Everyone needs a hobby. Hobbies can fulfill you in ways that a nine to five job just can’t. Not only are you doing something you love, but also a hobby usually yields exciting products or an interesting skill. As some people enter into retirement, they realize they were entirely too busy to hold down a hobby, and they’re not quite sure what to do with all of the extra time. Some people return to something they used to love as a child, while others look to reinvent themselves during a time of transition.
Even if you’re not retiring, but rather trying to find a way to keep your mind and hands occupied, woodworking could be just the activity for you. Woodworking is thought to reduce the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, because it requires attention to detail, therefore distracting your mind from negative thought patterns. If you’re interested, but not sure where to start, here’s how you can get into woodworking.
Play more than you work.
First things first, before you even bring wood into your home you want to make sure that your hobby doesn’t become another chore. There are a lot of excess wood chips that go flying everywhere as you work. If you’re creating inside of a shed or home, you’ll need an efficient way to clean your workspace, preferably that doesn’t take a lot of time.
When you’re prepping the space you’ll use for your new hobby, consider purchasing a robotic vacuum cleaner. While you’re putting up your tools for the evening, your robotic vacuum cleaner will be taking care of the mess. The best part is, you can leave it unsupervised while you’re popping open a beer and watching your favorite show. Make sure you do your research. You’ll want a vacuum that can hold a good amount of chips as well as a model with side brush arms to catch any particles that end up in the corners or around your workbench’s legs. Why work more than you play? Get a robotic assistant to make it the best experience possible.
Make sure you’ve got the right tools.
Starting a new hobby is so exciting, but it can also be a little daunting if you don’t have a lot of former experience. You might not even have friends within the woodworking community yet to ask for their advice and opinions. Don’t let this deter you.
Thankfully, there’s a whole online community that’s passionate about woodworking and wants to help you find the best tools of the trade. If you visit woodworkology.com, you’ll find reviews for everything you’ll need to get you started. Do you need to know which oscillating tools, sanders, or wood planers will work best for the projects you want to accomplish? How about a few tips and tricks that will make your finished product the best that it can be? Woodworkology has you covered.
Find your inspiration.
Your very first project is going to be the beginning of an incredible journey. When you’re deciding what to create, consider important factors, like how long will the process probably take? What materials and tools will I need? How expensive are those tools? How complex do experts think this project is?
Starting out simple is a great idea. Leave yourself room for error and for dreaming. Eventually, you’ll be able to make a whole dining room table and chairs set, but starting there might not yield the results you want. Having experience under your belt before attempting an expensive project can save you from potential frustration. Do something you know you can be successful at. This will motivate you to keep up with your new interest and teach you to build upon your skills.