Hobbies for the Lazy

October 12, 2024 4:09 AM

I've been feeling pretty burnt out lately and a lot of the hobbies I previously enjoyed often just feel like work now. Looking for low-key hobbies that don't involve screens.

My current hobbies that feel like work: gardening, baking, running

My current hobbies that don't feel like work: reading, drawing/coloring, decluttering/organizing, wayyyyyy to much time staring at various screens

I still like the hobbies that feel like work, but I'm more looking for things to do after work when I'm zombified. Solo activities strongly preferred since I work from home and live 30 min+ from literally everything. Anything that doesn't require maintenance on a certain schedule is better too.

posted by Eyelash to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (26 answers total)

Jigsaw puzzles? 2000 piece puzzles can feel like a bit like work but are pretty stress-free.
posted by patricio at 4:12 AM on October 12 [10 favorites]

For jigsaw puzzles, I particularly like the wooden ones with whimsy pieces. They also tend to have less pieces overall, so finishing one in one sitting could be doable.

Diamond painting is similar to coloring, but without even needing to choose colors. (There are numbers to show what goes where.)

Spinning is soothing and uncomplicated. A spindle is best for portability, but if you have room for a wheel and can keep it out in, say, the living room, that's also a great way to encourage yourself to pick that instead of your phone.
posted by demi-octopus at 4:32 AM on October 12 [3 favorites]

You can learn Yo-Yo tricks or how to solve a Rubik's cube, both can be had for $20 or way less to start. Both have a learning curve but once you know the basics you can zone out mindlessly practicing.

Since you mentioned drawing it's easy to move to watercolor or alcohol ink painting. I like both of those because I can do abstract designs rather than try to create a realistic scene.

Coin collecting can be fun - a lot of it is buying things, which probably isn't what you want, but it's easy to spend $20 on a bag of assorted foreign coins and then you can spend hours figuring out when and where they are from and organizing them.
posted by mmoncur at 5:18 AM on October 12 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Walking. Not for exercise or to get somewhere, but to really observe and become part of the rhythms around you.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 5:22 AM on October 12 [8 favorites]

N-thing jigsaw puzzles.

I took up crochet about a year ago - there’s a learning curve for sure, but it doesn’t take too long to get to where you can do basic stitches while ziombified and then there’s the option to try something more advanced when you need a challenge.
posted by Kriesa at 5:55 AM on October 12 [1 favorite]

Counted cross-stitch? It does require some focus but it's pretty easy to pick up and put down.
posted by edencosmic at 6:00 AM on October 12 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Calligraphy - cheap to start with (basic water soluble ink like Parker, nib holder and couple of nibs, plus a manual like the Drogin book), endlessly complex, combines well with drawing or watercolour. I find it very meditative. Practice may be just writing quotes from books on decent paper, but the skills honed that way can be used for display pieces as well. You sit down to write a stanza of The Raven in a nice blackletter and that's half an hour without any screen use at all.

Yarn and textile hobbies are good for the zombie feel too. In order from least to most brain engaging that'd be spinning, knitting, crochet (those two overlap depending on pattern level), sewing and embroidery. (I don't weave or macramé so no idea how those shake out.) Everything of those but machine sewing can be done as a side activity while watching stuff. And at the end you have something practical and pretty.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 6:01 AM on October 12 [2 favorites]

Paint by number. With or without audio book / podcast.
posted by RoadScholar at 6:11 AM on October 12 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Being in a zombified state can make setup hard - anything you have to do before you can start with the activity itself can be a barrier. So how about:

playing patience / solitaire
playing with a yo-yo or a kendama
making paper snowflakes
modular origami
doing crosswords or logic puzzles?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 6:14 AM on October 12 [2 favorites]

Another for jigsaw puzzles. Puzzle Warehouse is a good place to start for huge variety and reasonable cost, although Amazon has a lot too. Most adults in my swap group prefer 1000 pieces. (I like the really huge ones, but most don't).
posted by bluesky78987 at 6:46 AM on October 12 [3 favorites]

I fell in love with crochet this year. It’s so lovely to sit under a lamp with bright, soft yarn and a repetitive pattern and just let it reset your brain at the end of the day. (I wish I’d learned this years ago.)
posted by mochapickle at 6:49 AM on October 12 [5 favorites]

I know people for whom assembling and painting models scratches an itch.
posted by credulous at 7:18 AM on October 12 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Tai Chi (You can get a book, or use a video to start. You'll probably want music for background.)

Yoga " "

Finger dancing

Audio books

Paper crafts that require cutting, such as making paper snowflakes or paper models or paper dolls

Drumming with a hand drum (start with an overturned bucket before buying a drum)

Singing

Puzzle books, such as sudoku, fill in words, etc.

Knitting a scarf (Only requires learning three stitches, casting on, plain and casting off.)

Drawing something completely new to you, such as maps of imaginary countries, or zentangle, or spirograph

Painting rocks

Making yarn dollies - possibly make them with Christmas motifs so that you can give them away or hang them on a tree, and have something you can actually do with them.

Check out crafting books and magazines at your local bookstore where you can flip through them and find instructions for projects there that won't require much brain to do.

Also check out the craft section at your dollar store as you might find materials there that inspire you, such as stencils, or beginner kits - but keep in mind they will be cruddy quality, so the results will be bad. The idea is to do a $3 kids cross stitch before investing $55 on a nice adult cross stitch kit and deciding it is too much work. If you do two of the $3 kits you'll know you can safely upgrade to a $10 kit.

