Starting a New Hobby

As we start a new school year, it can be pretty stressful. One great way to relax instead of scrolling on your phone can be with a new hobby. The Harvard Business Review states, “... research shows that taking part in leisure activities can actually have a positive impact on our overall happiness and health.” 

One thing to keep in mind is how detail-oriented and time-intensive you want your new hobby to be. When looking at ideas for new hobbies, think about whether you want something you have to work on all at once, or something you can pick up for just a few minutes at a time. Also consider whether you want to make something useful, just make something fun, or if you want to do something that doesn’t require supplies.

This article features some ideas for new hobbies. You could also come up with your own ideas. Some of my personal favorites are cooking, baking, and hiking. I am currently trying to start working on crochet.

• Crocheting/Knitting

These are definitely different, but can be similar. You can make something that is very detail-oriented, or you could simply crochet long chains. These two are fairly easy to pick up and put down, but do require a good chunk of time in the middle.

• Baking 

This can be very relaxing, but it does require a lot of time, and you have to follow the instructions VERY carefully.

• Cooking

Cooking is similar to baking, but you can get more creative with it, and it sometimes isn’t as time-intensive.

• Painting/Drawing

One reason these are great options is that with drawing, you only need a pencil and notebook paper to start, two things you almost certainly already have. You can definitely stop and start throughout your project; you can be very specific, or you can just doodle, and there are many different styles you can explore.

• Birdwatching

This one can be fun and often doesn’t require supplies, but it is often VERY time-consuming, takes a lot of patience, and you have very little control. You can do everything right, and the birds may just not feel like coming to the area you are in.

• Hiking 

Hiking can be AWESOME, and you can start small with just a path in your local park. If you like short hikes, you can try something bigger, like climbing a mountain. There is probably a nature preserve or similar somewhere near you. This is a great thing to research. However, hiking can be very time-consuming, even if you just go on a short hike.

• Stargazing

This one can be very dependent on the weather, but it can be super cool. You can just look outside at the stars, look to see what you can find in the sky, and then use resources to try and figure out which stars they are, or you can make it even more specific and use tools to find out what you should be able to see in the sky in your area on any given night.

• Graphic Design

This might be slightly different from a typical hobby, but it can be fun. Even if you don’t love drawing, painting, or other typical visual art forms, you can enjoy this one. It is very flexible, and you can do a lot of different things with it. However, keep in mind that this is more time on a screen. While a lot of common platforms (Canva, Adobe, etc.) might offer a free version, there is often a charge in order to use most of the features.

Even if none of these hobbies seem like something you want to do, there is a hobby out there you will enjoy. Keep in mind that another great thing could be combining multiple hobbies, such as drawing the birds you see if you birdwatch, using graphic design to make labels for the baked goods you make, or knitting while you take a break during a hike. Whichever way you do it, the important thing is that you enjoy a small break from the usual grind.