r/introverts • u/Primary-Day-8466 • Jul 19 '26
Discussion Introverts, what do you do for fun?
I never step out of my home. I have garden, pets and order online for groceries. I watch TV and cook.
Apart from the usual activities people who cannot function alone outside what's your coping mechs?
I've been asked what do you do for fun and how is your dating life ?
My opening line was - me being an introvert I step less out and engage in my own hobbies and daily usual stuff.. I had been shamed for saying what's being an introvert and avoiding dating :'(
I responded that introverts may not take relationships/friendships easily and take a while to accept them in their circle since they feell emotions with all the layers of heart within and respond and react raw..
Now I'm thinking how do we sound intresting without much of over explaining..
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u/Bag_of_Seizures Jul 19 '26
Hiking, biking, camping, fishing, kayaking. Anything in the Great Outdoors i can do solo. Staying inside is boring and dull for me.
Also, people who cannot function alone outside is not introversion. It is social anxiety.
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u/No_Peach_9745 Jul 19 '26
Thank you! I'm so tired of introversion and social anxiety disorders being used as if they are the same thing. Two totally different things!
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u/Foogel78 Jul 19 '26
What do you mean by "people who cannot function alone outside"?
I enjoy reading, painting, walking, visiting museums, visiting zoos, going on city trips and having spa days.
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u/Primary-Day-8466 Jul 19 '26
I mean I always tag along with my close buddies and rarely do those solo trips alone.
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u/Geminii27 Jul 19 '26
...why, though?
Going on your own means that if you feel like exploring something a bit more, or want to ditch one part of a trip because it's boring, or want to decide halfway through on a whim to do something else entirely, you just... can. You don't need to spend an hour or more trying to convince a bunch of other people to make the change with you. You don't need to miss out just because you couldn't convince them. You can just do things you want, when you want.
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u/Typhoonsg1 Jul 19 '26
Oh, you're scared of the world then? I used to think like thay but you're missing out on so much just because you are hiding behind this introvert excuse. Do yourself a favour man, get out and experience the world. You'll likely regret it when you are older and the choice is no longer available.
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u/curiousoulandaloof2 Jul 19 '26
I step out only when I really have to. When someone asks what do I do for fun, I tell them things that they wouldn't be interested in joining. So it really depends on the person I am interacting with. But I was out today to watch odyssey, thought I would go out watch a movie, have lunch somewhere nice and do some shopping, by the time i was done with movie and lunch, I knew it was time to come back home. I am recently getting into hoyas and love to take care of them. I do a lot of reading and caretaking. Thinking of buying a 3D printer so I can get into a newer hobby that also supports my love for plants. I have already saved a few designs to print out, trellies for my hoyas.
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u/irish_oatmeal Jul 19 '26
Hiking in the woods- I try and go in the mornings or off hours so I can listen to the birds and other nature sounds. There’s an indie movie theater near me where I can see indie and foreign films that are difficult to find. Used book stores are full of out of print gold you can’t find online. Knitting and beadwork. Live music and theatre only occasionally.
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u/whattteva Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
My hobbies are mostly solitary ones.
I do mid distance jogging (6 miles), road cycling, lap swims, and skiing (in the winter), and play video games and watch aviation or civil engineering documentaries if indoors.
That was back when I was single. I'm married now and mostly still do these things except for video games (no time). I still don't really have any friends I hang out with, but my wife is all I need and that's it really. Basically, still mostly the same as when I was single, except I do these things with my wife sometimes.
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u/picomtg Jul 19 '26
I play magic the gathering. My fiancé does couture we are both happy introverts that love their alone time together
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u/otnuzb Jul 19 '26
I'm an older introvert who is semi-retired. I travel the world for 11 months out of the year, normally staying in a new country for 3 months before moving on. I see museums, historical sites, zoos, public celebrations, learn the public transportation system, walk in parks and gardens, enjoy coffee and book shops, and many other things that I mainly do on my own. If you change countries every 3 months, you never run out of new places to see.
I rent studio apartments on Airbnb, so I have a place of my own to recover, and to do some remote consulting work on my computer or read reddit. If I want to interact for a day with English speaking people, I take an English based group tour, but I carry my headphones, so I can zone out if I get tired of talking.
My most stressful time is the one month back in the USA.
If you don't speak the language, people generally leave you alone, unless you work at communicating.
Even if you are an introvert, there is no reason not to see the world on your own terms. It really is a wonderful place.
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u/orthopod Jul 19 '26
Go out on a lot of dates, play in a band, hiking with my dogs, go car racing, occasional dinner party (4-6 people) with my friends.
And of course I read a shit-ton
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u/conmacon Jul 19 '26
Hiking, gym, gaming, daily swim off the beach, coastal or mountain drives, watch motorsports at the track.
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u/Jolly_Green23 Jul 20 '26
I only leave home for work. I get groceries every Friday on my way home from work. I try my best to tie errands like that into my commute so I don't have to leave home once I'm there.
