If you’re anything like me, the arrival of winter and its shorter, darker days signals a lack of motivation and an increase in stress from both the impending doom of finals and just life in general. As it gets dark outside earlier and the constant tiredness from the dreary weather sets in, it’s easy to just fall into bed and rot for hours at a time. I pretend I don’t have two assignments and an essay due in 24 hours. Unfortunately, while the bed rotting might feel good in the moment, I roll out of bed two hours later feeling drained and disappointed in myself for wasting my free time doomscrolling. This winter, I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to do actual things that make my brain feel good to relieve my stress. The sweet spot for me is an activity that requires concentration but not a ton of brainpower — I get to keep my brain working and my hands moving, but I don’t burn myself out by getting stressed when I can’t accomplish something (sorry, crochet, you’re just too much right now).
Coloring books
One of my favorite activities that’s relatively cheap and fun is coloring books. I’m not quite at the level of the TikTok coloring community that creates amazing pictures with layers and all sorts of effects, but a cheap and cute animal coloring book and a pack of cheap markers from Amazon have done wonders to help me relax. It’s creative enough to be interesting, but the outlines of the coloring book take the pressure off of actually drawing. You can still create something fun and cute, but you don’t have to be a great artist to do it. You can even put on a cozy movie in the background for added ambiance, and you can stop and start with no difficulty for a snack break. Plus, the adorable animals in the most popular coloring books are a bonus.
cross stitch
Another craft that I didn’t expect to pick up this year, but have been loving is cross-stitching. While it may seem outdated, there’s plenty of patterns available for any song, show or video game you can imagine, plus more classic options. The simplicity is what makes it so fun — you’re literally just making little x’s over and over, and you end up with something unique and cute. The creation aspect of it reminds me of crochet or embroidery, but it’s much less complicated and can be as intricate or plain as you want it to be. It’s the perfect outlet for when you want to take a break from studying to feel artsy, but don’t want to fry your brain examining patterns over and over again. The supplies are also easy to find and cheap!
diamond painting
If you’re looking for a trendier craft to keep your mind off of college stress, diamond painting is certainly an option. I’ve seen plenty of diamond painting shops on TikTok offering martini glasses and leopard print, but Michael’s is certainly an option for something cheaper and closer, especially if you’re looking to DIY some holiday decor. It’s basically just a sparklier and more grown-up paint-by-number, and the process of finding a place for every gem is somehow both mindless and involved. Much like the other two crafts I mentioned, you can stick with something basic or get super fancy, depending on how much you just want something fun and non-scrolling to do versus how much you want something you could actually hang on your wall.
When you’re stressed about finals, it’s easy to fall into the trap of doomscrolling. Next time you go to pick up your phone to fall down another online rabbit hole, maybe consider choosing a fun craft instead! It’ll give your brain something to do that’s not staring at a screen, occupy your hands, and best of all, you end up with a super cute product to enjoy.