In today’s face paced world, stress relieving hobbies are more important than ever for preserving our physical and mental wellbeing.
The pressures of our lives require us to unwind and give our nervous system the self care it needs.
Engaging in hobbies for stress relief offers an escape from stressors and is a POWERFUL tool for reducing stress. It also improves your quality of life too!
No matter if you’re rediscovering old passions or you try something new, having hobbies that relieve stress gives you a much needed outlet for frustration, anger, and excess energy that anxiety and depression cause.
These hobbies are a fun and engaging way to practice self care. –Because you cannot pour from an empty cup.-
You might even notice that your relationships improve as your nervous system learns to relax again. –You can thank me later!-
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What is a stress relieving hobby?
What’s the difference between a normal everyday hobby and a stress relieving hobby?
A stress relieving hobby is about finding enjoyable and relaxing activities that channel your nervous, frustrated energy into a process of a calming activity.
In short, a hobby for stress relief is an act of self care.
Think of it as a self care vacation for your brain and central nervous system.
A stress reliving hobby is an activity that increases positive mood and restores the central nervous system back to the neutral and calm baseline.
When you dive into a hobby you love, it’s like hitting the reset button on your nervous system.
We all know that feeling when life is too much and the body and brain go into full stress mode. That’s the fight and flight response activating.
Calming hobbies is a fun and effective way to dial back the pesky and primitive fight and flight response so your nervous system can return to its natural state: calm, neutral, and ready to observe.
Plus, let’s talk about the amazing mood boosting properties!
Have you ever gotten lost in an activity you love?
Do you remember the feeling of just enjoying the process and how fulfilling it is and how much joy it brings you?
That’s the mood boosting benefits of hobbies!
It’s like the ultimate pick me up!
These amazing hobbies not only make your day brighter, but help you build resilience for stress. Yes, by practicing calming hobbies as self care, you are teaching your nervous system to become more resilient!
RECOMMENDED READING: Learn about what it takes to start healing anxiety in this post: 3 Positive Thinking Exercises for Healing Anxiety
How To Make Time for Hobbies
Most people make one mistake when making time for hobbies: they try to do hobbies in one large time chunk instead of small increments of time.
Yup, the key to making time for hobbies is as simple as doing them in small amounts of time and large chunks.
You can also do what I affectionately call a habit swap.
Instead of practicing a bad habit, replace it with a stress relieving hobby.
That can look like:
- Knitting instead of scrolling social media at bedtime
- Reading a book instead of watching too much tv
- Taking a 5 minute run instead of a 5 minute smoking break
- Journaling before bedtime instead of lying awake worrying
Another effective strategy is to include family and friends in your plan.
We all know that activities can become more enjoyable with the right people.
RECOMMENDED READING: Learn about healthy habits for anxiety disorder: 20 Healthy Mindset Habits You Need to Improve Your Anxiety
How To Choose The Best Stress Relieving Hobby
For you to know how to choose the best hobby for stress relief, you need to know a little about self care.
There are 7 self care types that will help you reduce stress.
Each relaxing hobby will give different benefits. Some are better for physical symptoms of anxiety and depression, while some calming hobbies are better for mental symptoms.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself to narrow down what hobby is best for you?
- Am I looking to reduce physical or mental symptoms, or do I need a hobby that does both?
- Do I need a hobby to help me manage my emotions or can help me get thoughts out of my head?
- Do I need a hobby that will provide physical benefits or replace a bad habit?
- Do I need a hobby that will help me make friends or nurture my relationships?
- Do I need a hobby that will help me get out of the house or one that I can do sitting still?
- Do I need a hobby I can do in short bursts of activity or one that I will sit down for longer periods of time?
- Do I have space to store hobby supplies or do I require a minimal supply hobby?
- Do I want to learn something new?
- What hobbies do I feel are going to bring me peace and joy and which are going to cause me frustration?
These simple questions will help you choose a hobby (hobbies) that you can use to reduce stress.
RECOMMENDED READING: Read more about the self care types and learn to understand what your mind and body needs when stressed. 7 Types of Self Care You Need to Manage Anxiety
Stress Relieving Hobbies to Improve Your Mental Health
Drawing
Most of us grew up drawing, but ditched it when a snarky adult told us that grass cannot be magenta.
Even if you’re bad at it – and boy am I terrible at it- you can create little cutesy art.
I like to draw little fish. Get back to what you loved as a child and pick up a pencil and some color pencils again.
This is one of the stress relieving hobbies that can help you feel better through creativity.
