Top 10 Hobbies For Midlife and Beyond
One of the bonuses to reaching middle age is the sudden burst of energy to explore and do things you either couldn’t afford or were too busy to do in your former years.
Now, you’ve got time, unless you’re like me and have young kids coupled with signs of menopause at 40. In that case, find the thing or things you know you can do with or without kids in tow. Then, make a list for when they’re out of the house.
Mine is long, diverse, and adventurous as hell, but for now, here’s what I’m applying to my menopause story in the short term…
Cooking and/or Baking
I’m tired of chicken nuggets, hot dogs, mac ‘n cheese, and frankly every food source that screams under developed pallet. Pre-kids I used to make some stellar dishes: stuffed chicken breast, beef Wellington, homemade noodles, and desserts friends would drool over.
Now, I barely have the energy to make my old favorites. Instead, it’s easy go-to’s: pasta, rice and beans, roasted chicken, salmon, pizza, left-overs, and repeat.
My goal this year is to actually make one meal a month that screams “I’ve still got it!”
If you’re looking for something to pick up hobby-wise, I highly recommend sharpening your skills in the kitchen or signing up for a cool cooking or pastry class. No one’s too old or out of practice to cook. And just about everyone loves a good meal…
2. Exploring Fine Arts
One of my favorite gifts to other women in my life is adult coloring books. I relish in the inappropriate content and references and if I have to color something with my daughter (i.e. another unicorn or mermaid), that’s what I imagine myself coloring the whole time.
That said, I do love exploring other fine art mediums like pottery, ceramics, painting, and sculpting. Just last year I took up painting and have tried to inspire my daughter to do some independent abstracts as well as following YouTube paint-by-instruction pieces.
My goal in the next year or so is to get outside of my head and make a layered, textured painting. It’s more my style and art preference at the galleries so I want to see if I’ve got any juice to create it. Mind you, I have zero history or experience in this field, but am ready to see some wild and crazy pieces when I get the nerve and the kids are dogs are out of my art (and head) space.
If you love art or even just have a crafty-mind, I’d recommend picking up a canvas, paint, and brush and trying it out. I never thought of myself as an “artist” since I sucked at sketch or hand-drawn art, but when I picked up a paint brush and pallet knife my pieces came to life and look pretty damn good, so don’t hold yourself hostage to a single medium. Try them all, and see which one moves you.
“Art is a space in which freedom tests its wings.”
3. Testing my fitness limits
I love traditional fitness - hiking, cycling, aerobics, resistance training, and running. I’ve been fortunate to continue building my endurance with each over the years. However one of the less common outlets I’m hoping my husband will take the hint to do with me one of these days is dancing.
I had a client once who took up learning the tango at 60 years-of-age and actually moved to Argentina specifically to dance it 6-months out of the year. And according to her daughter, made partners half her age sweat it out on the floor well into her late 70s.
That’s something I really want to learn to do. Dance a sensual and artsy dance like the tango. I’ve got two left feet and am probably the most self-conscious, terrified-of-fucking-up dancer you’ll ever meet, but I’m still willing to try.
Anybody know my husband and want to nudge him toward the floor, let me know and I’ll get those shoes and dress ordered ASAP. Or…maybe you can take it up and share a tip or two?
I’m waiting…
4. Writing
If you haven’t already taken up some form of writing by your 40s, I pain for you. While journaling hasn’t been my jam most of my life, blogging, poetry and fiction have become my outlet and I’m finally feeling like I’m in the right lane for honing my craft.
Don’t worry about being graded by your style or skill. Just find a pen or keyboard and get to it. Share stories about yourself, memories you don’t want to forget, or write that epic novel the world has been waiting to read. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet on a best sellers Q&A? (wink wink)
“Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.”
5. Join A Book Club
The last adult book I’ve read is, well, with the exception of the writing groups I’m part of and the beta reading and critiquing and editing with my writing buddies there, I haven’t had the time to read many published adult books. Someday I envision my nightstand to be stacked high with them though.
Currently, I’m reading the Laura Ingells Wilder series and a Nancy Drew book to my older two, and there’s always an endless supply of children’s books from the library for my youngest. But hey, if you’ve got a list of books you’d like to refer to add to my list of “somedays,” or you’re itching to read some great lit, join a book club, ask your local librarian if there are any groups in a specific genre, and crack that cover. It’s the one thing I’ll never tire of no matter how old I get!
