Start a podcast

Podcasts have become quite common over the last year and it seems to be quite the growing profession, as anyone can have a show and get paid through some type of outlet. Whether you're listening to or producing a podcast, they have proven themselves to be an entertaining pastime.

If this might be something that interests you, there are a few amazing websites that can get you started such as: Anchor, SimpleCast, Messy, and Spreaker. Happy hosting!

Pick Up Photography

Just like podcasts, photography has become a common artform and is far more appreciated than it was before. When I asked a photographer friend of mine for his input, he explained photography and the love for it much better than I could've fathomed. If this doesn't persuade you to take up photography, I don't know what will:

"Something about being able to capture a slice of time in the form of zeros and ones just brings me comfort. Sometimes it just feels like the world keeps moving without ever looking back, and I don't want to forget what it feels like to see the world as a nineteen-year-old. Photos make things real. But over time I've found that it's not just about the pictures. What I really love is the process. First comes the idea. It just sorta hits you like a wave, and you try to find a way to recreate it through a lens. Then there's the edit, where you can really manipulate the emotion of the image. And by the time it all comes together, you've captured more than just some light hitting a sensor for .005 seconds. You've captured a piece of life, and you'll know that you'll always have that with you."

Appreciating the world and its beauty in the simplest and sharpest way can be a gift. Explore it!

Reading

In other words, kick back with a nice cup of coffee, cocoa, or tea, grab a blanket, and pull out a good book. Let your mind wander into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the poorly represented BDSM community in 50 Shades of Grey, the ups and downs of falling in love with a fallen angel with the 'Hush, Hush' series, or get weirded out by the mind of Stephen King. Just escape the real world for a chapter or two each day!

Volunteer

What we know as the "season of giving" is already in our rear view, but who's to say it has to stop there? If you want to be a humanitarian or just get out of the house, volunteering is a great way to do that. Pay it forward by volunteering at a soup kitchen or food bank. Or if you're not really a people person and would prefer to be around animals, volunteer at an animal shelter! There's always room for an extra set of hands, and why not start off the new year sprinkling a little bit of kindness and love everywhere?

Become A Plant Parent

A plarent, maybe? No? Okay.

Every home needs some greenery (that isn't plastic), and having plants around the house has actually been proven to be calming.

Start off small with succulents or cacti (fun fact: cacti are succulents), and place them sporadically throughout your house. It'll add a little bit of aesthetic and personality to your home AND you only have to water them biweekly or once a month at the very least, so you don't have to worry about forgetting to water them!

Start a blog

While I use this brief moment to advocate writing for Odyssey, writing or blogging is actually a great hobby to have. It's a great way to express your emotions and talk about things that are important to you, whether it be for an audience or not. Writing is soothing, therapeutic, and an artform that I believe is underappreciated.

Try to write something on a weekly basis that isn't school related. Allowing yourself the time and space to grow, even with a few sentences -- no, a few words, can be the best feeling. So try it; let everyone, every thought, every observation pour out of you. Take a shot at uncensored and unapologetic freedom. The rejuvenating and recharged feeling will be absolutely worth it, I promise.

Teach Yourself A New Language

Despite the United States being one of the most diverse countries in the world, the lack of knowledge that comes with each others' languages is a scary reality. There are thousands of spoken and unspoken languages to learn and it never hurts to expand your vocabulary or resume.

Try your hand at French, Italian, Spanish, German, Latin, and so on! Or try your literal hand with ASL!

Learn To Play An Instrument

Speaking of learning a new language, that's precisely what music is. It's a language of beauty, precision, technique, and exquisite timing. Aside from the music you'd be creating via whatever your instrument of choice is, reading the music is the language. Each note represents a letter, a sound; each key is like a dialect or accent; each clef is the music equivalent of Google Translate that allows you to differentiate how a note reads and sounds.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "When words fail, music speaks"? It's quite literal. It's a language worthy of learning -- take it from a musician. :)

Start Scrapbooking

This is one of those hobbies that takes you on a trip down memory lane. You go through pictures of your friends and family and piece them together in the timeline of your life and the ride can be emotional. Aside from this, scrapbooking is also a great opportunity to explore your creative side, as scrapbooks are usually artsy and what some would call "Pinterest worthy".

