In the day and age of social media and the growing online lifestyle, it is no surprise that most people choose to unplug for the day with mindless doomscrolling and social media engagement. Because why would anyone on the brink of burnout even want to entertain the idea of giving more energy to something, like a hobby at the end of a long day? But what if the truth is that having hobbies or other ways to engage your brain than overstimulating, and rapid engagement of short form video content could stop burnout in its tracks? That having something to focus on that engages your brain can be the perfect distraction or solution to an already overstimulated lifestyle?
In this article, I give you five (of my personal favorite) hobbies to consider before picking up your phone. And maybe after reading, you will even consider setting a screen time limit for yourself. I recommend giving them all a try; because I like to believe that having different hobbies doesn’t make you inconsistent, it makes you well rounded. Giving yourself options is better than defeat.
- Reading (or try Kindle)
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Oh reading, the age old default boredom solver. I think like most, when I was bored out of my mind and my parents pointed me in the direction of our bookshelf I rolled my eyes. But since getting older I have noticed, that reading actually can feel like the perfect escape to life’s busy and sometimes too consistent rhythm. Plus when you look into the amount of variation, and resources that reading can hold, it makes it turn from a hobby you dread…to one I dare say you can get excited about. Tiktok has its own fanbase, called Booktok where you can find recommendations on different genres or ratings of popular reads. Goodreads, an app doing all the same.
And a big plus, is that this hobby doesn’t need to cost you a dime. If anything the nonexistent start-up costs (if you’re smart) about it can also provide you with a thrill. If you live in Boston (or go to school here) you have access to getting a Boston Public Library Card, to use near Newbury Street, and all the locations that include in the greater area). If you want to spend a little to save a little you can also look into a Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited membership, which for $11.99 a month gives you access to as many books as you want, free of any additional charge.
So go to your local BPL branch and open that library card, or scour Facebook Marketplace for a giving up readers new but slightly used kindle for a great price. Don’t let the fear of never being a reader steer you away from one of the most versatile and convenient hobbies around.
- Ride a Bike
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Okay, so you’re not a reader? No problem! The nice thing about hobbies is there is one for everyone, like the saying goes. If sitting on a couch with a book at the end of the night after a day spent at a desk, then don’t! Put on your sneakers you bought but have been neglecting, and head out for a bike ride.
Relaxing, mindless, and screen resistant (because I don’t think texting and riding a bike is even close to possible if you want to avoid a concussion). And the nice thing about riding a bike, is you can find tons of places to do it. Want to avoid crowds? Find a local bike path, or walking trail that bikes are allowed on. Want to multitask and also get some fitness and carbon footprint saving in? Put your helmet on and ride to Trader Joes to try those new snacks (I know you want to). Bike riding can be full of as much variation as you want it to be. A low mental energy giving activity, a more mindful way to continue to get your chores done while also burning off some steam, or leeway into that triathlon you’ve been dying to sign up for.
I think a lot of us grew up and thought we had to chain up our bikes for good when we hit highschool, but I’m here to tell you that this too, can be a great hobby in whatever way you want to do it. So download that Bluebike app, and then close it once you hop on that bike, and pedal your heart out.
- Doing your Nails
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Are you not feeling a bike ride, and want a way to unplug but still be creative? I give you…Doing your Nails! A hobby that, while a bit expensive upfront, can be the best long-term investment ever if you can break the learning curve.
I think many women, especially in the day and age of perfection, struggle with not having their nails done when the rest of the office does. Or just consider getting their nails done as an amazing type of self care, me included. But lets also be honest here, money for nails can be the bane of our existence as well, especially when realizing how short term a new set really is. So why not take the time to be your own nail artist? Tiktok and Youtube offer enough tutorials to last a lifetime, and Amazon (especially on Prime Day) can be budget friendly and super diverse with options of colors and ways to enhance your own personal nail room.
I would say my only caution with this, is if you plan on using gel polishes, that you make sure you spend the extra money/time researching the perfect lamp and application to avoid potential lasting issues like contact dermatitis (can stem from improper curing). But hey, I trust you girly, and you should trust yourself too! Don’t doubt your amazing nail talent just waiting to come to life.
- Playing Games (Sims 4, Animal Crossing)
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Oh video games, I can’t lie I do love them. Like a long day, and then curling up with my laptop to continue to pay bills to a raccoon or take care of a digital family, who keep dying from laughter. But the thing is, despite the underlying life stress themes these games may offer, there is something nostalgic and comforting about being able to escape to a digital world away from social media for a while.
Having a way to engage your brain with video or online games can actually be pretty beneficial, as well as fun. It forces you to follow a plotline, and pay attention and be patient with the little things. Problems that definitely arise in a modern day of short term videos, and fast paced scrolling. Unplugging from your phone to check your digital characters can feel both fulfilling and mindless. Sometimes you just need to escape from reality for a bit, so why not engage in virtual island life while slushy snow falls outside your window?
I will say, this hobby can be on the pricier side. But where there is a will, there is a way and I’m sure that Papa’s Freezeria still has a free online platform somewhere to decompress on for a bit. Or even looking for demos of popular games can be the perfect way to decide if you want to invest more time or money into this hobby. Plus I did hear that the Sims 4 base game just became free for PC or Macbook players…so maybe it’s time to create that account that may occasionally crash your laptop, but make your life equally as interesting when you log on after a long day.
- Coloring
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To finish off my five fabulous hobbies, that hopefully will get you off your phone I had to bring coloring.
Coloring is whatever you want to make it. Let it be mindless and on a piece of scrap paper, or scour Pinterest for one of those cute animal coloring sheets. If you go to college, chances are you have about $40 in print bucks just waiting to expire at the end of the year, so why not use those printers to give yourself something to look forward to after that lab you are dreading.
So if you’re looking for one of the most low maintenance, brain shutting off hobbies, I think coloring might be for you. Buy that box of crayons, and let loose. I know you want to.