Drawing calms anxious minds while allowing us to have emotional self expression.
Art is so powerful that art therapy is a common practice for children (and adults) who need help to express their emotions.
Need help to express yourself through art? Try this helpful book “The Art Therapy Way for Anxiety by Kendyl Arden, ATR-P”
INSPIRATION: Check out the WLM ART THERAPY Pinterest Board.
Keeping a Journal
Keeping a journal is the king of stress relieving hobbies.
It’s a great way to brain dump after a hectic day. Just jotting down your thoughts will ease a frantic mind and help relax the brain.
Of all these stress relieving hobbies, this is a favorite of therapists and doctors.
Doctors are scientists and they LOVE seeing how data varies over different amounts of time.
Meaning that if your body is having unexplained symptoms, you can create a journal and show your doctors how often your symptoms fluctuate. –This is how I got my Fibromyalgia diagnosis in 8 months. Data helps you!-
As for therapy, journaling can help you create a log of your emotions and experiences.
Many therapists ask you to recount your memories and experiences. When you’re ready, it can help you heal painful memories.
Many therapists ask you to recount your memories and experiences. When you’re ready, it can help you heal painful memories.
A notebook/journal can help you keep track of all your progress and what you learned in therapy & psychology.
I frequently take mine with me to appointments to jot down questions and notes that I want to talk about. It helps me also track medications, show my progress, and allows me to show the patterns in my mental health.
Doctors love data! Use this hobby to your advantage if you have mental or physical health needs.
RECOMMENDED READING: Learn about Journaling as a healthy habit in 20 Healthy Mindset Habits You Need to Improve Your Anxiety.
Writing
If you are an indoor girl (or a forced to be indoor girl) like I am. You need a hobby that will allow you to pursue your creative side, while also being easy to put away.
Writing is the perfect indoor activity.
Want to make some side money and be creative? Write a book.
Want to express your ideas? Start a blog!
Want to get organized? Create lists!
Want to create amazing original stories to tell your children? Write!!
Writing allows you to reach limitless possibilities.
As a child, I used to dream of creating epic romances and help characters overcome insurmountable odds.
Now, instead of helping imagined characters jump over hurdles, I am helping my readers conquer anxiety.
No matter your goal, your situation, and your creativity experience; writing can help you express yourself or just get yourself organized.
PRO TIP: Make up characters and give them the challenges you are facing. How do these characters overcome these challenges? Can you use these resources to overcome your own challenge? Sometimes writing gives us a perspective we couldn’t see and allows us to problem solve safely.
Scrapbooking
For my paper loving and photo peeps, scrapbooking will become your favorite hobby!
Scrapbooking allows you to collect all your favorite memories and keep them in a beautiful place. And it keeps old artwork, photos, and cards safe from long-term damage to handling, sun, and other elements.
Photos are meant to be enjoyed, so print out those babies and arrange them in your scrapbook.
You don’t have to be super creative to enjoy this hobby.
I love to keep all the cards, letters, and photos that others send me, and the photos that I take for myself.
Scrapbooking is a way to remind yourself that you are loved.
Knitting, crochet, cross stitch, quilting
This is a fun hobby if you want a long-term hobby. –Unless you’re my mom, then it takes a week to complete a project.-
Busy hands make a happy brain. There is a reason that we fidget. It is a stress relief mechanism.
But when you’re sewing, you’re finding relief through a repetitive motion and working your brain.
I remember my mom making dancing elf Christmas ornaments from cross stitch patterns. I have made many baby blankets for family and friends. It’s a great winter hobby.
There are a ton of cloth crafts to choose from.
PRO TIP: If you don’t want to keep them, you can sell them on Etsy, making it a fun and lucrative stress relieving hobby. And the ones you keep are a wonderful story to tell your children when you pass it down.
Candle Making
If you couldn’t tell by this list, I LOVE vintage hobbies.
And candle making is not only a unique and interesting hobby, but an essential skill for those living in rural areas.
My brother is an avid beekeeper and frequently brings me wax from the yearly honey collection.
It’s a supreme joy for me to turn straw into gold, aka render wax. If you don’t know what wax rendering is, it’s cleaning the wax to use in crafts.
Working with your hands, and being involved in the process of making a candle, from start to finish, is absolutely incredible. It brings so much joy to say, “I made this, all of it.“
INSPIRATION: Check out my Pinterest to see some of the interesting crafts you can use wax in, as well as other wonderful stress relieving hobbies!
