The answer is hobbies. Having a hobby can help you relax and learn new things. You get to have newer experiences, connect with others and broaden your scope of knowledge.
So, in this article, we have compiled a list of 15 hobbies for programmers in three different categories to help you balance and live a happier life. You can choose any category you resonate with.
15 Fun Hobbies To Balance And Improve Your Life And Well Being
Physical Hobbies for Programmers
Physical hobbies are not only beneficial for your body but also for your mind. Countless studies prove that being physically active keeps the brain healthy and rejuvenated.
Sure, it is great to sit behind a computer for hours on end looking at thousands of lines of code. However, becoming a couch potato by being stagnant in one place for a long time will have drastic effects on your body and mind. Studies show that it will hurt your heart, cause dementia, and can shorten your lifespan.
Below are some physical hobbies you can pick up.
Hiking
Pick up your backpack and let’s go hiking. Hiking is a fun activity to get into.
First, you get the benefit of exercise which benefits your body and mind and you get to connect with new people and make new connections. Odds are you will meet other programmers and get the benefit of sharing your ideas and learning from them as well. You see how that benefits your career and social life.
Jogging
Jogging is also another active hobby you can pick up as a programmer. All you need is your jogging clothes and you are done.
Running
Running, a step up to jogging and is also very beneficial for your mind and body. You need your mind in top condition to think computationally during difficult projects.
Running provides innumerable benefits for your mind. Your brain is able to process information faster and better which will make your career a whole lot easier. You benefit from the bodily and mental fitness which keeps you away from the hospital than most.
Cycling
This activity you can do in your local community. You will be amazed by what just 20 minutes of picking a bike and taking a stroll around your neighborhood can do a lot for your life.
Yoga
Yoga is an interesting hobby to pick up. It falls in the domain of both physical and spiritual hobbies. The various yoga poses involved are very healthy for your body and improve your health. Flexibility, stress relief, reduced anxiety, and inflammation are but just a few of the numerous health benefits of practicing yoga for just a few minutes a day.
You either take a paid, yoga class online, watch free tutorials online or look for one in your local community.
If you want to use free tutorials, here are some of the top Yoga YouTube Channels to use.
Weight Lifting
Going to the gym to lift weights will not only keep you in shape but improve your mental health.
When I say weight lifting, I am not referring to chiseled and bulky muscles. Just lifting moderate weights consistently will improve your body tone and elevate your happy hormones. It will change your life for the best.
Mental Hobbies for Programmers
Mental hobbies are hobbies that require a little cognitive load although not much and are really healthy for you. These hobbies unlike programming or coding will help you learn something new and improve your brain health.
Reading
Whether you choose to read a few pages of a book a day or a mountain of novels and science fiction books, reading books has been scientifically proven to improve both your physical and mental health. The effects will carry through to your old age.
Reading just for a few minutes a day will boost your cognitive resilience. This is not only important to you as a programmer but staying mentally fit improves your quality of life.
Reading is also a stress killer. Studies by the Rush University Medical Center show that taking up cognitive stimulating activities like reading improved the participant’s resilience against dementia, a side effect of prolonged stress.
So, start learning new things. Read a novel or any non-programming book to help you expand your world and improve your life by learning new concepts and ideas.
Writing
Writing is extremely healthy for your mental health. Whether it is writing an email, text message, or a 50-page document, we write almost every time. Numerous studies show that writing can improve our mood because it helps us become more aware of our emotions and feelings. This can help protect from mental diseases like Alhezeimers’s and Dementia.
The skill of writing helps you to look inward at yourself. Your thoughts—beliefs, feelings, ideas, and values come into the spotlight. It makes it easier for you to make decisions and also improves your overall confidence as a person.
You can improve yourself mentally by practicing these types of writing
- Expressive writing – You can express yourself by using words to explore your ideas and beliefs.
- Creative writing – Creative writing can take many forms. Novels, Non-Fiction writing, and many others. But you can also try writing songs in your past time.
Related Content: How To Write A Song For Beginners
This is important because being able to work through your feelings makes you a better thinker hence a better programmer. Remember, your ability to figure things out will improve your ability to see other people and ideas more clearly. Your life will become a whole lot better.
Board games
This hobby will actually benefit your career and your whole life as well. Board games in their very nature require serious planning, focus, and strategy. Because of these, it helps you develop serious thinking skills which are relevant for your work as a programmer or software engineer and a human being in general.
Every day of our life requires that we reason, look for information, interpret the information and make conclusions from it. We make decisions every day. So, playing board games in our free time will improve our lives drastically.
If you want to get started with board games, here are some of the best board games on the market.
