Externally, we are so different. I'm a Black woman in the US, native to Manhattan (don't live there anymore). Internally, every cell in my body resonates with every. single. word. you. spoke. Like you, I'm in the winter of my life - 60s - and through my commitment to expressive arts (a/k/a "hobbies"), walks, surrounding myself in nature (and a couple of decades of psychotherapy), I'm finally living the peace I've always yearned for as a child, teen and young woman. We are soul mates in the fullest sense of the collective human spirit. Thank you for this invigorating post.

Retirement is fantastic. I am 72 and travel in my motorhome and am writing a book. Bloody love it.

I’m nearly 70, lost my husband recently, but I’ve had hobbies all my life and always said I don’t know what people without hobbies do! They can be a lifesaver.😊

Retirement killed my dad. After he retired, he just sat and watched TV all day. If I could go back and change one thing, I would find a hobby to share with him. It would give us something to share and it would give him something to focus on.

I’ve seen what happens when you don’t have hobbies. My grandfather was cruel man and everyone feared him. He didn’t have any hobbies after retirement from working at the VA hospital. He drank himself to death and made everyone miserable but he left money which was the only pro. And now I’m witnessing it again with other family members. Being a 31 year old man now, I’ve made it a priority to do something I enjoy while I’m young. I refuse to live so long being miserable. I do artistic things because the arts where I’m from isn’t appreciated.

I think lots of people don't understand what a "hobby" is. They seem to think any activity that does not bring in money is not worth doing. In my working life, I was a high school teacher. A common writing prompt was to get kids to write about a hobby. Most of them had no interests to speak of. They chose "sleeping" or "talking on the phone" as their "hobbies." Pretty sad. They had little curiosity or interest in creating things. They will be miserable in retirement, if there is such a thing by the time they're old enough.

I've never understood people who are bored. I'll not live long enough to learn and do everything I want to accomplish. I have several hobbies, sewing, quilting, reading, cooking, and such, that keep me occupied and learning new things. Love your attitude!!

Not watching the news is a healthy step for us all 😊

My grandma just sits and watches tv or lays in bed. Barely does anything else. We've tried to get her to do stuff, easy stuff like watching something more stimulating, or reading, or listening to music but she refuses. Her mind is as you'd imagine, very forgetful, very scattered, barely makes sense when she speaks. :/

I find myself laughing often. My peers say they are bored. We are 30, in good health and have the internet to learn SO MANY hobbies. I’ve taken up crochet, sewing, knitting, fishing, hiking, fly tying, bushcraft, jiu jitsu, dog training, kayaking. So much! People are not bored, they are just boring.

Some people at work called me "The girl with 5000 interests" while laughing.

This honestly makes me feel better about having 100 different scattered hobbies and interests.

People have asked me what I do all day. My husband and I are pensioners. I laugh when this question is asked because there aren't enough hours in the day for us. There is always something to do ( gardening, I am a weaver and own a floor loom -all manual, preserving food). There is always something to learn.

Best line of the week. " Dont worry 'bout yer macho man! Get yer knittin' out! 😂

I love crafts. Knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch, sewing, bead work, stained glass, ceramics, braiding, drawing, photography, calligraphy, penmanship, card making, quilting, and more. There is so much to explore that is simple to do and enjoyable. Almost all of my makings are gifts. I rarely keep anything for myself. I almost have to be making something for someone. It’s motivating. And then I listen to audiobooks while I work. It’s lovely.

I recently lost my mother. She had dementia and I was living with her as her carer. Since she died my whole daily routine has gone and the paid carers, whom I had got friendly with, have stopped coming to the house. For the past few weeks I've had nothing to do but clear out things from the house, but it's hard to motivate myself as I live alone and have no family nearby. I am a church member, but most of the services are in the evening so the days tend to drag. The bright spot in my week is Friday, when I meet up with one of my best friends. We've started going to a craft group which another friend of mine invited me to. I spend a happy couple of hours working on my latch hooked rug and chatting to my friends, and we usually end up having lunch in the hotel where we meet. On the other days I've got into a bad habit of watching TV all morning and fitting in housework during the ad breaks, although I try to get out every day and enjoy going for walks. Am thinking that I will need to start volunteering or doing a course or something to help me through next winter.

If you don’t have hobbies a way to start would be reading. Another would be cooking. Both are easy for most people. KZfaq is great for teaching you a skill

My dad ( 77 ) has spent the last 15 years sitting on the sofa watching telly , he has withered away to an old man with every ailment under the sun, that's not for me , there is no excuse for boredom . I paint & draw , do a bit of crafting , walk about 25 miles per week , what I really love is sitting in the garden , just watching the birds & the squirrels, not enough hours in the day !

I’m only in my 20s but I’m too sick to work. Most days just chewing my food is exhausting, I’m not exaggerating... When I’m able I have an endless list of hobbies! Before I got sick I was almost always active - outside, socialising, volunteering, making or fixing something. But now I’m so sick that often even sewing, reading, and puzzles are impossible.

Some free/cheap hobbies include growing your own food, foraging and crafting/cooking with what you find, you could also sign up to a library for free books!