In Home Aquarium
Not everyone can have a furry friend, but everyone can have fish!
This is a hobby the entire family can enjoy.
There is a lot of effort when the aquarium is first set up. You have things to wash, water to treat and cycle, and need to learn to care for your new fish.
But watching these amazing little creatures frolic and float in your tank brings so much joy.
There is joy found in the care of an animal. It expands the heart and a beautiful tank is an accomplishment to be proud of.
Dancing
Who doesn’t love to “dance it out”.
Exercise, of any kind, releases endorphins. You know… it’s one of those feel good hormones that we are all chasing.
And it’s the easiest to get. But it does not have to be the boring.
Dancing promotes flexibility, heart health, and just makes you feel good!
There are so many styles to choose from: Ballroom, Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Clogging, Contemporary, Belly dancing, Hula, and so much more!
There is a dance for you out there. Or you can just pull a “Meredith Grey” and dance it out with your besties.
Of the stress relieving hobbies, this one is social, fun, and has a style for everyone. Bonus: you don’t have to be good to enjoy it!
Video Games/ Board Games/ and Tabletop
No matter if you are playing the Xbox with friends, playing Scrabble with the kids, or –and my favorite- Dungeons and Dragons, you can bond and have fun.
When you complete a mission, solve a puzzle, or beat a level, your brain releases happy chemicals and gives you a big high five.
That’s the way your brain encourages you to overcome obstacles and challenges. There is a game for everyone. All you have to do is find it!
I love playing games as one of my go to stress relieving hobbies because it gets me out of my PTSD anxiety state quickly.
RECOMMENDED READING: Want your brain to give you a high five as you learn to reach your goals? Check out this post that teaches you how to make small goals that will help you create big changes. How to Create Smart Goals When You Have Anxiety
Suduko & Other Puzzles
There is something to be said for a good puzzle.
You feel you conquered the world when you have completed the New York Times edition crossword; you filled out a book of Suduko, or you just put a 1000 piece puzzle together.
It also is good for your brain.
Doing puzzles improves your memory and problem solving skills.
It’s a great way to stay busy when you need a quiet activity.
Puzzles are a great way to help your brain learn to problem solve in a non stressful manner.
Reading
Reading is an all time favorite of mine.
There are books on every genre and topic now. You can improve your life, escape into fantasy, learn new skills, and much more.
As a sleep aid, I cut off all electronics and get lost in books.
It helps clear a busy brain and helps it relax to a state where it can rest. Science proves reading lowers stress.
It can also teach language skills and vocabulary. But also confidence.
If you have a young child, it can improve confidence! When my daughter was learning to read, she would cry. Then a friend of mine gave me a brilliant idea: reading to the dogs!
She would read to them and they would fall asleep to the sound of her voice. Their undivided attention gave her the confidence she needed to succeed without human judgement.
Reading allows you to encounter information and ideas safely and in your own time frame.
The saying knowledge is power is correct. When you learn, you are growing. Growing your confidence, your intellect, your imagination.
Reading allows you to grow, and it is magical!
PRO TIP: Explore soothing genres like self-help and cozy mysteries on Kindle Unlimited to find relaxing reads that help ease stress on a budget. Bonus: You can even find my workbook The Buddy Basics Service Dog Socialization Workbook on Kindle!
Bullet Journal
The difference between a bullet journal and a diary journal is a bullet journal is essentially creatively making lists, vision boards, and collections.
You can create a planner, design a vision board, dream vacation board, affirmations, birthday lists, weight loss tracker, habit tracker, and so much more!
I have this bullet journal for my self care plan and for planning my home furniture and decor placements.
Writing it down can help you take that first step to accomplishing your goals, and is a consistent reminder of what you are working towards.
These pretty pens will help you create cute pages!
I use them in all my notebooks, journals, and projects that require pens.
INSPIRATION: Check out the WLM Journal Prompts board for bullet journal (and diary journal) ideas.
DIY/ Upcycling
This is a great hobby for people who like to hunt for bargains.
There are tons of Facebook groups dedicated just to buy, sell, trade, or free items.
Your brain will release that illusive chemical dopamine again when you complete your project.
DIY is creating your own items. And upcycling is the use of items in new projects.
My mother and I love upcycling. She creates quilts out of old shirts.
And I love using thrifted items in decorating. As well as using old clothing to make dog toys!
A bonus: fewer items are going to the landfills for disposal.
Stress relieving hobbies can help save the planet too!
Painting Furniture
My mom says I have never had the same hair color twice.