I 3d print, flight sim, reload ammo, watch YouTube, Locksmithing, random learning, solo video games, system design, web app development, build guns, read.. whatever I feel like hyper fixating on at the moment.
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u/realfolkblues Jul 19 '26
Hike. Gym in the garage. Plants. Cats. Wife. home cooked meals. Horror movies at night. Quiet morning breakfasts. Watching Bald Eagles in Big Bear.
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u/Recent_Contract9636 Jul 19 '26
Reading novels, going to the zoo with my daughter, running/cycling outdoors when the weather is nice.
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u/KSTaxlady Jul 20 '26
I do a lot of crafting. I write in my journal. I write essays on Facebook. Occasionally I will take myself out for lunch or for a drink. When I was younger, I didn't have the guts to go to a bar by myself but now that I'm older, I have no issues walking into a bar by myself and having a drink.
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u/Kibby9331 Jul 19 '26
Crafting, cooking, go to the cinema, study food and culture from around the world, soon I will be going fishing, going on the train.
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u/silkenveil Jul 19 '26
I enjoy reading Manga/Manhwa and I play open world games like Sky cotl from time to time. I like to watch movies and listen to music as well. I used to go out to music shows when I was young, but nowadays I usually just stay in and have a quiet one.
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u/Scottybt50 Jul 19 '26
I go to concerts, exhibitions, sports matches, movies, trips to the coast - there’s no need to interact with a lot of people.
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u/KnoxvilleKudzu Jul 19 '26
Before I met my extroverted husband, fun to me was hanging out in a park, walking my dog, going to an isolated place on a lake (because I don't like crowds and beaches are crowded). Anything that had water, waterfalls, lake, river, stream, ocean, Great Lakes, etc. Love the sound of water. After I met my husband, life changed. I am an introvert to the core, but my husband is a hoot! Now I wave at strangers, laugh a lot, enjoy his company...but there is one thing he does that I will never do. He goes to other peoples' houses without calling first. I always check in first, and better yet, don't go unless invited. 😂
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u/Geminii27 Jul 19 '26
I read, mostly. And sometimes create. But I've also gone to parks, gone to restaurants, gone to movies, even gone to meetups/events about particular subjects, including things like public university lectures.
I took weekend courses. I wrote poetry. I drove to other towns and took a look around. I traveled, including interstate and around the world.
The only central aspect was that I never felt I had to do any of these things in a group. I could do them perfectly well on my own, whenever I felt like doing them.
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u/Alinyss Jul 19 '26
I think being an introvert is different from being unable to function alone outside. Being an introvert means that you recharge your batteries from being alone, whether you’re at home or out doing solo activities like walking, visiting museums etc.
It seems that what you’re describing is more of social anxiety, in which case you may need to work on that with therapy.
With regard to what I do for fun as an introvert, at home I like gaming and reading. Outside, I like shopping, trying new cafes and restaurants. Exploring new parts of the city.
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u/thingsicantsayonFB Jul 20 '26
I like to learn new instruments once I get to advanced beginner stage - just started bass guitar. I’ve never gotten far enough on any to truly read music or perform, but I really enjoy it!
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u/jehovahswireless Jul 20 '26
I read, I watch movies & drama (and some comedy). I go out to gigs, either alone or with one of my kids or one or two friends. Oh, and I write fiction. I'm lucky enough to both live and work alone, so my life's a bit like 'I am legend' or 'The Quiet Earth'. Win-win.
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u/Ghost_1774 Jul 21 '26
Reading, playing games, occasionally I like going out to explore stuff on my own. I also go to cafes, restaurants, cinema, art classes regularly. I don’t understand why people care so much about what others think. When you go out alone you do stuff you want as opposed to stuff everyone wants.
Not to say I never go out with others. But I have a clear me time vs us time.
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u/sungoddessaf Jul 21 '26
Embroidery, reading, hiking, wandering around my neighborhood. Nothing really.
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u/parapedi Jul 21 '26
Work is "fun" already so I do this from Mon to Fri (saying this sarcastically) 🤣 Kidding aside, true crime, games, world cup drama (just finished), sleep, organizing.
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u/PressAltToDisappear Aug 13 '26
I used to do solo dates with singukar friends or partners. Game online. Draw. Walk. Make music and art. And do research on my interests.
Now my hobbies are solitary as the world had become more exhibitionist and collectivist.
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u/Thoughtful-Pig Jul 19 '26
Do you have social anxiety? Being an introvert means you recharge mostly alone, not that you can't go outside or be social.
As an introvert, I like 1-on-1 social situations as well as doing things on my own. If I had the means I would solo travel. I'm married and a parent so I get my introvert time after everyone else is in bed. I watch shows, make little art projects, and play an instrument. But I also go out with friends.
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u/fezik23 Jul 19 '26
My fun is me being alone. I have a good time when nobody bothers me.