There are a few people in my life whom I simply don’t know what they do outside of school or work. Sure, both of these things take up quite a bit of our days, but still, when you have free time, what do you do with it? What do you do for a dopamine pick-me-up?
 In recent years, social media has replaced our hobbies by taking up such a large part in influencing our serotonin levels. But, mindlessly scrolling on our socials is in no way healthy or enriching for our minds. Consequently, what seems like such an obvious notion of “having a hobby” has become constantly overlooked and forgotten about. The way society is built, we are so focused on our work lives that we do not take care of our personal lives enough. Being creative with ourselves is a lost art and something no one seems to acknowledge. Â
I spent this past summer in a small town in Ludington, Michigan, where I knew no one. I was fresh out of a break-up and had a feeling it was time for some self-reflection. With Lake Michigan four blocks from the house I was staying at, I decided I had plenty of opportunities to try different hobbies over the next four months, in order to try to find a new part of myself in the process.Â
I spent days scrolling through Pinterest to find inspiration for really anything my mind could muster, andreating collections of ideas I liked, such as scrapbooking, beading, and painting. The app alone gave me inspiration to be creative and use all the time I had for something good.Â
I picked up jewelry making because it was a way to spend time with my mom, as she also did it, and to fulfill this creative desire. Our one craft store in town was Hobby Lobby, and when I was not working nine hour shifts at a local coffee shop, I liked to stroll the aisles for new things to pick up. Alongside this, I taught myself how to read Russian (do not ask me to speak it), which gave me something to keep my brain active. I rented books from the local library and looked online for help with learning a new language, which made me feel productive.Â
As a college student with limited space and time, I find it is difficult to have these crafty hobbies during the school year. So much of my freshman year, I felt no desire to be creative and would mindlessly scroll social media for a dopamine fix. I came to realize this again after my break-up and knew that I had lost this creative part of myself in the midst of a relationship. I told myself I just needed a hobby to distract myself and keep enriching my life. When I’d get overwhelmed, I’d go on walks and listen to music, as it allowed meto clear my head.Â
Hobbies don’t have to just be crafts like jewelry making or scrapbooking. Picking up a book or even just doodling in a notebook are both cheap and simple hobbies. I used to put so much pressure on myself when I wanted to partake in any hobby, especially with journaling. This idea that it had to be perfect and I could not make mistakes was looming over me and became exhausting. Once I broke free from that idea that I really could just do whatever I wanted, I was able to help myself so much more.Â
I hope you read this and find the intent of picking up a dusty book or going to your local craft store. If you have a hard time starting, I recommend starting small with visiting your local library and just going outside. There are also tons of great resources that can help get you started. So I encourage you to put your phone down and get creative!