"In an age of instrumentalization, the hobbyist is a subversive; he insists that some things are worth doing for themselves alone, despite offering no pay-offs in terms of productivity or profit," writes author Oliver Burkeman in his book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Burkeman offers examples of individuals who have devoted years to taking part in hobbies, even when they are not especially good at it, because they find the activity enjoyable. True hobbyists understand that profit is not the only source of value. The time and money invested in pleasurable leisure activities offer significant returns.

Doing an activity that just absorbs your attention gets you "out of your headspace," according to Matthew Zawadzki, an Associate Professor of Health Psychology at UC Merced, who has studied the effects of hobbies. As he told a reporter for the Los Angeles Times newspaper, while doing a hobby "you're not ruminating and worrying about what's happening. You're invested in the moment." That state tends to be relaxing and restorative, he says. Moreover, participating in a hobby "is making you a better worker, parent, person — fill in the blank with whatever you want. And so this is actually contributing not just to your own personal mental health but whatever task you're trying to get done."

Writing in Self magazine, journalist Anna Borges reports that participating in a hobby may be a powerful act of self-care, according to several scientific studies. "A 2023 meta-analysis crunched the data of more than 93,000 older adults and found that respondents with hobbies—loosely defined as activities done for pleasure during leisure time—self-reported higher health, happiness, and life satisfaction. On the other hand, people who experienced signs of depression were less likely to be engaged in hobbies."

In short, regularly participating in an enjoyable activity allows us to get away "from the stress that we carry around in our minds," notes Zawadzki. "That's what leisure can do." 

Clubs Span Broad Range of Interests

Nearly any activity can be a hobby, and hobbies can be done alone. But many hobbyists enjoy meeting in groups to share their favored activities and educate one another. The Tri-Valley region is home to an amazing range of groups devoted to special interests beyond popular sports, service, and social clubs. 

Beekeeping, for example, is one of California's fastest growing hobbies, according to some reports. The nonprofit Alameda County Beekeepers Association, established in 1916, provides education, support, and resources for beekeepers and the public. The organization can provide public speakers on honeybee biology, behavior, and husbandry. It also offers honeybee swarm removal at no charge, monthly meetings, and educational hands-on classes and workshops. 

"Our members include people who took up an age-old pastime to relax, people who are interested in bees but don't want to own any hives, commercial beekeepers interested in maximizing honey production for sale, and more," according to officials. "If you come to one of our meetings, you'll find all sorts of interesting people who are glad to talk to you about it!"

The Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association was formed in 1982. Today the group of East Bay beekeepers spans Contra Costa County and beyond. "We continue to promote beekeeping through community and member education, mentoring, sharing, and passing our knowledge of beekeeping to new and seasoned beekeepers," according to officials. "We actively support best practices in beekeeping, scientific data and research around the honeybee, and creating habitat for honeybee and native bee pollinators."

Both the Alameda County Beekeepers Association and the Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association offer newcomers a variety of resources on the practice of beekeeping. Those new to the hobby may be surprised to find that the East Bay Regional Park District allows beekeepers to place hives within the park as long as they follow the rules. Those include applying for an Apiary Permit and paying an annual fee. The City of Pleasanton once prohibited beekeeping within the city limits. That ban was lifted in 2015. Naturally, beekeepers must follow all appropriate ordinances of Pleasanton and any other city or region they plan to place hives. 

There are many hobbies that involve nature. Stargazing is one of them. The Tri-Valley Stargazers (TVS) of Livermore is an amateur astronomy club founded more than 40 years ago by scientists and engineers from what are now Lawrence Livermore National Lab and Sandia National Laboratories. The nonprofit holds monthly technical meetings and also supports a telescope-loaning library for members. Officials say the club's mission is "to bring together individuals interested in astronomy, to provide opportunities for them to develop their skills and knowledge in astronomy and related subjects, and to promote education and public interest in astronomy."

TVS holds public star parties throughout the year "for the benefit of a wide variety of educational and recreational groups, such as ranger led programs at public parks, elementary and middle school science fairs, boys and girls organizations, and foundations supporting numerous charitable causes," officials note. "These events are an opportunity for our members to share their enthusiasm for the night sky with the public and to promote amateur astronomy." The next public star event is scheduled for  Friday, August 15, 2025, at 6 pm. It will be held at the corner of Mines Road and Tesla Road in Livermore.

