Discovering Hobbies in Your 20s

As an upcoming graduate, I can’t help but think about the spare time I’ll (hopefully) gain once my course load ends and the homework stops. It currently feels like my schedule revolves around breaks between classes and their corresponding course work. Thinking about what I can squeeze in during an evening of studying forensic epistemology, criminal law readings, and my data communications essay feels like another course load in-and-of itself.  

Now, don’t get me wrong, I have some time to read my favourite books, work out, and enjoy a social life, but it doesn’t feel like I have enough time (or energy) to truly commit to a project outside of those already on my high list of responsibilities as a working university student.  

But once those evenings become a little more free, how should I spend them? How do twenty-somethings in the workforce spend their free time outside of work, their social lives, and other responsibilities?  

That’s where the wonderful world of hobbies comes in. Outside of wanting to spend less time on my phone, hobbies are a central building block to any developing or developed person.  

In her YouTube video, internet personality and medical doctor Izzy Sealey, explains the neuroscience and benefits to developing hobbies outside of your work and daily responsibilities. She quoted a 2023 meta-study that compared the long effects of hobbies on the mental wellbeing of over 93,000 participants across 16 countries. The study found that having hobbies reduced depressive symptoms in participants and increased their overall happiness and life satisfaction.  

Dr. Sealey also outlines how to choose the hobby that’s right for you and explains four different categories of hobbies: creative, intellectual, wellbeing, and connection. If you have 16 minutes to watch the video, or even the 8 minutes where she expands on each category, I would absolutely recommend watching it.  

But if you want a quick list of hobby ideas, inspired by Dr. Sealey’s categories, here are a few ideas:  

Creative 

Cooking and Baking  

Gardening

Photography 

Music  

• Learning an instrument / DJ 
• Learning to mix music  
• Making playlists  
• Learn music theory  

Painting and drawing 

• Sketching 
• Choose different genres: abstract, realist, renaissance, etc.  
• Adult colouring books  

Writing 

• Calligraphy / cursive  
• Creative non-fiction 
• Topic of interest (fiction or non-fiction)  

Crafts 

• Pottery 
• Sculpting  
• Crochet / knitting 
• Puzzles  
• Wood working
• Embroidery / sewing

Wellbeing / Physical  

Meditating 

Going to the gym and work out classes 

• Classes: spin, pilates, dance, kick boxing, yoga, water aerobics, etc.  

Challenges and goals 

• Challenges: 75 hard, using a new machine at the gym, etc.  
• Different goals: becoming flexible, learning how to do the butterfly stroke while swimming, etc.  

Journaling  

• Daily / weekly / monthly prompts
• Agendas
• Mood boards

Intellectual 

Reading 

Languages  

Specific niche interests  

Taking a course for an interest 

• Cooking class 
• Physics class 
• Auto-repair class 

Home renovations

• Organization 
• Interior design

Community / Connection 

Volunteering  

• In your community: animal shelters, shelters for adults, women’s shelters, food banks, political campaigns, hospitals, etc.  
• In person / virtual  
• Specific interests: tree planting, libraries, mentorship programs, etc.  

Clubs 

• Book club 
• Sports club 
• Game clubs: video games, board / card games based 

Social events  

• Royal Ontario Museum After Dark  
• Festivals / concerts  
• Religious events  
• Drag events  
• Comedy nights  

Family and friend time  

• Weekly / monthly gatherings  
• Themed dinners  

Along with most things you read, it’s always best to do your own research. Like something I listed? That’s great! Cozy up with the internet and explore the hobby, its variations, and what it has to offer. Nothing I listed speaks to you? That’s okay too – you can talk with people you know and see what they do for hobbies, or consult the internet too.  

If you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, don’t worry. You don’t have to have multiple hobbies from every single category, just start with one. You’re not bound to these hobbies so you have room to breathe, and try out new ones. Plus, discovering the things you don’t like makes you closer to finding the ones you do. 

Importantly, you don’t have to be an amazing painter or gym expert to start and enjoy your hobbies. The point is to just try something new and you’ll develop skills along the way. 

As an upcoming graduate student, I’m beginning to seriously invest my time and money into hobbies that I will enjoy and add to my wellbeing. But I know that regardless if I commit to one or not, my time won’t be wasted – and neither will yours. 

Research article mentioned: Mak, H.W., Noguchi, T., Bone, J.K. et al. Hobby engagement and mental wellbeing among people aged 65 years and older in 16 countries. Nat Med 29, 2233–2240 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02506-1

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• her20s
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