Well, that goes for my home decor as well. I want flexibility and a style that changes as I do.
Painting furniture saves money and offers stress relief.
It’s a perfect addition to your summer stress relieving hobbies as it helps get out all my anxious energy and gives a HUGE dopamine boost by watching furniture turn to treasure!
I got this amazing wooden dog crate, but hated the solid dark wood color. It wasn’t me….anymore.
So I did a glow up on it with some paint and glitter. And finished with polyurethane.
Now I have a durable paint job that endures doggie nails, and sparkles in dim light!
Check out my glow up on TikTok and tell me what you think!
INSPIRATION: Check out our favorite How to Flip Furniture Pins!
Gardening
Some of my favorite memories of my childhood were at my grandparent’s farm.
There is something very satisfying about growing a plant from a tiny seed or a cutting.
You love it, nurture it, and it will grow and take care of you.
Yes, your plant buddy will produce oxygen for you.
Did you know having a few houseplants in your bedroom with improve the air quality in your sleeping area? Yup.
Plants can help you get more restful sleep.
And when you sleep well, you have natural stress relief.
Biking
Most of our favorite past times as a child were biking.
Do you remember the feeling of the wind in your face, racing with your friends, and there was not a care in the world?
Yeah, I do too.
But we grew up and traded our bikes for cars.
We just fell out of practice with it and now it feels like, well, exercise.
Biking can be extremely fulfilling.
When I lived in Omaha, I had a bunch of weight to lose. -An unfortunate side effect of anti-depressant medication.-
My hubby was very bike savvy at the time and told me about his hobby.
Not only did I lose the weight that my anti-depressants had piled on me, but I became fit for the first time in my life.
My blood pressure went down. I saw a decrease in my heart rate. Asthma was more manageable.
And I ENJOYED it! Stress relief AND weight loss? Sign me up!
While biking for exercise may seem like a chore, what about enjoying a bike ride near the beach? Or even on hiking trails?
The great thing about biking is you can literally go anywhere you bike can take you!
A tired body and mind is happy.
Horseback Riding
As a former rider, I can tell you this is a one in a lifetime experience.
There is nothing better than feeling the wind in your hair and having a happy 1200lb horse under you.
There is a bond, a trust that a horse and rider share.
That trust really helps with stress relief.
And what lady hasn’t dreamed of a ride on the beach with her favorite man? Talk about one of the most romantic stress relieving hobbies ever!
Horse back riding is so good that there are equine therapy centers.
You can find local riding teachers anywhere.
There are even riding tours with stable trail tested horses.
Not ready to get on the horse? Go cuddle them! You can volunteer your time with a local horse rescue to cuddle, walk, and groom the horses that are not ready to be ridden.
Interacting with animals gives you oxytocin. And we know oxytocin as the love hormone. And we all know how good that feels.
Dog training & Sports
There is nothing in the world like the love of a dog.
And honestly, they are my favorite!
Thousands of years ago, our ancestors domesticated wolves that would come close to the fires in search of scraps. -Or were we domesticated by the wolves? Who knows for sure?-
This was the first step to socializing our dog’s ancestors.
Now we have many breeds and sizes to choose from!
There is literally a perfect pup for everyone and every job.
Dog sports are among the most popular of all the animal sports. There is agility, obedience, hunting, retrieving, dock diving, tricks, free style, herding, and the list goes on and on. Dog sports are the cream of the crop of fun activities.
And for a few special dogs, you can do therapy and service dog work.
Like my baby boy Koda, who is my psychiatric service dog.
Whether you train with the help of a professional trainer or learn to train your dog yourself, you will enjoy the goofiness and happiness of these incredible and intelligent animals.
And for the general dog lovers out there, volunteering to walk, groom and train these wonderful animals can help them find loving homes.
Don’t forget all the love, snuggles, and playtime that they will give you! Those kisses are natural stress relief!
PRO TIP: Already have a dog of your own? Grab a copy of The Buddy Basics Service Dog Socialization Workbook and see how many of the challenges you and your dog can master.
Hiking
Hiking is the soul of the stress relieving hobbies.
Getting back to nature helps ease tension, calm thoughts, and recenter your soul.
There are amazing landscapes of all types to see.
Remember what I said earlier about plants producing oxygen?
Well hiking is fantastic for having a more pure environment.
That oxygen really helps your body be more efficient. And it’s a mood booster too.
Not to mention the little animals that make their homes in the wild.
