10 cosy hobbies to relax and calm down.
I think we all sometimes fall victim to doomscrolling, but wouldn’t it be so much more beneficial if we took the time to do something relaxing and fun?
Hobbies can help you unwind, and it’s essential to take a break, so never feel bad when you take the time. One of my favourite rituals is filling my evening with hobbies, and sometimes a movie. It will benefit you immensely. I gathered ten of my favourite hobbies or hobbies I want to try in the future.
The moment I understand how important hobbies are, and how much fun. I started to stop always seeing them as a form to be perfect, but to just rewind with them, maybe try out a few to see what is working the best for you.
1. Reading
That is something I have been doing since I was young. I learned to read at a very young age, and I always had my nose to a book. They were my friends, I was made fun of this, since when I was younger, reading apparently wasn’t ‘Cool’, it was for ‘nerds’. It’s a big nonsense!
Books really mean the world to me; one of the most important things for me. It gives you an escape into a different reality, and you live through different adventures in these moments. And a little break is something we all need from time to time.
A good escape into your favourite world with your favourite beverage?
That is something you can cherish!
Of course, every bookworm knows the ‘One more chapter,’ so you can fall deep into a book, and suddenly it’s two in the morning. Can you relate to this? Me too! I think it’s okay in balance, but I am a night owl.
2. Writing
I had to put that in the second spot, since this is my escape in every sense. Countless hours did I spend, my days and evenings writing away, being lost in the words. As much as I loved reading since I was young, I also loved writing.
It’s a diverse category; you can write your own stories or books, or you may start writing personal essays for fun. You could write blog posts about your interests or just write whatever comes to mind.
An open document or notebook and just writing your thoughts away is one of the best ways to get it off your mind.
And writing stories? It’s even more fun when you get lost in your own characters and world you created. Or maybe you like to write fanfictions of your favourite characters. Just being creative and writing what you want to read is the goal.
You don’t have to publish anything. You don’t have to become an author.
For years, I only wrote for myself before I started writing books. I gave my best friend to read, share the stories and my characters to read and share them with someone I knew appreciated them just as much as I do.
3. Painting
Currently, I am teaching myself how to draw on my iPad. I am a huge beginner at this. As someone more creative in a ‘book writing’ sense and not a ‘I am good at drawing’ sense, this is harder for me. But this is so much fun.
You can draw however you want to, and what you want to. Just let your imagination run wild; you don’t have to be perfect. Especially if you just want to have this as a hobby. There are so many ways you can have fun with this and be creative.
Sometimes letting your mind run free will give you the best and unexpected results. I want you to know that you can learn about it if you want to improve your skills or learn something specific, but it’s also okay to just let the pen or brush run wherever it wants to. Maybe you will really like the results!
You don't have to make every hobby into an income, like some people say, it's good to also have hobbies for fun. It'll free your mind and gives you a lot of joy!4. Paint-by-numbers
Technically, it could be under the painting category, but I wanted to give it its own, since I think you can say it’s a hobby on its own. This hobby I do every year as a Christmas present for one person, this year it’s even two!
I like to get custom-made ones and give them as a gift; it’s a lot of time and dedication, but everyone is so happy when they have a hand-painted picture.
There are also so many different ones you can get in your regular shops or online, maybe you can find a design with your interests on, or a landscape you like. They make great decorations, too!
I am in the process of also starting to do them for me, who wouldn’t have a picture hanging you made on your own?
5. Gaming
Another of my childhood hobbies I took up in my adulthood, remember when you were playing with your WII or Nintendo as a kid? I loved playing Just Dance, WII sports, or Animal Crossing.
Sometimes I even borrowed my father’s PlayStation Portable and played some tennis games on it, and when I was thirteen, I sat on my father’s PlayStation 3 and played GTA IV before GTA V came out. Of course, I was too young to play that game, but I always drove around in the car.
And when my father didn’t want to argue with me anymore when he came home, who could play games, he bought me my own one. I started playing GTA V with friends online. I know not the most ‘cosy’ game, but I loved that game.
I upgraded through the years, and now I have my PlayStation 5. I play a variety of games. My Nintendo Switch is reserved for Animal Crossing, that always stuck with me through the years, and some other games. And on my iPad, I am discovering more and more cosy games that don’t even need much concentration. I could make a post about this if you are interested in recommendations.
6. Candle Making
A hobby I recently started, now this can be a costly hobby, but if you are like me, who loves candles and gets everything I need piece by piece through the journey, it will be okay. I saved up some money to buy some supplies, got a starter-kit, and decided what I want to make, so it’s easier for the essential oils you want or the silicone forms.
