hobbies don’t get enough credit these days. it seems like there’s “never enough time for anything other than work”, but yet, we still find time to scroll on our phones for hours everyday (just me?). and i think i know why.
when i get home from a long day at work, the last thing i wanna do is sit and read a boring book (this was literally my life when i was getting my masters while working a 9-5 😭). it’s easier to shut off my brain and scroll (and scroll and scroll). and it makes sense: our minds need a break, and unfortunately, we’ve ditched the hobbies as a brain break and traded it with social media. so i say we bring back hobbies in 2024 (i sound like a politician, 2024 elections anyone? 🙃).
the goal isn’t to find some stressful new hobby that makes us wanna rip out our hair (i’ll actually be opposing this opinion further down the newsletter lol). the goal is to find fun and/or relaxing, life-giving hobbies to take our attention off everything else (including our phones) and just give our brain a break.
for me, one of those hobbies is coloring. i’ve mentioned this coloring book (aka the best coloring book) a few times on here before because it’s so much fun. it gives my mind a much-needed breather, and while i don’t completely shut my brain off (i honestly don’t think i ever could), i feel at ease when it’s just me, my coloring book, and some lofi beats.
scrapbooking: idk what it is but there’s just something so cozy and nostalgic about scrapbooking. it’s like the perfect winter hobby. if you know me, you know i enjoy my collages. so every now and then, when i’m not making a digital collage, i love going through old magazines from 2013 (they’re vintage hehe), and creating cute-sy little collages.
knitting/crocheting: this is a new hobby of mine and while i literally just said you shouldn't have a stressful hobby, learning how to crochet is high-key stressful. buuuut, i’m going through the stress now, so one day it can be a chill, low-stress hobby :) this is what i like to call a skill-developing hobby; it’s a tedious one to learn, but once you’ve got it, you’re golden. i imagine that’s how kindergarteners feel about reading and writing (i was a substitute teacher for kindergarteners today, if you were wondering).
(indoor) sports leagues: okay so this one isn’t as cozy, but indoor sports is a great option for you athletic souls. i see signs for adult sports leagues all over town. and i ignore them every time. i’m not against sports. in fact, one of my goals this year is to fully commit to the nba season (or at the very least, ncaa march madness). i’m just not an athletic person, so anything that requires some sort of athletic ability has me feeling some type of way.
but if you’re an athletic person, this is a great hobby to pick up. and even if you’ve never played any sport ever, why not give it a go? we’re not trying to get drafted here (currently watching the nfl playoffs :), it’s just for fun!
movie marathons: okay here me out on this one: idk about you but with tiktok and other short-form content, it’s getting really difficult for me to stay focused on one thing for an extended amount of time.
*cue movie marathons*
in last month’s monthly nu’s, i mentioned that i probably watched more movies in december alone than i did all year. and maybe i’m crazy, but i feel like my attention span has improved. i haven’t been able to read one chapter in one sitting for a while, until recently! i realize this sounds insane lol, but i really think that watching movies (especially movie series’) is not only a great way to stay focused on one thing for an extended time, but it’s also a great way to commit to one thing at a time.
now am i advocating for you to stay home from work and watch 7 movies every day? absolutely not. but maybe a couple of times a week. i just got off the phone with my sister, and she mentioned that she’s watched a rom-com almost every day this week. what an inspiration (but she’s a college student, she can do that).
i know i listed out some of my cozy winter hobbies, but if none of these are your cup of tea, here’s a list of 10 more hobbies to take up this winter (i may or may not make another hobby post when summer rolls around, so stay tuned :)
cooking (homemade chili, anyone?)/baking
reading (i just realized that i made no mention of books in this post, other than calling them “boring.” i meant my college textbooks!).
take up pilates (it’s one of my dreams to be a pilates princess)
learn a new language (currently on a 251-day duolingo streak⚡️)
legos (this kit makes me want to immediately start playing with legos)
crossword puzzles, sudoku (paper version or New York Times for the digital versions, and other games like Wordle too!)
paint by numbers (if coloring books aren’t your thing and you’re in to more complex forms of art lol, paint by numbers is a fun one)
animal crossing (okay so this is technically a video game, but it’s so cute! and it looks so relaxing)
jewelry-making (loving these summer-camp-esque bracelets)
puzzles & board games (i’d love to have a little table set up in my room, where I work on a puzzle over the course of a few days or weeks. like, is that not a vibe??)
that’s all for today’s newsletter. hope it encouraged you to put your phones away (after reading this post, of course hehe), and try something new. happy hobby-ing!
itunu x
Love this post 💗