The lapidary arts refer to stones and gems as well as the work needed to cut, engrave, or polish them. The region hosts no fewer than three organizations devoted to gems and minerals. In 2025, the Contra Costa Mineral & Gem Society (CCMGS) is celebrating 75 years of "inspiring curiosity, community, and a deep appreciation for the earth sciences," officials say. "Since 1950, our club has been a vibrant hub for those passionate about geology, mineralogy, and lapidary arts in the greater East Bay Area. Over the decades, the CCMGS has grown into an award-winning organization, earning recognition for the quality of our educational displays, craftsmanship, and community outreach. Our exhibits have consistently received top honors at regional and national shows, reflecting the knowledge, creativity, and dedication of our members."

The Livermore Valley Lithophiles Gem and Minerals Society holds general meetings at 7 pm on the second Wednesday of each month from September through June in the Community Room of the Livermore Library at the Civic Center Complex. Note officials, "Lithophiles are rock lovers and the Livermore Valley Lithophiles is a society for people interested in any phase of the Lapidary and/or Earth Sciences. The activities range from collecting rocks and minerals, through jewelry making and our annual show ‘Lithorama.' Monthly meetings are a time to plan field trips together, share talents in various aspects of the Lapidary and Earth Sciences, enjoy educational programs, and conduct business. Refreshments are always provided, door prizes awarded, and a raffle is usually held with rock-related gifts." 

The East Bay Mineral and Lapidary Club is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to "sharing our passion for geology, gemstones and the art of lapidary," officials say. "Our workshop is open to current club members in good standing where we offer hands-on learning opportunities and support our mission of increasing public understanding of the natural world."

Indoor Pursuits Abound

People who prefer indoor hobbies have many options, including sewing, drawing, collecting, building miniatures, creating jewelry, and more. Another popular pursuit in the region is homebrewing. Livermore resident Jason Komadina won a Best of Show award for a Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer at the 2024 Alameda County Fair Homebrew Competition. Komadina is a member of the Mad Zymurgists club for homebrew beer enthusiasts. Started in 2007 by Pleasanton resident Brian Cooper, the club works for the advancement of homebrewed beers, ciders, and meads. Members are encouraged to study and appreciate fermentation science, which is called zymurgy. Members are a mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced homebrewers and professional brewers. The group meets on the second Thursday of each month. Meetings rotate among breweries and restaurants located in the Tri-Valley. 

"We welcome brewers of all levels of experience," according to club officials. "Club members are typically quite generous in sharing their knowledge of various brewing techniques and their enthusiasm for the craft. A typical meeting consists of a social hour, club business and announcements, and often discussion of specific brewing techniques." 

The Tri-Valley Yarn & Thread Crafters is a community for fiber artists. The group has in-person Social Stitching meetings every other Sunday from 9:30 am at Panera Bread in Livermore. The next meeting scheduled is for July 20, 2025. The group's description on Meetup encourages newcomers as well as experienced individuals to join its activities. 

"Are you interested in social stitching? Would you like to spend a few hours with a project in your lap and a few friends to chat with? Come hang out with us! We would love to meet you! Bring your WIP (Work In Progress) and some good conversation. We are here to make new friends and share our passion for our respective hobbies. No commitments required, Come and go as you please! ALL genders, ages, creeds, colors, and preferences are welcome!"

Meetup.com is a useful website for locating both in-person and online groups focused on particular hobbies. So, too, are local libraries. They often host groups such as book and film clubs as well as offer resources to learn more about a particular hobby or locate nearby clubs. Local retailers can also be a good source for learning about a favorite hobby. A city's bookstores often sponsor book clubs, for example, while some sports equipment stores host running or walking clubs.

Having a fun hobby makes life better, or so it seems. Borges notes that "in 2021, one review endeavored to identify how hobbies positively impact our health and well-being—and the authors came up with more than 600 ways." Of course, individuals only benefit from a hobby if they genuinely enjoy doing it. If you want a new hobby to enjoy, there may be no better place to find one than the Tri-Valley. 

For more information about the Alameda County Beekeeping Association, please visit https://www.alamedabees.org.

For more information about the Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association, please visit diablobees.org.

For more information about the Tri-Valley Stargazers, please visit trivalleystargazers.org.

For more information about the Contra Costa Mineral & Gem Society, please visit www.ccmgsclub.com.    

For more information about the Livermore Valley Lithophiles,, please visit www.lithophiles.com/index.html.

For more information about the East Bay Mineral and Lapidary Club, please visit ebml.club.

For more information about The Mad Zymurgists, please visit madzymurgists.com.

For more information about Tri-Valley Yarn & Thread Crafters, please visit https://www.meetup.com/tri-valley-yarn-thread-crafters.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash