I struggled for years to find time for my hobbies, these are the 5 things that fixed it

Released Oct 16, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT

Adam has a degree in Engineering and has a life-long interest in innovation. He has actually been composing for over a years for different print and online publications, with a concentrate on customer tech. He signed up with How-To Geek in 2024 while operating at Pocket-lint
As being a long-lasting fan of Apple items, he likewise has a strong interest in wise home tech, running a Home Assistant server at home to automate all his wise home gadgets. He thinks that the perfect wise home needs to deal with very little interaction from the user, with automations running as if by magic instead of needing you to press buttons on a control board. You can discover more of his deal with Muck Rack

According to Jeff Goldblum, life discovers a method, however a more precise take is that life obstructs. I have many pastimes that I have a hard time to discover time for, as a lot of my day is taken up with work, parenting, and basic life admin. While tech is frequently viewed as the bad guy, there are some manner ins which tech has actually lastly assisted me to do more of the pastimes I like.

A small eReader that suits my pocket assists me check out a lot more

Now reading is simpler than doomscrolling

I enjoy reading. Considering that the day I began checking out 5 Go to Demon’s Rocks on the long drive to visit my grandparents, I’ve never ever recalled. My home is breaking with books, consisting of a great deal of books that I’m yet to check out.

I constantly check out before I go to sleep, however I’m generally so worn out that I can just handle half an hour approximately, which is far less reading than I ‘d like to do. What’s a lot more irritating is that I typically lose hours weekly mindlessly doomscrolling on my phone.

A small eReader has actually altered all that. My Xteink X3 is a 3.7-inch E-Ink gadget powered by an ESP32. It’s little enough to suit a pocket, suggesting rather of doomscrolling, I can take out my X3 and check out rather. The variety of books I’m reading has actually soared considering that I got it.

An inexpensive VR headset implies I can enjoy programs and films in design

I never ever truly comprehended the appeal of VR. Playing video games with an enormous swelling of tech strapped to my face simply didn’t appear like enjoyable. When I saw somebody offering a Meta Quest 2 on Facebook Marketplace for less than $ 30, I chose to purchase it on an impulse.

It’s been an overall video game changer. The gadget came without controllers, however I can browse utilizing hand gestures. Utilizing apps such as SKYBOX VR, I can enjoy material on a huge virtual movie theater screen.

With kids, the television is generally in continuous usage, whether for seeing programs or video gaming, so I hardly ever get to relax and delight in a film. I see films and reveals with my better half at nights, however we do not constantly wish to see the exact same things.

With the VR headset, I can toss it on and watch programs and motion pictures in my own individual movie theater, without combating to utilize the television. I’ll even take 10 minutes occasionally to see part of a television program while my kids are enjoying yet another episode of Henry DangerGiven that I’ve got it, I’ve enjoyed more programs and films than I’ve handled in years.

Remote Play lets me play video games without providing the kids headaches

It’s fast and simple to get a couple of minutes of video gaming in

My kids like video gaming, and while they have their own Switch, and all of us utilize the Switch 2, my PS5 is strictly for Daddy just. The issue was that I hardly ever got to play it; even if the television was totally free, I could not play a great deal of the video games with my kids around since they weren’t suitable for kids their age to see.

Remote play resolved all that. Utilizing the PS Remote Play app on my MacBook Air, I can stream video games from my PS5 to my laptop computer and play video games in my office while the kids are grabbing all of the television downstairs. I do not need to stress over them enjoying my character get hacked to pieces by a chainsaw-wielding maniac. I even attempted establishing remote play in my Meta Quest 2, however movement illness rapidly put an end to that.

I’m lastly making inroads on my stockpile of video games that have actually been suffering on my PS5 for far too long. It’s simple to simply bet 10 or fifteen minutes occasionally, and before I understand it, I’ve finished another video game.

A little speaker and an iOS faster way assist me listen to more content

I play audiobooks and podcasts while I’m in the shower

This technique is basic however really reliable. I like listening to podcasts and audiobooks, however it’s constantly difficult to discover the time to do so. I work from home, so there’s no long commute where I can kick back and enjoy them.

I utilized to listen to music in the shower, however I recognized that this was the perfect time to listen to podcasts or audiobooks. I have a Bluetooth speaker in the restroom, and I established an iOS faster way that plays my present audiobook or podcast episode whenever the speaker links to my iPhone. All I require to do is switch on the Bluetooth speaker, and the audio begins to play.

I never ever invest hours in the shower, however by listening to a little every day, I’m gradually handling to get through my

long stockpile of books and episodes. Little and frequently truly does appear to work. A music

discovery setup lets me discover excellent music much quicker

I do not need to lose time listening to music I do not like

Another thing that actually annoyed me was that regardless of having music playing practically all day long while I’m working, I was still having a hard time to discover truly great brand-new music. Spotify and Apple Music’s suggestions would toss up some good ideas now and then, however a great deal of the recommendations left me cold.

I wound up constructing a music suggestion system that operates on my small PC. It utilizes music discovery services to create a brand-new playlist of emerging artists weekly, and I utilize my Cheap Yellow Display (CYD) to include the tracks I like to a shortlist playlist. I then play through this shortlist, and tapping the CYD will instantly include the artist’s most current album to my music library. I’ve found a lots of brand-new music that I truly enjoy, and now I lose far less time listening to tunes that I simply do not truly like.

Tech takes a great deal of my time, however it’s assisting to win a few of it back

Innovation can be an amazing burglar of time, however some tech can really let you invest more time on the important things you truly enjoy. I’m doing more of my preferred pastimes now than I have in years, and I could not be better about it.

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