I do feel however, that I need to warn you that scrapbooking can be expensive and slightly mind numbing after a while. Sure, you're cherishing old memories but you also come to the realization that you take way too many pictures.

Try Calligraphy

Whether you're scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, there's always a Calligraphy video to be found. I know that every time I see one, I stop to watch because the process is so mesmerizing and the final product is always beautiful. There's so much precision and technique, not to mention patience, that goes into beautiful calligraphy. It's much more than fancy cursive writing; it's an artform.

If you find calligraphy intriguing and beautiful, and you want to learn how to do it yourself, I found a small beginner's playlist to get you started!

Explore Your Artistic Side

Art can be expressed in countless ways, it's not even funny. You have drawing, painting, sculpting, sewing, crocheting, simply turning a coloring book into a work of bright art, or exploring previously mentioned art forms like calligraphy or photography. Art is everywhere and can be everything. Just think outside the box a little bit and you'll find your artistic niche.

Study Astrology

This generation, mostly my fellow women, are guilty of being slightly obsessed with zodiac signs (especially with relationships and compatibility). Maybe you follow a few astrology pages on Instagram that are associated with your sign so you can double tap and say "oh my god, SO accurate" in the comments. Well astrology and the signs are more than just observing basic behaviors. Your sign and your daily horoscopes are all connected to the moon, the planets, and the stars.

There's more meaning and accuracy behind every horoscope, every sign, than most people could fathom. If you want to understand yourself, or your loved ones' signs a little more, I recommend studying and delving into astrology because everything about it's truly fascinating.

Be An Amateur Astronomer 

While we're at it, try your hand at astronomy. Whether it be simply stargazing at the highest peak of night that'll appease your dear insomnia, studying constellations, or observing rotation patterns. Your knowledge of these things can help you get a better grasp on zodiac signs AND you'll get to see how small we really are in a universe so vast and unexplored.

Start A YouTube Channel

As we delve deeper into a society where everything is on social media, like podcasting, starting a YouTube channel has become quite common among Millenials. People are even getting famous and making a career out of it. I'm not advocating for dropping everything and taking your chances with YouTube, but making quality videos for fun can be a great way to express yourself on any sort of scale. It's worth a shot and if you get famous, @ me so I can be a consistent supporter in the comments.

Buy A Cookbook And Try Out Some Recipes

Even if you claim that you can't cook, let's refer to a classic Ratatouille quote: "Anyone can cook." Grab a cookbook, flip through some recipes, raid your pantry or the grocery store, and go nuts in the kitchen!

Start Collecting

Literally anything can be collected: coins, model cars (or model anything), vinyl, rocks/crystals, comic books, action figures (but not in a nerdy, 40-Year-Old Virgin, movie way), literally anything (but not in a creepy, Joe Goldberg, way).

Start A DIY Project

You thought of Pinterest when you read this one, right? It's a solid place to start, I'm not going to lie. Because I plan to dabble in this hobby a little bit, I created a board for myself. Out of the kindness of my heart, I will also share it with you!

Go Beer Or Wine Tasting

A little pretentious, right? Maybe a little expensive depending on where you go? Perhaps, but it's so worth it! Think of it as an adult field trip; a way for you to educate and expose your palate to new tastes while also being able to justify your college/young adult alcoholism.

Almost every state has great locations to do both, and it's just a Google search away!

Go Camping

Get out of your element a little bit. Step away from your technology, get out of the house, and spend some time in the great outdoors. Buy a cheap tent or get a makeshift one, grab some clothes, a first aid kit just in case, some non-perishable food, and the proper equipment to get a fire going, and you'll be on your way!

You may feel skeptical or hesitant, but go -- just for a weekend. If you like it, try to go once a month or once every couple months. The no-technology-get-away might be the perfect recharge that you definitely need.

Try to fish a little as well. The quiet and serenity that goes into fishing is rejuvenating.

Join or start a club

This could be a little cliche' but surrounding yourself with people that enjoy the same things that you do can suppress or rid yourself of loneliness and boredom. Whether it be a book or movie club and end up discussing your thoughts; a chess club so you can expand your mind, learn patterns, and make creative ways to outsmart an opponent; going so far as a bowling league, or even becoming a regular player at a billiards hall -- anything works.

Getting involved with something can help you get out of the house, improve your social life, or you guessed it: cure your boredom, it's totally worth a try.