
Ask HN: Hobbies sans screen? - koof
Without the constant buzz of friends around a college campus, I&#x27;m pretty much an internet addict. In school, it was easy to keep busy with schoolwork and work-work. I know the importance of recharging between workdays, but without school I find it harder to maintain variety.<p>Most of the hobbies I&#x27;m interested in unfortunately involve a computer screen to some degree, or at the very least a lot of reading, which to be honest after reading all day isn&#x27;t appealing either. I currently spend most evenings anxious about what I should be doing and end up futzing around on the internet, and then I go to work the next day frustrated that the entire previous day was identical to the incoming one.<p>Most of my friends play lots of computer games but I find myself nauseated thinking about home-desk-life, and couches feel only marginally better.<p>Outdoor activities seem great but seem pretty strictly for the weekend, generally I leave work as the sun is coming down.<p>Doing things in groups sounds good but I&#x27;m really looking for something that I can almost always escape to on any given weeknight, alone if necessary.<p>What do you do with your time?
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dalke
I see you wrote "alone if necessary". I'll explain what I did, even though
it's hard to do alone, then bring up some related alternatives.

Pair dancing. I started with ballroom dancing. It's an easy start because at
the beginning it's a matter of following rules. However, social ballroom is
rare, and a lot of it heads towards competitive dance at the higher levels.
(It's easier in a college as many colleges have a ballroom dance club.)

There are many folk-related dances (contra, Scottish country, etc.). These are
almost always low-key and informal. They usually meet in the evening/weekend
afternoons.

Salsa dancing is, I think, the most popular of the pair dances. Even small
cities usually have a place to go salsa dancing. It's what got me to start
going to clubs on a regular basis. Rueda is a related dance where pairs
arrange themselves in a circle and follow what the caller does. That can make
it easier, because you don't need to think of what to do next, and there's
less need for a lead/follow connection. (Which takes time to learn.)

Salsa dancing also rarely starts before sunset. (You _can_ dance to salsa
alone, btw.)

Swing dancing is fun, and energetic. It's less common because it requires more
room. A large numbers of dances fit under the "swing" category; blues is much
less energetic than Lindy Hop.

Tango is the hardest of the dances I learned. It took some serious study even
after learning a few other dances. I think of it as the most improvisational
of the dances I know. That's also because my tango includes aspects of salsa
and swing, but not really the other way around.

There are other dances as well, as I start to move away from pair dancing:
country western, breakdancing, African dance, modern dance, Hindi/Bollywood-
style, popping, Kizomba and (mixing now with martial arts) capoeira.

Some of those you can definitely do on your own, at home, as well as in a
group.

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pxlfkr
Consider the broad category of physical pursuits that capture your complete
attention. I don't include cycling, running or lifting in this category
because it's easy to stew about problems at work/home while you're engaged in
those pursuits.

Mountain biking is a great example - at a sufficient level of difficulty, it
really pushes everything else out of your brain and forces you to be in the
moment (or crash). As you note, that's not an "every evening" option, so -

Maybe consider Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

    
    
      - Every session is a holiday from whatever bullshit you've got going on.
      - It's a great antidote to sitting in a chair all day.
      - There's a strong problem-solving aspect to it, which can be attractive to hackers.
      - You'll immediately be physical with strangers which is a great ice breaker/trust builder.
      - Great for self-defence (and confidence), but there's no striking. (Important if you're pretty like me).
      - It may seem like an individual pursuit, but there is a strong team culture in good academies.
      - Macho douchebros don't last long in BJJ. It punishes ego. The culture is supportive/encouraging.
      - Most academies welcome drop-ins; it's a great way when travelling to meet some locals.
      - It's a great way to get to make friends of different age, sex, ethnicity, income, status, etc.
      - Competing is encouraged, but optional.
      - It's inexpensive, IMHO.
      - You're never too old or too out of shape to get started.
      - Most academies will let you try them out for free for a week or two.
      - Although it's a group activity, busy academies will have a class or two each evening.
    

Downsides:

    
    
      - Nobody will bother remembering your name until you've been around for a couple months.
      - You'll often be carrying some stubbed-toe level injury around (but you won't mind because...).
      - BJJ is addictive AF.
    

The subreddit has good info, with the usual signal/noise caveats:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj](https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj)

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Muges
If you're into music you could learn to play an instrument. It can be pretty
expensive, especially if you take lessons (which I would recommend at first),
and if you don't have time to practice regularly it's probably not the best
idea. But it will give you a good reason to spend some time away from any
screen, and it can be very rewarding.

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sandermvanvliet
If you're truly not wanting to become a desk sitter at home just go out and
run, hike, walk, ride a bike. You know, something active. It may sound a bit
over obvious but getting outside and exercise helps me get my mind off things
and "reset"

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echolima
For the past year or so I've gotten into watch repair. Small tools, fine motor
skills, mechanical wonder at what people were doing 100 years ago. Highly
recommended, but be warned...it addictive.

