Mood-boosting hobbies you can do without leaving your sofa
A few years ago, some clever clogs at Harvard looked at several studies from across the world and found that people who had hobbies reported better health, better life satisfaction and more happiness. The results were convincing: hobbies are good for you!
Without a doubt you’ve heard someone – likely clad in Lycra – wax lyrical about health benefits of sports hobbies. While the endorphins and healthy glow that come after a long run are not to be sniffed at, what about those of us who don’t feel the urge to go for a run in the cold wet months (or at all)?
The internet’s answer? ‘Low-energy’ hobbies. The hashtag has nearly 50 million posts on TikTok, so it’s clearly capturing internet hearts and minds, but is this really a trend worth getting behind?
The short answer is yes. One study found that having a hobby could negate the negative impact on your mental health of working long hours, while another found that hobbies, when done with others, were incredibly effective at battling loneliness in adults.
In fact, these ‘low-energy’ hobbies might boost your mood as much as (if not more than) any 5k jog in the rain, without you ever having to leave that cosy spot on your sofa.
Colouring books
The link between art and positive mental health is still relatively new but is getting stronger with more research released each year. Art as therapy is a fantastic way to release your creativity and boost your mood at the same time. Colouring books are an excellent place to start. It might be something you associate with childhood, but the range of colouring books on offer for adults is better than ever.
Whether you fancy colouring in some ornate tattoo art, or you’d rather be snuggled and cosy like these scenes from Brambly Hedge colouring book, there’s something for everyone and it’s a soothing way to spend an afternoon inside. You could even commemorate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday this year with these Jane Austen colouring plates.
Make a mood board or journal
Whether you prefer a ‘bullet’ or a ‘nature’ journal, there’s no right or wrong way to journal – and since all the things you need to start are probably already sitting in your drawers, there’s no need to leave the house.
There are lots of useful journalling prompts online and on social media, and Pinterest’s new collage feature is an excellent way to give journalling a go.
Back in the real world, beautiful pages can also be made simply by cutting up old magazines, brochures or even train tickets and sticking them into a book.
Bonus points if you can recycle bits that you already own – and if you do fancy leaving the sofa for a brief trip outside, you could explore a bit of nature journalling by collecting leaves or flowers to include between the pages.
Knitting
Knitting is brilliant for maintaining manual dexterity and mental ability – there are even tales of surgeons using it to keep up their quick hands – but it’s also an incredible way to slow down. It can be a way to practise mindfulness and it’s something that can, and has traditionally, been done with friends. Knitting and nattering are almost synonymous, after all. Why not try Wool And The Gang’s Super Duper Sweater kit for beginners?
Weaving
You might think of it as an ancient art and picture old women around a fireside, but weaving has come a long way. You can now buy, or even make, handheld looms from cardboard. Thankfully, these are much easier to lift, manoeuvre and store away until your next afternoon on the sofa. It’s also a fun way to use up odds and ends of yarn leftover from other projects.
Sashiko: Slow stitching
The Japanese are the masters of slowing down and creating beautiful things through low-energy hobbies. You may have heard of kintsugi – the practice of repairing pottery and highlighting the cracks with gold. But the lesser known sashiko – repairing or repurposing fabric — is a little more versatile.
If you have some scraps of fabric – old shirts or clothes, or maybe something you found in a fabric bin at the haberdashers – you can quickly create some beautiful pieces. Cut them into different shapes and stitch them together to create a patchwork of cloth that can be embroidered in any way that pleases you.
Sashiko is also a beautiful way of repairing tears and can be a fun way to give old clothes a new lease of life. You don’t have to be an expert seamstress, or leave the sofa. Win-win.
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