On the rare occasions that students have free time, most of us spend it very differently. Most students probably spend this “me time” playing on their phones, watching Netflix, hanging out with friends, or maybe just even taking a nap. However, very few of us take this time to work on self improvement or doing things that will actually calm us and make us feel like we have actually done something beneficial with our time. Those things are often called hobbies and for some reason aren’t as popular as they used to be. Sure making stretchy band bracelets may be fun, but most of the time we choose to watch a video of others doing their hobbies instead. Research shows that people with hobbies have less stress, are happier, more relaxed and less likely to be depressed. Due to this, I believe that we should try to get off of the couch every now and then and try some of these hobbies. 

1. Extreme Couponing

Now this is a hobby that could potentially quickly pay off if you have the skills and patience for it. You would need to get the local newspaper or find an app online, and be able to have enough math skills to map out how much you are going to spend and how much you are potentially going to be saving. With modern technology it has become a whole lot easier to have this as a hobby as you can just type in the name of the store you are shopping at with the words “coupon” after it. 

      2. Calligraphy

For this hobby you will ideally need a calligraphy pen, but you can just about use anything you want. This is the art of writing, and as such, you will need a lot of practice in order to get skilled at it. Once you do that, however, then you will be able to write more beautifully and possibly even do calligraphy for official events and for others. 

       3. Weaving

Weaving is an old tradition that now seems lost to time, but some kids still do it in the form of baskets for 4-H. It takes some time to learn the different skills and techniques that go into it along with sacrificing your fingers for the job, but in the end, you could end up with a really cool product. You could then weave rugs for your room, a fruit basket for the dinner table, or just about anything that you want to take the time to create. 

       4. LEGO bricks

Building with LEGO bricks by themselves doesn’t really seem like a hobby, but when you are our age, then it is. Any creative thing that you do that isn’t required by the school is at this point a hobby. Ideally you would have LEGO sets for this hobby, but you could just have a box of LEGO bricks that you go crazy building with. The cool thing about this hobby is that you can build anything you want, you just have to have the imagination for it. 

       5. Aquascaping

This hobby is similar to terrariums as you take plants and other products, like soil, and build a tiny home for them. The major difference between the two is that aquascaping involves lots of water and plants that live underwater or in swampy areas. If you enjoy planting and creating, then this could be a hobby for you as then you get to watch it grow as you take care of it. 

        6. Geocaching

Most of you probably haven’t heard of this hobby, but there are actually a couple of locations here in Delphi. It is an app that takes you outside to try to find boxes based on puzzles about them. Once you solve that puzzle, you can then open that box to see what is inside. It would be a nice hobby to have if you enjoy puzzles and the outdoors. 

        7. Gardening

Right now it is still cold outside, but once spring comes around, it will be nice to have a hobby that gets you outside and that allows you to see and enjoy the labors of your hard work. From planting new flowers to trimming bushes into cool shapes to planting vegetables, gardening is a hobby that can keep you busy and bring you joy all spring and summer.  

        8. Reenactment 

Brush up on your sewing skills, and grab the apple cider press, we’re going on an adventure! There aren’t many places to do this in Delphi besides the canal, but there are a lot more in Lafayette and most other large cities. You get to dress up in old fashioned clothes and see what it would be like to live in that time period. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it is something that kids could get really into. Along with this ties Cosplay in which you dress up as people from comics, anime, or whatever you want really. 

        9. Upcycling

For those of you who love Pinterest, this is the time to put all of those ideas to good use. You can shop around at local garage sales and pick out items that you think you can remake into something cooler. You can then use those pieces to decorate your room or sell online for some money. 

       10. Collecting items

From buttons to tea cups, you can collect almost anything you want. The hardest part about this hobby is that you have to have the space for all of the items that you are going to be collecting. Online shopping makes this hobby much more dangerous as you can just click a button and then a package shows up on your doorstep in two days. 

Consider giving serious consideration to trying out some of these hobbies in order to find yourself off the couch and doing something fun with your free time. Try to find ways to get yourself outside while having fun at the same time. It may take a while to find something that you actually enjoy doing, but once you find it, you will be glad that you did.