7 Screen-Free Hobbies for Self-Care
We all know the feeling. It’s 4pm and your eyes are starting to glaze over, your brain is foggy, and your energy is scattered, like the feeling of too much coffee. You feel a slight sense of emptiness coming on, having spent the last 12 hours fixated in front of a piercingly blue light emanating from a screen.
This is the cue for you to take a step back and re-enter the real world. It’s easy to forget that life is happening all around us; the sun is shining, the waves are crashing, the trees are swaying. But we haven’t noticed because we’ve been immersed in an alternate digital universe.
Finding hobbies that don’t involve technology and screens is imperative for self care. On average, adults are now spending a whopping 11 hours in front of a screen everyday across multiple electronic devices.
As shocking as this is, unfortunately for many of us avoiding screens is made impossible due to working in offices or online. So it makes it even more important to actively find hobbies and activities away from screens, especially when it comes to winding down and relieving stress.
Most of us reading this remember a time in our lives where we would play and connect with others outside, before smartphones were the new normal and Instagram was a thing. Taking up hobbies as adults is a way to connect to our inner child and sense of play, a practice which feels deeply fulfilling, satisfying and cathartic all at once.
Here’s a list of screen free hobby ideas for self care and nourishment, to get in touch with your creativity, and to ultimately have fun!
Art journaling & Bullet journaling
Here at Oui We, we are big fans of journaling in a variety of ways. Art journaling is basically how it sounds - it’s making messy art to your heart’s desire, in whatever form you wish. That could mean cutting out pictures and words from magazines and gluing them in, writing snippets about your day, painting or doodling. It’s essentially a creative expression of you!
Similarly, bullet journaling invites you to use all your creative juices through writing and scrapbooking-style art. However, it usually is centered more around organization and planning, to keep track of your agenda throughout the days/weeks/months. That’s not to say that it can evolve to be more like an art journal! In fact, they often overlap - so take whichever resonates more.
Whatever your preference, both of these practices are incredibly fun, will get you inspired, and will help you express your creativity. I loved watching this video for tips and tricks.
Cooking & Baking
More of us than ever have gotten into cooking and baking since quarantine began, partly out of force but also out of fun (and to keep busy). Is there a favorite dish from a restaurant you love that you could try to recreate?! Or perhaps a plant-based version of home-cooked meal you’re craving right now? The fun is in the experiment of trying (just look at the joy of contestants on the series Nailed It).
Sweet tooths, let's rejoice and throw on our oven mitts and get creative! Get stuck into one of these 20 plant-based dessert recipes or try out these sugar free recipes, striking the balance of indulging but not sending your hormones and blood sugar levels flying out the door.
Hiking
If you have the luxury of living close by to nature, do yourself a favor and spend more time in her glorious beauty. Hiking is a great activity to get some fresh air, improve your mood and get some exercise. It feels amazing to temporarily escape the pressures of industrialized and digitalized society, a reboot to your system, both physically and mentally.
If you haven’t got a hiking trail nearby, you could explore local parks to get your green nature fix. If you have a dog, I bet they’re itching to get outside as well!
Reading
As a bookworm at heart, I’ve also got something sitting on my bedside table. It’s the perfect hobby to do before bed to wind down, relaxing you in a way that scrolling through Instagram just won’t.
I’m currently on a reading bender with books about female sensuality and power - can highly recommend Pussy: A Reclamation by Regena Thomashauer and Seductress by Betsy Prioleau to get inspired by the power of the feminine.
I’m also a magazine junkie, not for celebrity trash but for independent quality publications. WomanKind is currently a favorite, ushering in a “new era for women” with an advertising free mag centered on self, identity and meaning in modern society.
Gardening
No longer left to our grandmas, gardening has been another popular hobby taken up in quarantine. Like balm to the soul, getting your hands dirty and nurturing your plants can feel deeply fulfilling, plus adding a touch of sanity if you’re still in the midst of lockdown.
Learning to grow your own food by planting some veggie seedlings or herbs can be extremely satisfying over time - who doesn’t want to boast cooking a meal made solely of their own produce! Here’s a comprehensive beginner’s guide to starting a veggie patch.
Make your own DIY beauty products
Making your own beauty products is not only a satisfying hobby (both creatively and for your bank account), but is also an ethical and environmental decision that can help reduce your carbon footprint. Plus you get to bypass all the weird chemicals and ingredients companies put into your products - words so long you can’t even pronounce them.
Scrubs are an easy place to start, often with ingredients already lying around your house waiting to be used. Check out these recipes boasting homemade scrubs for smooth and luminous skin.
If you’re feeling extra environmentally savvy, making your own cleaning products is another step you can take to switch over to a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
Dancing
When was the last time you danced? I should be embarrassed about the amount of times I’ve had naked dance parties at home to Gwen Stefani…
Dancing is incredibly therapeutic, liberating and empowering. And best of all, it’s completely free! Moving your body freely is liberating, empowering and can help you navigate through anxiety and other emotions.
If you’re looking for others to dance with in community, Daybreaker is an incredible organization who hosts morning dance parties with a wellness approach (sans alcohol). They’ve been hosting virtual parties since quarantine started, so you can join in from anywhere around the world.
Bedroom and PJs party anyone?!
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Chiara Christian is a Gemini writer with a passion for understanding others and the world around her. You can check out her website here and follow her meanderings @ageministory.