Ideas that Could Become your New Passion in Your Spare Time

Do you want to do or learn something new and interesting, a challenge that will take you out of your comfort zone, but you need to know exactly what? Or you’re looking for a new way to relax after a hard day’s work to help you meditate. These are all signs that you need a hobby to fill you with energy and help your personal development.

If you’re stuck for ideas, there are plenty of interesting and unique activities to choose from that will hold your attention enough that you’re not constantly tempted to go back to tapping your phone or watching the latest episode of the show (which isn’t even it didn’t “catch” you that much in the story). 

You can turn to more practical hobbies, such as cooking, or something like calligraphy that will certainly spark interesting discussions with friends; more active hobbies, like going to the gym, or more relaxing ones, like drawing. The important thing is that it challenges you, keeps you engaged and brings you joy! 

Don’t put pressure to find that activity immediately; experiment and see which resonates with you more. You never know what new talents you may discover. If you don’t know where to start, here are some interesting examples of hobbies and passions that are worth trying in your spare time:

1. Gym: Exercise regularly (finally!)

Every year you have on your list of “New Year’s Resolutions” that you want to lose weight or start exercising to have a healthier lifestyle. If you haven’t been able to make it a habit yet, look at this activity as a hobby—one that puts your whole body to work. Sport is one of those activities where you engage mind, body and soul, giving you a chance to completely forget about everything else. 

You can go to the gym and work on your own or in the classes you like. If you choose the first option, for the most effective results, document at your leisure which are the best exercises and how to do them, and create an entire program as if you were your own personal trainer. There is real mathematics behind sports activities, and it is fascinating to understand the body’s biomechanics.

If you are more motivated or want a movement experience where you socialize, we recommend you go to World Class. In the one in Veranda Mall, you can find all kinds of equipment and over 30 classes, from Yoga and Pilates to Interval or Body Pumps. Please read our guide to World Class memberships to find out what benefits such a membership includes and at what prices.

There is also the option of taking up amateur sports. In Bucharest there are a lot of sports clubs for amateurs that you can join, covering a wide range of sports, from football, basketball or handball, to fencing or table tennis. And if jogging is more your type of exercise, choose the right running equipment and get to work!

Depending on the type of sport you choose, you may need to make a small initial investment in equipment. At Decathlon and Decimals, in Veranda Mall, you can find the most varied range of quality equipment for any sport at the most affordable prices on the market. Please pay them a visit and equip yourself with your new hobby!

2. Learn to cook with specificity: bring the corners of the world to your kitchen!

If you are a gourmet, but you always order and never get to create yourself, it will be good for you to learn to cook. You will become the creator of your own culinary delights. Cooking is a very pleasant, relaxing, but above all, tasty and practical hobby, and we have yet to meet anyone who does not enjoy a delicious meal.

However, cooking is more complex than it seems. Behind it hides a technique combining ingredients (and multitasking ) that make a dish good but excellent. 

If you’re starting out, the first step is to learn to cook the foods you’re already used to. It’s easier to tell if the food “came out” or not because you know how it should be from your mother at home or from your favourite restaurant. If you need to remember, stop by the Rustic restaurant in Veranda Mall, where they serve tasty traditional Romanian dishes. But don’t stop there!

Start experimenting, either adding little twists to these basic dishes or expanding your lessons to international cuisine. If you need inspiration, we recommend you stop by the food court in Veranda Mall, where you will find many top restaurants with specifics that offer various dishes that you can replicate and enjoy at home. 

Fan of Asian food? If you like Japanese food, at Sushi Terra, you can find the best sushi, and at Noodle Pack, a wide variety of delicious noodles. For Lebanese food, run to the Mesopotamia restaurant (where a unique turkey and beef kebab is cooked!), and if you’re craving something Vietnamese, try the specialities on the Toan’s menu. 

International cuisine is more accessible than ever. Once you have decided on the recipe, make a shopping list and go to Carrefour, where you will find everything you need, or choose organic products from dm, with organic and particularly aromatic ingredients. For a special and complete culinary experience, we recommend sending the menu with a raw vegan sweet.

As you expand your cooking skills, you’ll find that the utensils you use greatly influence the taste (cast iron pot roast is much tastier!). 

3. Turn watching movies into a blog: write reviews

Do you love watching movies constantly, and are you up to date with everything new in the film industry? Well, this can turn into a full-fledged hobby! Even if watching movies doesn’t seem like an activity that deserves the title of recreation (after all, everyone cares about a movie when they want to relax in their free time, right?), the situation is slightly different when passion intervenes. 

If your portfolio of movies you’ve watched ranges from classic titles like Casablanca and The Godfather to contemporary films like Dicaprio’s Inception or the Avengers series, you’re just one step away. Start your own blog and start writing reviews for the movies you watch.

Writing your own movie reviews is a great way to share your vision with other movie buffs and an interesting hobby that will bring you a lot of satisfaction. Over time, your reviews can become a point of reference and inspiration for Internet users and a profitable activity. A well-ranked blog will also pique the curiosity of other industry contributors or other brands. 

Writing reviews is an extremely accessible hobby for anyone. You need a good internet connection and a device to watch movies and write checks. At the same time, to be one step ahead of the audience, the cinema should become your best friend. If you stay in sector 2, come to CINEMAX Veranda Mall, you can watch the newest movies in premiere or even pre-premiere, regardless of your favourite genre, from comedy movies to action movies, thrillers, children’s movies (because what not?), but not only. 

4. Let your imagination run wild: draw

Drawing is one of the hobbies that puts creativity to work the most. If this sounds childish, think about how little children are always scribbling and how focused they are on whatever loop or line they put on the sheet (or wall or hall cupboard… and who knows what else surfaces!). Drawing lets you focus on your fantasy universe and freely translate it exactly as you imagine it on the page. 

You don’t have to be a “Picasso” to start drawing. On the contrary. 

Refrain from putting pressure on yourself when your first draft looks like the one you did in kindergarten. You can use colouring as a simple relaxation tool or take it to the next level — to document how you can improve your technique and draw increasingly complex boards that you’ll be proud to hang around the house. 

If you want something with a little “restriction”, you can opt for colouring books for adults or for mandalas. These are very relaxing, so you will feel the colouring between the lines like a meditation. 

Drawing is an extremely accessible hobby. You need a set of colours and colouring sheets or books, or if you want something more challenging, you can turn to paint. These and other drawing resources can be found at Carturesți in Veranda Mall. Please give it a run; maybe it inspires you enough to try it (and turn it into a passion)!

In the end, you will have many new art pieces you can give as gifts or decorate your home with.

5. “Amateur” makeup, but at the professional level

There are more and more dedicated blogs and tutorials on YouTube about making special makeup, not only for occasions but every day. 

You will probably practice on yourself at first, but you will definitely start sending invitations to friends. This allows you to see them more often at your or their home, extending each meeting into a relaxing evening of storytelling.

It will be very interesting and challenging because you will have to adapt to each skin type, facial features and eye and hair colour.

Moreover, if you really care about this passion, want to improve your technique and always come up with new tips and creative visions, you can make it a source of additional income.

Makeup is not a hobby dedicated only to women. More and more men have started to make it a profession, so gentlemen, don’t be shy to try it!

You will need to make an investment both at the beginning and along the way as you progress through the lessons. There are a variety of products available on the market that you can use. If you need help figuring out where to start, you can call on the specialists in Sephora or Melkior in Veranda Mall to help you.