Asklemmy

Biking.

Moving under your own power has so many benefits:

• It's fun
• It's cheap (or can be, to be fair)
• It's good for your health
• It's good for the planet

Cooking. So many people don't even have the bare minimum ability to throw something together from raw ingredients that's vaguely nutritious, palatable, and won't give anyone food poisoning, so of course start there - it's so much cheaper than ready meals and there are plenty of recipes that are fast if time constraints are why you use ready meals. In fact, a trick I've always used is to cook something that serves 4-6 people, divide the extra into tubs, and freeze it. That's a few nights where making dinner is as quick and simple as defrosting something, maybe boiling some rice or pasta to go with. Do this with a half-dozen meals and you can alternate and not have to cook for weeks.

Beyond that though, learning a little more about flavour and technique, how to season a dish like a pro, some more unusual flavour combinations etc. can add real interest to your diet for very little extra effort, time, or cost. A few cheap herbs and spices can cost less than a single portion of what you're cooking and give you enough to enhance months worth of meals.

Cooking yourself a treat is great therapy. Cooking something a bit fancy for someone makes for a cheap yet heartfelt date night. Cooking a meal your family enjoys is really satisfying. Everyone should learn to cook, just a little.

Self-hosting. You learn how to use Linux, security, managing services, and after all that you have your own little ship on the internet. After all that you gain a massive understanding of how the internet and the technology you use daily work and run (to an extent).

Thinking of learning sign language....

Crochet

Pros

• Documented mental health benefits
• Cheap to start, can learn from online tutorials
• Easier than knitting
• Make cool toys, clothes, home accessories, whatever you want
• Get to smush yarn into your face on a regular basis

Cons

• Fibre crafts gateway drug

Learning a new language. You learn a bit about how languages work, understand other cultures a bit better, usually learn new vocabulary for your native language, understand the relationship between different languages, learn the roots of loan words and generally helps your brain stay healthy, even by only studying the basics.

3D printing. Suddenly you are able to fix small plastic shit in your house which would otherwise mean throwing out the whole goddamn thing. Best feeling ever to repair and save stuff.

Running. Fairly cheap. Can set your own schedule. Improves physical and mental health, increases self confidence, can help with sleep and weight loss.

Sewing is useful and satisfying. I'd like to say it's also easy but I have never figured it out myself (which doesn't say much, anything that involves using my hands is... questionable)

Playing an instrument. The challenge of playing successfully a melody will give you more reward than listening to a good one.

Some form of metal working, and specifically machining. I really enjoy machining, and I've been able to make some genuinely useful things. The tools are actually really quiet and stateful, unlike woodworking power tools which SCREAM at you like horrible demons. Seeing people look at their first top, or pen, or miniature cannon is great. Plus, things made in metal are at least slightly shiny.

For example, you could make dumbbell handles and plates like this: a photo of dumbbell handles and weight plates

Or a metal yarn winder like this: a photo of an all-metal yarn winder

The major downside is that it's not cheap (not as expensive as boats, possibly more expensive than photography), and it requires at least a bit of space that you wouldn't mind getting dirty. Luckily, I feel like makerspaces are starting to have more and more metalworking equipment.

Cooking is a very nice, relaxing hobby and you also get to eat some good food!

It’s also very useful and an easy way to impress people.

Public Speaking

You never know when you'll have to say something in front of a crowd.

An instrument. It's soul food and extremely therapeutic. Even if you suck, just learn to let it go. I find it's really good for my mental health. I dunno, it's music ya know? Lol

Juggling!

• It can be done dirt cheap

• It's really therapeutic

• You can practice it almost anywhere but especially alone in your room

• If you git gud at it, you have a cool skill to show off

At work, I have a reputation for being the guy who never shuts up about trying to get new people into scuba diving. If there are 2 or more divers at the lunch table I honestly feel a little bad for everybody else. The cost of getting trained and renting or buying all your gear can scare people away, but I would at least strongly recommend that anybody on an island vacation or cruise at least try a "discover Scuba" class. You'll learn everything you need to know to not die by watching a quick video, and working in a pool, then you get to go have an amazing dive in the ocean with an instructor.

Baking - fresh warm bread is so good!

Sewing - it's nice to add pockets to things 😁

Indoor gardening/hydroponics. Even in the smallest flat you can grow your own salad, peppers, radish, tomatoes, microgreens, etc.

Like a tiny stardew valley at home.

Hiking, there are a wide range of hike trails depending on fitness or time levels, it gets you moving and seeing nature and it can help build stamina and endurance which can be helpful in so many other day to day things. Also to start out on smaller hikes there are very few start-up costs its also lots of fun and can be alone or meet new people also hiking i find a lot of kindness and friendliness in a lot of the hiking community.

Mindfulness and Breathwork! Mindfulness is an incredibly valuable practice that can be a game changer for mental health and anxiety. Breathwork goes a long way as a fundamental technique.

There are a variety of free tier apps like InsightTimer that have beginner courses in meditation. Working to create space in your life between things like work and family give you breathing room. Starting to live in the moment allows you to step out of the anxiety of the past and worry of the future.

Hiking.

Getting up amongst the fells and mountains, mostly in isolation from noise and other people. Sure there's touristy spots where alot head to but there's still plenty of other, maybe slightly more difficult to hike places if you wanted pure zen.

Navigation is important, don't just go up with Google maps expecting her to tell you when the next left is. Get some research done, and head out. Don't overcomplicate things with buying loads of gear that youtubers "recommend", don't send it up a 3000ft hike either. A slight ascent, around a lake - start small, find your feet and grow from there.

The best thing I could ever have started for my mental health.

Juggling is fun and makes you really great at throwing things (but only mildly better at catching them hehe) 👍

Wood working. Can fix things and build things. It’s very rewarding. Can find second hand tools and slowly build your collection and upgrade them as you develop and hone your skills until your wife surprises you at home with your closest friends and family and they proceed to tell you that you have a problem and have to decide between investing time and energy into a living family or your woodworking hobby.