I made my mom a cat candle and a regular one, while I got one with a coffee smell, although I have to say the one for my mom turned out better. Just by making it one time, I already learned so much that I wrote down to add the next time, which will make it easier for me.
A starter kid with some added essential oils is enough when you want to have normal candles. You can play around as much as you want. Maybe save up for this if you have big goals with this, it can make it easier.
But it’s definitely a fun hobby to add to your list; you can do a lot of different things with it. And you smell something you create whenever you light it up. I can say even when it’s a journey (I still haven’t mastered it fully), it’s a lot of fun, you learn and experiment a lot.
Plus, you are so proud of yourself when you see the finished product!
7. Puzzles
With this one, I have a love and hate relationship, which is my fault and not the hobby! I got my first puzzle this year. I haven’t puzzled since I was a child and got a difficult 1000-piece puzzle in the middle of being sick with bronchitis and the flu.
Yeah, lovely timing.
I started it. Got frustrated. Almost threw it away.
But it was because I was in pain, sick, and couldn’t even breathe. I couldn’t concentrate, but somehow I thought it was a good idea to start it at that time. And since then, I have it sitting on my table, still in the box, always looking at it and coming back to these feelings.
But I also got a puzzle app, which I love doing. See, it wasn’t the puzzle. So, I want to start that again with an easier puzzle next year (My two pictures I paint as Christmas presents will keep me full).
And I can give that tip to you; If you haven’t puzzled, maybe start with a 200-piece puzzle instead of going all in. Or get an app and see if you like it before you invest money into it.
8. Knitting and Crochet
I put them together; I feel like they go hand in hand, even when they are different. It’s a skill I can’t seem to get to work on in the past, but I want to incorporate it here, since I think it’s such a lovely hobby. You can make your own clothes when you are good at it!
I admire everyone who can do this, especially these little crochet figures. I always wanted to do them! Maybe in the future I will take these two things and try my hand at it again.
It’s something lovely you can do while relaxing, put your favourite show or movie on. Maybe even just music and time will surely fly away. I would love to see you be happy and proud of the things you make.
Like, how cool is it to have a scarf you made yourself? Or a little crochet friend?
9. Taking cute pictures and editing them
This one is so fun! You don’t have to take pictures of yourself, but everything you find beautiful. A lovely way to play around as well, different views, different edit styles. You could make cute things with this as well, like gifts for your friends and family!
Just be creative and play around. I love to take pictures when I am out and capture the moments I enjoy, but not too obsessively, since I like to be present in the moment. Yet, in the past, I noticed I sometimes wanted to look back at these events or moments and didn’t take the pictures.
You can capture sweet moments, and the edit variations are so big! Go crazy!
10. Do some seasonal arts and crafts
Get creative! There are endless possibilities with the seasons. I love fall and winter. I am not a summer person, but in every season, you can do something lovely that fits.
My favourite inspiration is scrolling through Pinterest and finding the things I love; it helps get me in the spirit of the seasons. Maybe let me give you a few inspirations I think are beautiful.
Winter/Christmas:
I always make my own Christmas cards, decorate them, and work hard on them
DIY centrepieces, you can get them for the Advent time and design them in whatever way you want.
Make your own galands, which allows you to add your character to your own decoration
A simmer pot, the remains you can add to some spray bottles and use as a room spray. Add the spice you want, and your house or apartment will smell heavenly.
Spring/Easter:
Paint your own vases, this can be for other seasons too, but get a vase and paint that will work on the surface, custom design it like you want. Add pretty flowers, and you have a lovely decoration.
Build your own birdhouse if you want some feathery friends that thank you with their presence
Paint eater eggs, even as an adult, you are never too old for this. If you can, and like, you can ask your friends or neighbours with kids if they or you want to hide them in the garden for their kids.
Make your own spring wreath for your door, get your favourite flowers, and get to work.
Summer:
Cut your food into fun shapes and sizes, for a BBQ or just for fun; it adds a bit more magic to it.
Make paper flowers; you can do them in different colours and add them to the decoration. Plus, if you want to have a BBQ, they are lovely conversation starters and centrepieces.
Create a bucket list with everything you want to do, and/or maybe do one for the other seasons too.
Make your own flower bouquets. Who doesn’t love fresh flowers? The colours and the smell are always cheering me up.
Fall/Halloween:
Crave your own pumpkins
Make pincecone galants, you can also use them for the winter season
Get a set to paint your own mugs
Get acorns and build figures with them. I loved doing this as a kid.
There are so many more arts and crafts; you can get really creative, depending on your interests. And you can also combine the hobbies with things like making special candles or crocheting different things.
These are ten cosy hobbies you can try out. I really hope there is something you enjoy in here. I love relaxing while doing some of them; it’s always enjoyable.
xx
Lena
