21 Hobbies That ISTJs Love

As an ISTJ, you probably spend a lot of time doing things that need to be done or should be done. You might enjoy those activities, but it’s often nice to make time for things you want to do as well as the things that you need to do.

Since our Myers-Briggs® personality types describe the ways our minds work it makes sense that people with the same type might have similar interests. We’re each unique people with our own preferences for how we spend our down-time, but you’ll often notice people of the same type enjoy similar hobbies. Today, we’re talking about 21 hobbies that ISTJs love.

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21 Hobbies for the ISTJ Personality Type

1. Arts and Crafts

When ISTJs are looking for hobbies, they often choose things that have an end goal in mind and let them produce something. Arts and crafts hobbies like painting, crochet, knitting, quilting, scrapbook, painting, pottery, calligraphy, woodworking, and origami fit that desire perfectly.

2. Astronomy

Astronomy is a hobby that involves discovery, spending time outdoors, and taking the time to ponder the universe. You can take this hobby in a couple different directions. For example, you might start a collection of star charts if you’re into maps, or spend time studying astronomy books from your local library, or keep a journal of what you see and learn.

3. Aquariums

Taking care of aquariums can be a fun and rewarding hobby for ISTJs. You can participate in this hobby in a variety of ways depending on what you want to get out of it. Want a relaxing fish tank that needs less care? Start a 30-gallon freshwater tank. Want to create a gorgeous habitat for your fish? Check out aquascaping and live plants. Want more of a challenge? Try saltwater aquariums and live coral.

4. Cleaning and Organizing

Many ISTJs enjoy keeping their homes and things clean, organized, and in tip-top condition. There’s just something satisfying about having everything just as it should be.

5. Cooking

Cooking is a hobby that people from just about every personality type enjoy. For ISTJs, this hobby can be practical, creative, and fun. We all have to eat, so why not make it enjoyable?

6. Data Analysis

ISTJs are a type that loves to organize things and make sense of what they’re organizing. Analyzing data is something that quite a few enjoy both as part of their jobs and also outside of work.

7. DIY Projects

Building and fixing things are both hobbies that ISTJs often enjoy. Hands-on, do-it-yourself projects like home improvement or car repair are great hobbies to fill ISTJs’ interest in doing things that are both fun and practical.

8. Gaming — Tabletop

Board games, chess, and card games are popular hobbies for ISTJs. Many also enjoy playing tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons. These RPGs are fun, social, and also have an underlying structure. Often, ISTJs enjoy taking on the role of GM so they can also world-build and run the game.

9. Gaming — Video and Mobile

So many ISTJs talked about how much they enjoy video and mobile gaming that I decided to put this hobby in its own category. Just a few of the games I’ve seen ISTJs talk about include League of Legends, Overwatch, Pokemon, Fallout, racing games, and mobile puzzle games.

10. Gardening

Many ISTJs enjoy gardening and taking care of house plants. Some may even enjoy it so much they develop a self-described “obsession” with gardening or with a particular kind of plant, such as succulents.

11. Individual Sports

ISTJs often enjoy individual sports such as weightlifting and running (which are the two forms of exercise I see ISTJs talk about most often). Most ISTJs seem to prefer exercising and/or doing sports by themselves.

12. Listening to Podcasts

Some ISTJs say they enjoy listening to podcasts. One of the great things about this hobby is that it lets you multi-task since you can listen to podcasts while you’re working on a project, exercising, driving, etc. If you’re looking for recommendations, check out my post “Here’s the Podcast You Should Listen To, Based On Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type.”

13. Martial Arts

While this hobby won’t appeal to every ISTJ, many I spoke to enjoyed participating in martial arts. The structure, discipline, and exercise that martial arts provide is something that ISTJs may find particularly intriguing.

14. Movies, TV, and Streaming

Quite a few ISTJs say that their favorite hobbies include watching movies, binging TV shows, or browsing YouTube. Here’s a list of movies that ISTJs have recommended!

15. Music

Every personality type enjoys music, and ISTJs are no exception. Many enjoy listening to music, and some also play instruments like the guitar and piano.

16. Quiet Outdoor Activities

Fishing, hiking, golf, bird watching. ISTJs enjoy outdoor activities that allow them to focus quietly on something without distractions or noise. Quiet activities like bird watching and fishing can help them to de-stress and feel relaxed and inspired.

17. Programming

Like other TJ types, technical hobbies hold quite a bit of interest for many ISTJs. It’s no wonder, then, that programming and learning computer languages is a fairly popular hobby among ISTJs.

18. Reading

Most personality types enjoy reading. ISTJs enjoy a wide variety of books, and the specific type they enjoy most will depend on the individual ISTJ. ISTJs enjoy learning how things work and often have a unique interest in history or “how things work” type manuals.

19. Tea

This one’s not an extremely popular hobby, but getting really into different kinds of tea appeals to some ISTJs. There’s so much to learn about tea, and it can be fun to build a collection of favorites and learn what makes a perfect cup of tea.

20. Team Sports

Though many ISTJs prefer individual sports, some also like playing and/or watching team sports like basketball or soccer.

21. Writing

Journaling is a hobby many ISTJs enjoy. Some also enjoy creative writing and use their time spent on hobbies to write stories and poetry. In fact, it’s rumored that J.R.R. Tolkien (author of “Lord of the Rings”) was an ISTJ.

Your Turn:

If you’re an ISTJ, did your favorite hobbies make the list? Are there any other hobbies you would have added?

Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type,  The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic,  The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer, and The INTJ – Understanding the Strategist. You can also connect with me at likeananchor.com

About the Author:

Marissa Baker is the author of The INFJ Handbook (available in the Amazon Kindle Store). You can find her online at LikeAnAnchor.com where she blogs about personal growth and development from a Christian perspective.