If you’re trying to cut back on your gaming time for a few hours, a few days, and even for longer periods (perhaps even altogether) then it’s important to have some hobbies to fill that time with.
If you don’t replace a gaming habit with productive activities or hobbies then it’s quite likely you’ll get bored and drift back to what you know best i.e. gaming.
You don’t have to replace gaming entirely either, in fact, it’s up to you to establish how often you’ll want to replace your gaming with new hobbies such as the ones we’ll list in this article: you might want to check out our ultimate list of hobbies too for over three hundred different hobby ideas.
With that said, we want to emphasize some of the best hobbies to replace gaming within this particular article meaning they should have a better success rate for you to stick with them.
1. Reading
As a hobby, reading has many similarities to gaming, especially since it requires you to invest yourself in various fantasy worlds, however, as an added benefit, it can also be mind-expanding too since you need to use your imagination more.
Unlike gaming, reading doesn’t expose you to lots of overstimulation meaning you’ll still be able to find other activities enjoyable.
It also means you’re more likely to be able to pull yourself away from your book to do chores that need to be done such as studies, cleaning, and basic hygiene.
We all know how easy it is to get trapped in hours of endless gaming cycles and before you know it, the entire day seems to have wasted away where you’ve got nothing done.
As an added point, you may find it hard to stick with reading the first time you do it, however, once you get used to the low stimulation and joys of using your imagination it will definitely get easier.
Why not check out our dedicated article about reading to find out some of the history and why we love it so much?
2. TCG (Trading Card Games)
Trading card games have a high success rate in terms of being able to pull you away from games and get you socializing with your friends. In fact, most trading card games need other people to play with meaning there’s a greater likelihood you’ll spend more time out and about with other people rather than secluding yourself away at home.
Even if you don’t socialize much, it’s really fun to head into the city to look at all the different TCG that are available to invest your time in at the local geek store. As well as that, there are lots of TCG events around the world which means regardless of where you are, there’ll always be something to do throughout the year.
Lastly, TCG has a similarly enjoyable format as most video games but because they get you socializing more, they’re generally healthier activities to engage in.
3. Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding is an amazing hobby to replace gaming because it allows you to live out your wildest dreams of making a living, breathing world, just like in your favorite games. In fact, one of the most popular world builders is the famous author, J.R.R Tolkien, who is most well-known for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit.
Not only did he write the books but he also created the creatures, the world (middle earth), and the lore, and even went so far as to create the Elvish language.
If you’ve ever wanted to build a game world but haven’t got the knowledge to do that through coding or other means, then worldbuilding is the hobby for you.
4. Blogging
Next up on our list is blogging which also involves being stationed in front of a computer, however, is actually done for much more productive reasons. As a blogger, you’ll be writing articles on your blog/website about things you love, things you want to teach people, and even writing full product reviews about things you’ve bought.
Most bloggers start out as hobby enthusiasts but over time it can easily become more like a full-time job for most people. It’s not unrealistic that you could be making up to a thousand dollars per month (or more) from a mixture of ads and affiliate links on your blog in the first year if you’re committed enough.
If you want to know more then why not check out our dedicated article about blogging?
5. Music Production
We’ve talked about music production as a hobby before, however, that doesn’t stop us from wanting to talk about it again, especially when trying to find something suitable to replace gaming. In fact, making music is very similar to playing a game — there are rules to making good music and the DAW (digital audio workstation) will allow you to do that.
It’s not unreasonable to have made your first beat in the first few hours which can really help drive your enthusiasm to make more complicated beats.
Unlike gaming, music production is a deeply creative process meaning you won’t need to spend hours on it to feel satisfied, and with enough time, you might be able to start making money from your tracks.
6. Weightlifting
As a gamer, it’s not unusual to have a bit of excess body fat and very little muscle especially as you’ll be spending the majority of your time sitting down.
Weightlifting gives you the ability to burn excess energy whilst also allowing you to tone your muscles meaning it’s a very effective activity for physical development. It’s relatively easy to get started, though, we recommend going to a gym as you’ll be able to seek assistance from the experts.
Lastly, you don’t need to spend tons of time weightlifting to get in great shape — provided you’re eating right and spending a few hours per week hitting all your muscle groups, you’ll be looking fantastic in no time.
7. Hiking
Hiking is another excellent fitness hobby that can keep you in shape whilst also helping you to replace your gaming habit too. If you’re not wanting to bulk up much then hiking is a better option over weightlifting especially since you’ll be burning much more energy on average.
As well as that, hiking gets you out into the world meaning you’ll be able to explore rolling hills, mountains, and even stunning countryside depending on where you are. Better yet, and depending on your inclination, you can invite friends and family along with you too.
8. Yo-Yoing
If you’re an especially fidgety person and need to be playing with something to keep you occupied then getting a yo-yo can be a good replacement for your gaming.
We’ve talked about yo-yoing before in terms of its status as a sport, however, for most people it’s simply a really fun hobby to keep them occupied.
There are loads of different types of yo-yos depending on the types of tricks you want to do; responsive and unresponsive yo-yos are the most popular types that the majority of people use and both are relatively cheap.
9. Coding
Coding serves as a great alternative hobby to gaming especially since you can learn vital transferrable skills, can land a high-paying job, and can even end up making games yourself.
As a hobby, you can make simple little programs to automate certain things in your day-to-day life for fun, or you can work on full-blown projects such as games or systems building for companies.
There’s no end to the creativity you can implement within your coding projects; in fact, it’s probably the closest thing to being your own god you’ll ever experience provided you know how to implement the code effectively.
10. Driving
If you like racing games or car games then driving is the next step up and can give you lots of freedom to explore your country or potentially the world. You’ll be able to drive for days out with your family and friends, and you can even drive to hotels or campsites for a mini-break away.
It’s easy to underestimate the benefits of the external world especially if you’ve been gaming for so long, however, driving offers you relative comfort whilst allowing you to go to different places.
In fact, if you’re still not sure about driving as a hobby then why not check out this dedicated article we did on it not too long ago?
11. Astronomy
As a gamer, it’s easy to spend time wondering about far-off fantasy worlds, however, it’s easy to forget that there’s a vast world out there right in your backyard. In fact, during the night it’s quite possible to see the scar of the universe which is a great way to remind yourself just how vast our world really is.
There are more galaxies out there than there are grains of sand on our entire planet — that’s a really mind-boggling number to get your head around, however, astronomy can really help you get to grips with that.
We’ve talked about astronomy extensively before in a dedicated article if you want to check it out for more information.
So, is gaming a valid hobby then?
Yes, gaming is a valid hobby and in fact, it’s one of the most popular hobbies on the planet.
Any hobby or activity can be valid as long as you enjoy doing it.
In fact, gaming as a hobby doesn’t just end with you playing games on your PC or console either, it can define who you are and you can even visit lots of gaming conventions every year to meet like-minded people.
With that in mind, it’s easy to let your gaming habit go unchecked so make sure to balance it out with some different hobbies from time to time where possible.
Conclusion
You don’t need to replace gaming altogether, however, if you’re letting good habits slide such as doing the cleaning, staying hygienic, and eating a decent meal then it may be worth trying to cut back on it in favor of more productive pastimes.
Hopefully, you’ll now have a better idea of what hobbies can help you to achieve including how they may be able to offer similar aspects of enjoyment that you get from gaming.