If you go for jigsaw puzzles, don't start with a new low end one. They are so badly made you will end up frustrated.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:30 AM on October 12 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Zombie is my default state after work, and I've had to learn to be more intentional with how I spend my time so I don't just scroll social media endlessly.

I have YouTube create me a music mix based off of whatever song sounds appealing, and listen to that while I do some low-stress art such as collage or neurographic drawing (Google it, it's fun and can be as simple or elaborate as you want.) Zentangle is another one that people like for a low-key, meditative art practice.

Gluebooks are fun for when you want to play with images and ephemera without worrying about creating a coherent art piece. You just glue interesting images onto the page in a way you find pleasing and not worry too much about the rules of composition or whether it tells a story or whatever.

Art journaling can be fun and low-stress if you let yourself just be messy and experimental. The trick is in being ok with your page whether it turns out ugly or awesome. I'm not someone who comes up with spontaneous ideas easily, so sometimes I like to give myself a rule or constraint as a starting point. My current art journal's rule is that the color green must be used prominently on each page. I have another journal for non-green art in case I do magically come up with a not-green idea.

Listening to a podcast, audiobook or stand-up comedy while doing literally anything else. I hate housework and exercise but I don't mind it nearly as much when I'm entertaining my brain at the same time.

I know you said no screens, but in case you are like me, I thought I'd throw this in free. Scrolling Facebook or watching endless videos on TikTok feels like a waste, but watching specific TV shows or movies on purpose feels more intentional. I like to rewatch series I've liked before (currently rewatching Schitt's Creek, and probably going to rewatch Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul at some point). I also keep a list of movies I want to watch again (or watch for the first time) usually because I've seen somebody mention them on social media and thought "I should watch that".

If you watch on an actual TV instead of your phone, you could do something such as knit, crochet, craft or doodle while you watch.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:38 AM on October 12 [6 favorites]

Crochet is easier and faster than knitting, and there is only one loop. You could pop out dishcloths, Swiffer covers, and scarves after a very, very short learning curve. It's fun to do the fancy stitches!
posted by jgirl at 7:39 AM on October 12 [2 favorites]

Since you enjoy drawing, I'd just expand on that - pastels, charcoal, water color, acrylic paint, etc.
posted by coffeecat at 7:45 AM on October 12 [3 favorites]

For walking (or for running, if that starts to feel like less work), I love completing streets on CityStrides. It’s rewarding to see my progress, and it gets me to walk in new parts of town, which keeps things fresh. (YMMV, literally, if you live in a pedestrian-unfriendly area). You also could walk around the towns on the way home from your job as a mid-commute break if your actual home or work area aren’t great for walking.
posted by moosetracks at 7:55 AM on October 12 [2 favorites]

I'll second the recommendation for calligraphy. The materials are easy to acquire and it's a pretty popular hobby, so your local Community Education might have an introductory class.

I also recommend taking classes through your local Community Education. They're very affordable, and you meet the most charming grannies.
posted by MrBadExample at 8:23 AM on October 12 [1 favorite]

Ukelele. Easier to pick up than guitar.
posted by johngoren at 8:25 AM on October 12 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Since you enjoy drawing, I'd just expand on that - pastels, charcoal, water color, acrylic paint, etc.

Painting takes a little bit of extra work because you need to have a water cup and deal with brush cleanup. But acrylic paint markers—game-changer. I recommend a basic Molotow or Monami Deco marker set. Buy those and a pack of small prestretched canvases or precut archival cardstock. Also, you can get canvases and cardstock in black or colors, so you don't just have to start with a blank white space.

Also: You can paint/draw while binge-watching TV shows. This all describes a lot of my art practice, heh.
posted by limeonaire at 10:28 AM on October 12 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Tarot reading. No belief in divination/magic required, just use it as a self-reflection tool or a journaling prompt or whatever. Or just get in to learning the meanings of the cards and the whole interconnected system of the different suits, major vs minor arcana, elemental symbology, etc.
posted by brook horse at 11:16 AM on October 12 [6 favorites]

Best answer: birding!! it’s peaceful, full of delights, you can spend time in nature - so much to learn. and you can do it alone or join group walks and find easy community if you get really into it! it’s all about being present and noticing and delight but also can give you a sense of accomplishment and chase if you get really into it
posted by lightgray at 1:07 PM on October 12 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Photography might be a way to engage your visually creative side. No need for any fancy gear, your phone camera or a really cheap used low res digital might even be more fun if you like going with a lo-fi aesthetic, then getting free photo manipulation software to do arty things like desaturate to black and white, play with contrast or messing with the color channels, saturation, etc. Walking by itself might feel like work, but walking and looking for cool shots could bring more fun into it.
posted by indexy at 2:02 PM on October 12 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you everyone! I've marked the answers I think I'll use right away, but I'll probably come back to this thread again. Lots of great options :)
posted by Eyelash at 5:35 PM on October 12 [1 favorite]

Penturning is nice since your creations can make great gifts. You can jump right in with a kit then if you like it can upgrade the tools and pen kits. If you don't like it you can recover a lot of the cost by selling the lathe.
posted by Sophont at 1:38 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]

+1 walking. Especially if you combine it with exploring, such as making an effort to walk streets you haven't before, or combining it with observation, such as taking an interest in trees, plants, or gardens you pass by.
posted by snarfois at 2:31 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]