- Scythe
- Small world
- Anomia
- Betrayal at House on the Hill
- Mysterium
- Pandemic Legacy
- Star Wars: Outer Rim
- Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Cases
- Sagrada
- Wingspan
Learn a new Language
As a programmer, you learn numerous programming languages—Python, C, C++, PHP, Java, and JavaScript. No to mention the frameworks. You are always learning something to communicate and give instructions to computers. This improves your mind a lot.
Learning is beneficial in many ways. It is a well-known fact that people who learn new languages are able to do things from different viewpoints and are more empathic. You benefit from brain growth as you learn something new. So, the bottom line is you become a healthier and better human being.
Learning a new language in today’s modern world is easier with the explosion of web apps online. I don’t need to tell you that. You can use Duolingo or Memrise to learn a new language very easily and faster.
Below are the best languages to learn in 2022
- Chinese
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Japanese
- Italian
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Arabic
Coin collecting
Coin collecting, classified as the hobby of kings is one of the oldest and easiest hobbies to pick up. You don’t need any fancy tools or equipment to start.
Coin collecting is very beneficial to you as a programmer because it will teach you how to organize, catalog, and look at large amounts of data. You can bring this skill to your everyday life and your career.
You might even find a very valuable coin that will change your life forever. There have been coins that have sold for millions of dollars. Imagine that a million-dollar penny. This will improve your life in more ways than one and can even have your start-up.
If you are considering starting this hobby, I will suggest you visit my detailed list of United States coins. Wheat pennies are by far the best and most inexpensive American coins to start collecting. Here is a list of some of them.
1935 Wheat Penny
Type: Wheat Penny
Mintage: 248,388,000
Year:1935
Minted at: Philadelphia
Mint Mark: No mint mark
Designer: Victor D Brenner
Mass/Weight: 3.11 grams
Metal Composition: 95% Copper and 5% Zinc and Tin
Silver Content: 0%
Numismatic Value: This coin is valued at 35 cents in average condition and $15 in certified mint state (MS+).
1936 Wheat Penny
Type: Wheat Penny
Mintage: 309,632,000
Year:1936
Minted at: Philadelphia
Mint Mark: No mint mark
Designer: Victor D Brenner
Mass/Weight: 3.11 grams
Metal Composition: 95% Copper and 5% Zinc and Tin
Silver Content: 0%
Numismatic Value: This coin is valued at 35 cents in average condition and $5 in certified mint state (MS+).
1951 Wheat Penny
Type: Wheat Penny
Mintage: 284,576,000
Year: 1951
Minted at: Philadelphia
Mint Mark: No mint mark
Designer: Victor D Brenner
Mass/Weight: 3.11 grams
Metal Composition: 95% Copper and 5% Tin and Zinc
Silver Content: 0%
Numismatic Value: This coin is valued at 15 cents in average condition and $18 in certified mint state (MS+).
1953 Wheat Penny
Type: Wheat Penny
Mintage: 256,735,000
Year: 1953
Minted at: Philadelphia
Mint Mark: No mint mark
Designer: Victor D Brenner
Mass/Weight: 3.11 grams
Metal Composition: 95% copper and 5% zinc and tin.
Silver Content: 0%
Numismatic Value: This coin is valued at 15 cents in average condition and $18 in certified mint state (MS+).
1955 Wheat Penny
Type: Wheat Penny
Mintage: 390,958,000
Year: 1955
Minted at: Philadelphia
Mint Mark: No mint mark
Designer: Victor D. Brenner
Mass/Weight: 3.11 grams
Metal Composition: 95% copper and 5% zinc and tin.
Silver Content: 0%
1913 Wheat Penny
Type: Wheat Penny
Mintage: 76,532,000
Year: 1913
Minted at: Philadelphia
Mint Mark: No mint mark
Designer: Victor D Brenner
Mass/Weight: 3.11 grams
Metal Composition: 95% Copper and 5% Zinc and Tin
Silver Content: 0%
Numismatic Value: This coin is valued at $1.25 in average condition and $65 in certified mint state (MS+).
You can also collect these United states pennies
Spiritual Hobbies For Software Engineers
Meditation
Mediation is a great hobby that will help you be mentally focused and aware. It gives you the opportunity of solitude to divert your attention away from the busyness of life.
It is great for your mental health. Numerous studies have proven that meditation improves focus and improves your cardiovascular health.
Volunteering
Volunteering is also another easy hobby you can pick up as a programmer. It is spiritual in the sense that the very act of taking time out of your life to help others makes you a better human being. You also experience better health— less stress, improved cardiovascular health, and less anxiety.
Related Content: 9 Real-World Benefits Of Volunteering
Over To You
Being a software developer, programmer or engineer does not mean you shouldn’t have a feel for other activities. What hobby are you considering picking up? Let me know in the comments below.
Check our Clouding Computing quotes and Technology quotes for awesome ideas from big names in the field.
Also, check our post on Computer hobbies and another on some awesome hobbies for nerds to get ahead in life.
