headphones to prevent the audiobook from being heard by others in the house, however, you’ll usually have some included with your phone and if not, they’re relatively cheap to get.
Similar to reading, you’ll be able to access basically all available books and Audible has a really impressive collection; you might be able to get through them rather quick too as Audible has a useful 1.25x speed playback function (or faster) if you desire.
5. Calisthenics (Bodyweight Workout)
If you need to be quiet but still want to get a workout in then calisthenics is probably the best way to do it.
Calisthenics relies solely on your bodyweight for the majority of the movements so you’ll be able to knockout some press-ups, chin-ups, and crunches in no time.
Better yet, calisthenics needs very little space to be performed meaning you should be able to get a decent workout done in even the smallest of rooms.
As a caveat, calisthenics won’t be able to replace a traditional progressive overload workout if you’re wanting huge muscles, however, it can tide you over for a couple of weeks until you can access more difficult (or weighted) forms of exercise.
6. Video Games
Got a pair of gaming headphones? Got video games?
If so, you’ve basically got hours of quiet entertainment available at your disposal which can be further supported by using a controller — just make sure to keep your angry outbursts under control.
If you’re on PC then we recommend either using a controller (where possible) or using a flat keyboard instead as they’re typically much quieter than a mechanical keyboard.
You can also dull the sound of key presses or clicks by getting an extra-large mouse mat which will also support both your keyboard and mouse for stability.
If you’re wanting to take it to the next level then you can even invest in soundproofing foam which can be glued to your wall to absorb frequencies; it’s quite common to see YouTubers doing this to make the environment less reverberant but actually works well for noise-reduction too.
7. Poetry
Poetry is a beautifully expressive hobby which involves stringing together clever sentences with a mixture of rhymes too.
You can do it on a notepad, a laptop, and basically anything else that allows you to record your scribblings.
It goes without saying, writing and poetry make basically zero noise so if you’ve got a moment and want to pass the time then it’s worth giving it a go.
8. Coding
Coding, similar to playing video games, is relatively quiet as you’ll be doing the majority of your work from the comfort of your laptop or home PC.
Most basic keyboards and laptop keyboards are designed flat and thus, make relatively little noise compared to their mechanical counterparts.
As a hobby, coding often requires long periods of thinking and silence which further amplifies how quiet this hobby can be.
Better yet, coding can be done for free through Codecademy who’ll also let you access tons of different programming languages depending on your wants and needs.
9. Crochet
Crochet is an amazing hobby because it’s extremely quiet, however, it’s also multi-productive as once you get good enough you’ll be able to watch TV at the same time as crocheting.
That’s because crocheting relies on muscle memory mainly so the longer you do it, the better you’ll get and eventually you won’t even need to look will doing it.
In case you didn’t know, crocheting is similar to other hobbies like knitting, however, it only involves one needle and is typically done in just a few ways.
You can make hats, scarves, woolly jumpers, and other warm garments such as blankets if you so wish — they also make amazing gifts too.
10. Yo-yo
If you’re a person who likes to fiddle or can’t sit still much then yo-yoing might be for you.
Yo-yo’s are extremely quiet as they are precision milled meaning there’s relatively little drag to cause noise, but they’re also attached to a simple bit of string which doesn’t cause much noise either.
You can do tons of tricks and there are plenty of yo-yo types to choose from such as responsive yo-yo’s and unresponsive depending on the types of tricks you’re doing — oh, they’re also incredibly cheap.
If you want to know more about yo-yoing then check out our article that we wrote about it explaining why it’s so good including whether it can be classed as a sport (competitive yo-yoing).
11. Music (Listening)
Listening to music is something we’ve talked about before (it is a hobby in case you’re wondering) and that’s to establish where it fits in the hobby hierarchy as most people assume it’s similar to other passive activities such as sleeping or eating.
The truth is, listening to music is a great hobby and can even inspire you to take up other hobbies such as learning an instrument or starting a band with your friend.
With that said, it’s also the perfect hobby for when you don’t want to make too much noise as you can simply pop your earbuds in and listen to your favorite albums.
Better yet, there are probably billions of songs so even if you’re starting to get bored of some certain music types then you can quickly change it up.
12. Birding
Birding is an observational hobby that requires absolute silence not just so you don’t frighten the birds off, but also so you can listen for bird calls to help you locate different kinds of birds.
You don’t need much to get started with this hobby either and you may even be lucky enough to witness lots of our avian friends in your own backyard.
Simply get a pair of cheap birding binoculars and you can perch yourself on your window sill, or if you’re lucky, in your back garden where you can spot a wide variety of birds.
13. Astronomy
Astronomy is a fantastic multipurpose hobby, especially since it can be done for fun, as a date night, and even to help advance our understanding of science.
It’s also extremely quiet and doesn’t need you to move around much meaning you can be at peace on your window, out in your back yard, and even up a hill somewhere for hours on end gazing at the universe.
You don’t need much — most people assume you need elaborate expensive telescopic equipment, however, even a cheap beginner’s telescope can help you get started for less than a hundred dollars.
14. Netflix
Similar to a few of our other hobbies on the list, watching Netflix can be a really fun hobby and can give you hours of cozy entertainment whilst tucked away in bed with your headphones on.
Netflix, similar to other streaming services such as Amazon Prime, has tons of content for you to browse including loads of new shows and some of the best shows from the past forty years.
Better yet, you can create your own very own profile meaning you can cultivate the perfect list depending on your tastes; want the best of Sci-fi to regularly show up on your profile? Netflix has you covered with its built-in algorithm that learns from the types of shows you watch.
Popular Questions About Sound and Silence
Why do I never hear silence?
It’s impossible to have true silence and that’s because your body is a moving organism which is always circulating blood; essentially it’s always making noise (albeit very little) in the form of a slight static in your ear.
Does everyone hear noise in silence?
Yes, everyone except deaf people will hear some form of noise even if the room seems perceptibly silent, that’s because your heart is always beating which causes a slight “flowing” or static sound inside your ear.
Conclusion
Hobbies are amazing things because there are so many of them for all kinds of people with all sorts of different tastes.
Hopefully, we’ll have enlightened you to some of the best hobbies for when you need to be really quiet for whatever reason.
As you’ll have seen, you can get clever with the majority of hobbies by using headphones to circumvent the usual problem of audible noise for surrounding people e.g. family, neighbors, and young babies.
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