6. STart A Podcast
You know what podcast I want to hear? One lead by middle age women talking about shit that doesn’t refer to another product or fashion conscious outfit that makes a 40+ woman look younger and thinner.
I want to hear about topics that actually matter to midlife.
Shh! I’ve got a secret…My podcast (Ladies, Learn From My Mistakes) is currently in production and will hopefully inspire other women to learn from my past screw ups, but maybe I’ll get around to making that podcast I mentioned.
Or, if you’ve got a kick ass podcast you want to share or have been thinking about putting together (and preferably one that makes me laugh more than anything), by all means…I’ll be your biggest fan!
7. Revamping classic Game groups
My grandma loved games, and she wasn’t picky either: board games, card games, acting-out games - she’d play them all. And as she was approaching end of life (lung cancer), many of her faculties failed her, speech and general communication being the hardest. However, surprisingly her ability to play non-verbal games was the last part of her to fade away. She played as competitively and strategically as ever until just a few days before crossing over.
Like my grandma, I love playing games too. Every chance we get my husband and I and the kids pull out a deck of cards or board game. But I must admit, I do miss feeling the camaraderie my grandmother had with her weekly game buddies.
Finding friends who share in my love for some of the classic card games like canasta or cribbage seems impossible in a digital world, but I do try. Games stimulate the brain and keep players active, they build relationships with friends and family beyond the technological world we’ve become so accustomed to. I hope that soon I’m able to revamp a gaming group of gabbing gals. Food, drinks, games, and endless laughs. That’s what games were all about to my grandma. And that’s what I hope they’ll be all about to me too…
“Laughter is the language of the soul.”
8. Gardening
I don’t know who said gardening was an old persons hobby, but I guess if you didn’t grow up with a passion for it, maybe it applies. Digging your hands in the dirt and connecting with nature and plants is such a positive and satisfying side-hustle.
Every season I’m amazed at the plant life I’ve managed to grow from seed or bulb, and my grocery bill isn’t quite as high when I’m able to grow fresh produce that far surpasses the flavor and quality at the store.
You don’t have to be a master or have award winning garden skills to start. Just grab some dirt, a seed or plant, and water and feed it as needed. BAM! You’re a gardener.
But beware. You’ll notice quickly how addicting this habit can be. My husband doesn’t ever worry about me buying an unnecessary pair of shoes or another dress I’ll never wear. But he does fret from spring to fall when I make a trip to any store that might have plants or flowers to sell. He knows the likelihood of my coming home without one grows less and less probable with each passing year.
Gardening is a seed that once planted, never dies…
9. Going Back To School
When my kids are out of the house taking classes at a community college or learning a new language is going to be my thing when I’m not traveling or camping. If I could afford it (or had an unlimited amount of time), I’d take classes merely for the joy of it.
And you can to at a significantly reduced cost if you’re no longer interested in picking up a degree and just want to learn something new. I highly recommend investing in the expansion of your mind as you age. Why not stuff your brain with as much experience and learning as possible so that when you die you can one day look down and say, “hey, I did everything I wanted to and then some!” Or, take after Chidi (from The Good Place) and just annoy your fellow dead friends and relatives by sharing fun facts for all eternity…
10. Giving Back
I know I know, this isn’t the most self-empowering hobby to take up, but if you’re volunteering for causes that mean something to you, it could shift your mindset. Perhaps you struggled in finding a strong female role model as a teen or wished you had a mentor when you were starting out in your career. Whatever the platform, volunteering outside your normal comfort or familiarity zones can pump new life through your veins.
Me? Volunteering at the moment comes in short spurts cause time isn’t something I have a lot of. Still, the kids help me pack some snack bags in gallon size Ziploc baggies and every so often we venture into the city were we pass them out to homeless persons we see at stop lights and underpasses with a smile and well-wishes. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing and as the kids grow we hope to expand volunteering to deeper, more connecting humanitarian causes.
Hobbies don’t have to be career changes or require you to be great at something. They’re just extra curricular activities for adults to learn, laugh, experience, and have fun, so find one or a dozen and dig in.
I don’t think there’s such a thing as having too many hobbies - especially since I don’t think there’s such a thing as having too many friends!
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