Retired, what now? 10 hobbies for retired women
First time doesn't want to pass at all and then suddenly it happens very quickly: retirement is here! Most women have already thought about how they want to organise the time after their working life. It should be colourful and exciting, but also calm and relaxed. Finally, no more obligations! But that's exactly what becomes a problem for many women after a while. What to do all day long? Now, at the latest, it's time to make new plans for leisure time.
Beautify the home with homemade products
Our own four walls are our space for personal development. Designing and furnishing your flat or house can become a creative and exciting hobby. With so-called do-it-yourself projects (translated: do it yourself) you can beautify your home and find solutions for various everyday problems. The niche in the hallway becomes a coat rack, a tin can becomes a flower pot, a leftover piece of fabric becomes a cushion cover. You can give free rein to your creativity when you do it yourself.
Ever heard of "upcycling"? Old furniture is reworked, upgraded and made pretty again. Items that would otherwise end up in the rubbish are transformed into practical everyday helpers, decorative objects or jewellery. The creation of new favourite pieces, the transformation of something old into something new, fills you with pride. Also because things are recycled instead of being carelessly thrown away. Professionals even sell their self-created pieces on the internet or at flea markets.
Immerse yourself in the world of colours
When painting and drawing, you can express your feelings and create individual works of art. There are countless ways to get creative with paint. Hobby artists are often absorbed in their work for hours! Painting schools and adult education centres offer courses in various techniques. For example, you can paint with watercolours, oils or acrylics on canvas or learn to draw portraits. If you like the result, you can hang it on your wall at home.
Colouring books for adults, for example with mandalas or fantasy motifs, have also become trendy in recent years. Colouring has a meditative effect and puts you in a deep state of inner peace. The motif in colouring books is predefined, but your creativity is called for in the selection and use of different colours!
Letting music into life
Piano, guitar or violin? Playing a musical instrument improves your cognitive abilities, because making music requires concentration and physical coordination. Music can relax and calm or vitalise and boost. When making music, dopamine is released, which improves the brain's performance. A mental fountain of youth!
Smaller musical instruments can be learned well at home. If you don't have room for a piano, you can make do with a keyboard. In the beginning, of course, it helps to take a few hours of music lessons. Perseverance is needed when practising. Try to get rid of the idea that you lack the necessary talent. After all, you are not Mozart or Carlos Santana. The most important thing is that you enjoy making music.
Sew your own clothes and accessories
The hobby of sewing requires a financial investment. And that is in a sewing machine. You also need basic sewing equipment, fabrics and possibly patterns. If you are unsure whether you enjoy this activity, you can first borrow a sewing machine from your neighbour or attend a sewing course. Start with something simple to keep you motivated. As soon as you have gained some experience and are successful, you can move on to more difficult things. There are no limits to your creativity! And then: the indescribable moment when you hold the self-made, finished result in your hands! By the way: Grandchildren are also happy about individual pieces, such as summer dresses with a favourite motif or gym bags with their names sewn on.
Felting: A creative craft
If you don't feel like sewing, felting might be an appealing activity for you. Felt is made by mechanically processing wool. There are two techniques: Dry felting and wet felting. For dry felting you need special needles with barbs. You use them to pierce the wool several times until the fibres join together. Then you shape the wool into the desired form.
In wet felting, hot soapy water is poured over the felting wool, causing it to swell. Then it's time for "fulling". Here the wool is rubbed or rolled under light pressure until the wool fibres bind together. The felting of the wool creates a firm board, which is later processed further. The finished product can then be decorated with embroidery, beads or other applications as desired. This is how decorative objects for indoors and outdoors, bags, key rings and much more are created.
Capture the moment when photographing
Setting the scene for a motif is anything but easy. Especially for beginners, it is difficult to understand the connection between exposure time, aperture and light sensitivity. But once you're infected with the photography virus, it's great fun. To get started, you need to buy a good camera, lens and memory card. Once you are familiar with your camera, you can start shooting and discover the different possibilities.
Experimenting from different angles can produce some surprising images. With the automatic mode, you can avoid the frustrating search for the right setting in the beginning. A photography course can also make it easier to get started.
Writing and poetry as a hobby
Are you a fan of books and literature? How about picking up a pen and starting to write yourself? You must have kept a diary in your childhood and put your thoughts and worries down on paper. You can still do that in your old age! It is good to write down positive and negative thoughts and memories. For many women, biographical writing helps them to see things more clearly and to process experiences better. Writing poetry also gives you the opportunity to express your feelings and to write down what is currently touching and preoccupying you.
Have you ever heard of lettering (also calligraphy)? To put it simply, it is beautiful writing by hand. It is about drawing letters, words and sentences artistically and designing them creatively. Various tools are used, such as felt-tip pens or brushes. There are templates and tips on the internet on how to teach yourself. With a little practice, you can create walls, letters and cards with great quotes.
Yoga and Meditation: Finding Inner Peace
From the outside, it looks as if you are just sitting motionless while meditating. But there is more to it than that. Meditation is intended to calm the body and mind. In an undisturbed place, you sit upright and concentrate only on your breath for a few minutes. The aim is to completely relax and be with yourself. Without disturbing thoughts.
Yoga also aims to create inner balance, but here the body is involved. The various movement sequences and breathing exercises are designed to bring body, mind and soul into harmony. Vitality is improved and muscle strength is trained. Since there are different types of yoga, everyone can find a suitable variation. Hatha yoga is particularly suitable for beginners.
Showing a sense of rhythm while dancing
Music touches our soul. Often our body moves all by itself to the sounds from the radio or at music events. Dancing has many health benefits. The combination of seeing, hearing and moving challenges the brain and the whole body. Coordination and balance are trained, and the cardiovascular system, metabolism, muscles and joints are strengthened.
Dancing means joie de vivre. In couple dancing or in a dance group, you come together with like-minded people. New contacts and friendships are formed. If you want to pursue dancing as a hobby, all you need is a little sense of rhythm. It is also important to wear suitable shoes to avoid blisters, to protect the ankles and to avoid bad posture.
A favourite place outdoors
Create your own personal place of well-being in the green! Watching the flowers grow and the vegetables flourish in the bed has a satisfying effect and relaxes our mind. In addition, digging, planting, sowing and hoeing activates the whole body. That keeps you fit! If you have your own garden, it's a great place to let off steam. Inspiration for garden design can be found in garden magazines or on the internet. But you can also put your own ideas into practice with imagination and creativity. It is best to divide larger gardens into "zones" with individual themes, such as a fragrance garden, herb garden and vegetable patch.
Even if you don't have a garden but a balcony, you can make your outdoor area attractive and cosy. Colourful textiles, selected decorative pieces and various potted plants will visually enhance your balcony. For a mini-balcony, space-saving, vertical plantings, etagères and hanging baskets are suitable. They can be used to grow herbs or strawberries, among other things.
If you live in the city, you can also ask about so-called "urban gardening projects" in your area. These provide interested people with urban areas to garden together.
Conclusion
The children are out of the house, work is over. With the newfound time, you finally have the opportunity to revive long-forgotten hobbies or find a new, challenging favourite pastime. Many women are painters, gardeners, decorators or musicians. Now it's up to you to discover your hidden talents and passions!
