We’ve all been there: a Saturday afternoon, no homework, no plans, just you and the exhaustion of endlessly scrolling through Instagram and Netflix. Having downtime is the dream, but there comes a time when it feels like you have consumed all the internet has to offer. In those trying times, what’s a girl to turn to?
Allow me to reintroduce: the hobby.
Scavenger hunt of benefits?
Hobbies are not only fun and exciting ways to pass the time, but research also shows surprising health benefits. A UCLA Health article says hobbies both improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Dementia risk decreases as the number of hobbies someone has increases. Researchers also suggest that hobbies may help improve endocrine, nervous system, cortisol, and cardiometabolic health, which can help reduce the risk of serious health concerns like cancer and heart disease.
With so many potential health benefits, let’s go over some of my personal favorite hobbies, along with some other potential callings!
The Bedazzling Craze
Anyone who knows me knows that I will preach about bedazzling all day long. Not only is it endlessly fun, but it keeps your hands busy and your mind occupied while you create beautiful art that anyone would be envious of.
The best part about bedazzling is that the sky is, quite literally, the limit. You could bedazzle truly anything and everything. I’m always a proponent of bedazzling some of your favorite book covers, but I’ve also been known for rhinestoning household items like toothbrush holders and makeup palettes. For the fashionistas, I’m here to tell you that yes, you can bedazzle clothes and purses, and there are near-endless options for pre-made (bedazzle by number, if you will) rhinestone art kits available on the internet for as little as $10.
There is a bedazzling project for everyone, and trust me when I say the result is always worth it!
Back to basics
For as exciting as some hobbies can be, you can truly never go wrong with a nice candle and a good book. For those who insist that reading isn’t for you, I’ll tell you that you just haven’t found your niche yet. Until you do, I’m happy to share some of my recommendations.
Game of Thrones lovers are in luck, because some of the best books out there are epic high fantasies. From standalone books like Olivie Blake’s One for My Enemy and Kate Dramis’s The Curse of Saints to short duologies like Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals and Foz Meadows’ The Tithenai Chronicles to entire universes like those of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas, there is something for every kind of fantasy fanatic.
For those who enjoy stories a little closer to home, I recommend looking into Celeste Ng, Author of Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You; her works are all-encompassing family dramas that I always seem to finish in a matter of hours.
If you find yourself somewhere in between, you might enjoy books like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, M.L. Rio’s If We Were Villains, or R.F. Kuang’s most recent work, Katabasis. These books exist at the intersection of fiction and fantasy, with a dash of dark academia thrown in for flavor.
Baking Like crazy
Baking is hands-down one of the most universal hobbies out there. Short recipes, long recipes, basic chocolate chip cookies or Nutella cheesecake brownies– there is something for every intensity.
You can go about baking any way you please. Some people prefer to follow the instructions on the back of the box, while others scour the internet for creative family recipes, and still others choose the true homemade option and make the recipe up. No matter which you resonate with, baking is a great way to spend time with family or friends, and to get a sweet treat at the end!
Some of my personal favorite recipes come from Broma Bakery. Their recipe for white chocolate raspberry cookies is a fan favorite in my book. Some others on my list include Olives and Thyme’s Red Velvet Brownies and Great Island’s Strawberry Lemon Blondies.
It seems like such a simple fix, but hobbies truly are an incredible way to pass the time, and you often end up with something beautiful at the end of the day.
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