I'd like to push back a bit on the 'hobby' terminology. It seems to rest, or at least lends fuel to, an assumption that work is of primary value. That may be true for some, and probably more in a field like tech than many, but it's not universal, and certainly not structural.<p>In my case many of the things I do (reading, sailing, running, political activism, meditating, etc etc) are each far more important to me than work, which is just a (somewhat reluctantly engaged in) physical necessity. It handles the bottom level of Maslow's hierarchy. The upper levels are more than hobbys!<p>I realise you probably just grabbed word out of the lexicon without necessarily meaning as much by it as I'm making out. Still, I dislike the word.
I’ve started bouldering which is rock climbing with crash mats instead of a rope. I do it indoors. I like getting an upper body workout without lifting weights.
Used to mountain bike a lot. Got into CrossFit and lifting. Need to get some more focus back on lifting again. Got into home DIY/repair, but have backed off with my new place. Getting into oarchery, handgun/shotgun/rifle target shooting, kayaking, and ATVs now. Looking at learning more about fishing. Enjoy boardgames though no one near me plays. And trying to get my kids into any of the above. Time is hard to find between work and chores for any/all of that, but I try to squeeze in some of it weekly. You asked non-tech, but I also enjoy some Zelda Breath of the Wild from time to time; not much other time available for video games. And my wife and I enjoy a couple TV series and I enjoy audio books. Not sure what defines leisure activity vs hobby, but I think they would be similar.
I just finished a short story ~30 pages that I wrote as a gift for a friend.<p>I also work out about 5 days a week after some time off for an injury. I’m starting to see some of the results from that so I am getting more and more motivated to do that. My goals there are weight loss and strength building. I’ve lost 25 lbs and hope to lose another 10-20 to reach a point where I feel good about how I look.<p>Similarly, but not exactly the same, I go walking a fair bit.<p>I also have kids and all of the associated activities that come from parenting.
I'm not sure it counts as non-tech, but I like reading design patterns for drama, also known as tropes. And then I try to reassemble them in different ways, like a puzzle.
Kite building and flying. It involves a bit of engineering and a nice reason to get away from the computer screen. <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19980440" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19980440</a>
Art. It gets as technical as you want it to though, so avoid attempting any realism otherwise you'll be going down similar rabbit holes as you do in tech.
Anything that involves getting away from the computer. :)<p>I have been trying to build a model truck (The plastic kind that you build and paint.) for a good 3 years with no luck.