I have pictures of owls, squirrels, birds, and lizards in my collection! I even have a snake.
The best part, for me, is the quiet.
Unless you’re going to a very popular park, it is usually very peaceful.
You can breathe and relax. For a few hours, you can just be you.
And feeling like yourself relieves stress one thousand fold.
RECOMMENDED READING: Curious about the benefits of walking in nature? Check it out here: 5 Walking in Nature Secrets that are Incredible For Anxiety
Bird Watching
This hobby really goes great with gardening as birds are natural pest control.
This summer, I set up a feeder for my bird babies so they could come to the house.
I got to see how birds of different breeds interacted with each other.
My cardinals were extremely docile, while my sparrows were tiny jerks and would run off more passive birds.
The doves must have adhd as they would miss the perch 90% of the time.
It was very interesting to get to know my backyard neighbors.
Not only did I get to see these babies, but I got to hear them as well.
They started staying closer to my feeder, and I could hear them in the mornings and evenings as they would sing to me and each other.
They even learned to recognize my bird call and would flock to the yard when I would whistle for them.
This hobby can be combined with gardening, biking, hiking, and even scrapbooking and journaling! And it is low energy for all my chronic illness people!
Photography
I love photography. It is truly an art of creativity and expression.
There are so many ways to express yourself in pictures.
Through my lens, you learn to love the wrold around your and the way you view it.
You may even find out the way your mind works isn’t wrong. It’s different.
And that difference created so much joy and beauty in your life and others through photography.
Photography helped me grow into a person who isn’t afraid of doing something different.
If you need to work on your confidence and self expression, try photography.
Volunteering for Relieving Stress
Sometimes we feel stress when we become disconnected from others or feel we have no purpose.
Volunteering is GREAT for filling both voids.
Find stress relief in helping your community.
Being social and connecting with another person is a human need!
As a youth, I visited nursing homes. As an adult, I found a dog rescue.
Volunteering helped me find myself through service.
As far as stress relieving hobbies go, volunteering helps you connect with yourself and others.
Reminders about Stress Relieving Hobbies for Anxiety
Your stress relieving hobbies can reflect your inner most passions.
Many of us give up our hobbies because we don’t have a natural affinity for them.
Who cares! Da’Vinci did not start as a powerhouse!
Every master was once a beginner.
They just kept with something they loved until they mastered it and it became second nature.
Explore what you really love. Dive deep into yourself. Don’t be afraid to try new things. You just might find what you’ve been missing and relieve your stress as well!
What are your favorite stress relieving hobbies? Tell me in the comments!
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This was such a fun post to read. So many ideas that sparked new ideas I have not thought about in a long time. Thank you! I am going to look again and find my new passion to add into my life 👍🥰
That’s wonderful to hear!! I am always on the lookout myself for hobbies and activities that will banish the blahs!
I love these ideas! I find many of these activities to be relaxing especially hiking! Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful post! I already do some of the things on this list; however, I see a few I want to try 😊
I have so many more hobbies off this list I want to try in the coming year!
Great suggestions! I definitely recommend Painting and Writing, it helps tame my crazy anxiety! I will try the other recommendations! Thank you 🙂
Biking is such a fun and relaxing activity. Especially when you pair it with amazing scenery. Great post.
Wow! a great list, Krystian. My favourite is gardening and I can wait for spring. In the meantime, I love making flower arrangements.
Me too! We are already prepping seeds for growing in the little tiny containers. I really hope I don’t botch it so I can show it to everyone here.
I took up crocheting a few years ago. And it has been so beneficial and soothing for a busy brain! Great list here.
I also enjoy cloth and fabric crafts. Especially in the winter! Wrap up in my chair with some fabric and watching tv is a favorite of mine.
I’m a “stress over little things” girl. So I appreciate this post. I need more things to take my mind off trying to make everything “perfect.” But even my hobbies give me anxiety, for that same reason. It’s pretty ridiculous 😀. I’ll work on your tip that you don’t have to be good at your hobbies!
That was my huge hang up. I was so busy aiming for perfection that I missed out on the joy! Once I gave up that was when I started to really get good at it. I think the little flaws in it is what made it for me. I still find flaws in my work now, but now I see it as my signature instead of a failing.
This is so useful! I deal with anxiety every single day. This is just what I need as a distraction. I took a screenshot 😃 thank you for putting this together!
You’re very welcome! I’m glad it’s helpful!
This is a great post. New stress reliever that I picked up lately is painting by numbers. Absolutely love it
That’s a great one! I love coloring!