If your loved one has been feeling bored lately or lacks enthusiasm about her life, 2025 can be a great time to start a new hobby to add a little spark back. January is National Hobby Month so it’s the perfect time to give something new a try!
Learning Something New is Beneficial to Your Senior
Learning a new hobby is a great way to keep the brain engaged and stimulated. Like the body, the brain needs exercise to stay strong, so learning a new hobby can delay many cognitive losses elderly individuals experience. If the hobby is group-based, it can also help your loved one make more connections and feel less isolated. When success occurs after learning a new skill or conquering a new obstacle, it can build up your senior’s self-esteem and give her more confidence as well.
Five Easy Hobby Ideas
There are so many possible hobbies out there that your loved one can try. Take a bit of time before she dives in to examine several things about the hobby – the cost, the time, and the physicality of the hobby. By ensuring that your loved one can meet all of those criteria, she’ll have a larger chance of success and satisfaction as she learns something new.
Here are some ideas that are low in cost, time, and physicality:
Join a Walking or Hiking Club.
Hiking is low in cost can be done in a group or alone, and can be done as little or as much as desired.
Learn Birdwatching.
Your loved one just needs a few items (a book/app and binoculars) for this hobby. Also, it requires little physicality and can be done for short periods.
Discover a New Form of Art.
Painting, drawing, sculpting, or even photography can be a great way for your loved one to express herself without a huge financial or time commitment.
Learn a Game.
Whether it’s physical like pickleball or intellectual like chess, learning a new game can keep your loved one sharp and help her find new friends.
Start a Daily Meditation Practice.
From tai chi to yoga to meditative phrases, adding this new hobby into your loved one’s daily routine can help her maintain better mental health.
Starting A New Hobby When Homebound
If your loved one cannot leave home to join a class or explore a new hobby outside of the home, it doesn’t mean she can’t learn a new hobby at home. With the wonders of the internet, she can find online classes to join, or she can go old school and read a book. Your loved one might find it helpful to have someone join her on this new hobby journey since learning a new skill or navigating instruction manuals can be tricky.
Having a provider who assists with companion care at home can be a great resource. Companion care at home providers can help your loved one through the beginning learning curve as well as encourage her along the way. It’s often more fun to learn a new skill or hobby when someone joins you (and it provides more motivation to keep trying even on the most difficult days). With a trusted home care provider offering companion care at home, your loved one will have just who she needs to help her succeed.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Companion Care at Home in Sherman Oaks, CA, please call Mom's Home Care and talk to our friendly, knowledgeable staff. Our number is 323-244-4789.
