Looking for Stupid Hobbies/habits? Just for...fun?

Hand Jive. Even though I'm not a huge Grateful Dead fan, I highly recommend the Hand Jive.

(tehehe, sorry, parcheesi and drinking again tonight!)

:)

Oh you are just not knitting the right thing. Ya know those silly square cotton dishcloths? It is just knitting no pearling. I used to knit them all the time when I watched my daughter play soccer. She was the goalie, very stressful on a mom, ya know. The knitting kept me from yelling at the refs. :)

Get an Android cell phone & play Angry Birds? hehe :)

Buy a large package of colorful pipe cleaners. Twist them around your fingers, make cute designs, make interesting pencil/pen toppers out of them ........the sky's the limit. Have fun. Post us some pictures of your masterpieces.

I bought like 10 canvases a few years back, i painted some and my daughter painted others, sometimes we take them down repaint them and hang them back up, it works really well to redecorate, it teaches impermanence (which is important) and works the creative juices in the brain.

I know you didnt say art, but this is pretty mindless, since we dont plan on keeping it , but for like 6 months to a year

My husband used to pick at his one bad fingernail ( he smashed it as a child and it never grew back in right) anyway, it was an awful habit but after we got married he takes off his wedding ring and plays with it instead! Mindless, harmless hand habit...

Coloring. Amazon has some really cool coloring books such as kimono designs, vintage fairies, mandalas, stained glass, etc. I guess it does involve art, but it is so easy to do that it feels mindless.

Latch hook! Make oodles of fantastically tacky rugs! It's easy and mindless and I loved it as a kid. Just saw some kits at Michael's and decided it's time to teach my five year old -and do it some more myself!

A coloring book and crayons? Find a hobby shop and take up model painting? That's what I do, I find it relaxing.

Solitaire?

Chewing and snapping gum?

Tibetan nose chanting is the best!!! Darn. ;)
Oooooy-ohhhheeeee-ooooooy-Ooooooo-hyooooooy

When I'm not smoking (aside from chewing nicorette) I have a sandalwood bead bracelet as my "lovey". It's long enough that to go to my fingertips when it's on my wrist (I actually want one that is long enough to wrap once and *then* go to my fingertips... mine threatens to fall off on a regular basis, and then makes good on it's promises at inopportune times). Smooth beads. I can roll them, press them, just move my fingertips along them, play with the silk tassel (including brushing it along my lips when I'm sitting chin to hand), count them rosary style (whomever invented roasaries was a genius, this is the most comforting thing next to hugs, and I have *no* idea why). Side benefit is that they smell *fantastic* (well, I like the way sandalwood smells in any event), and the scent lasts for years and years. The scent on your fingertips lasts until you wash your hands. If you don't like sandalwood there are nonfragrant wood options.

I keep meaning to learn the piano. UNTIL then, the finger exercises (tapping fingers against themselves and thumbs) are both fun and a way to keep dexterous. The few songs I know I periodically "air play" on my thigh.

Poi. As in spinning fire. But you learn by spinning the balls (well, mine were monkeyfist balls, there's several types... just looked them up online... holy crow those have gotten expensive!!! http://www.homeofpoi.com/shop/listItems/All-Fire-Poi-Sets but there're other options like LED, fabric, etc that aren't as chokingly they're charging *what* for that now???)

We're in the NW. Braiding hemp is a card carrying requirement for living here. Side benefit is that it sells. VERY mindless. Just tie to the back of a chair, or safety pin to your jeans. Beads can get pricey, though. Only buy beads if you plan on selling them. At one point I'd go spend $80 on beads, 2 days braiding and come back with $500 in my pocket on a fairly regular basis. Haven't done THAT since my son was born though. He's too much mischief/ takes all my concentration when we're in public.

Forging. VERY fun. Similarly, learning how to write backwards (both mirror and individual letters left to right).

Calligraphy

Origami

Mendhi

Cake Decorating

Yeah... ask the ADHD has-quit-smoking-more-than-once Girl for mindless things to do with your hands. <insert whistle here>

I twirl my wedding ring around my finger and push back my cuticles.

Puzzles

Rubik's cube (sp?)

Word Search books in large print

Buy some plastic beads and string and make a necklace. Then you can twirl it around your fingers and play around with the beads (a rosary necklace might work well, too). My husband used to smoke and he is still very fidgety; he loves to pace around and twirl an old rope necklace around with his fingers. Also, buying a pack of cards and shuffling them and playing solitaire can be a good mindless distraction and something to do with your hands. Good luck with quitting smoking!

You'd have to learn it first, but maybe you know a magician friend that can teach you to do the quarter rolling thing they do where they roll the quarter from finger to finger?

Try PennyPress Variety Puzzle books...way better than crosswords, in my opinion. I have, with no exaggeration, gone through at least 500 of them in my adult life. There are all different kinds of puzzles you've never seen or heard of that are a LOT of fun...more "fun" that crosswords, word searches, etc. I love them, honestly.

Or try crocheting again...another one of my pasttimes, and I love it. Once you get the hang of it, it's very relaxing...particularly since you can do it while watching TV. I can knit, but I don't enjoy it because it's too involved and if you mess up, you have to undo a whole bit. You really can't mess up crochet like that.

Or try something totally new...buy a sketchbook and some good pencils, and go to town! Try to draw your living room, your hand, your shoe, etc...it's fun. :)

When I was pregnant and not smoking, I would fill up a cup of ice and breathe it through a straw like I was smoking. It was ok....

It was better than chewing gum so hard I had a headache for days. Ugh, it all sucks....

Origami.
Use a 4-color pen and learn to write with your other hand(this kept me busy during history class in high school)
Tatting- kind of like crochet but more compact.
Or look for "fidget" toys such as Klixx or tangle.