What is wellness? Many people immediately think of diet and exercise. However, it’s equally vital to ease stress — the best way to do that is through activities you enjoy. What mindful hobbies could you embrace to help you relax and lower your blood pressure by a few milligrams of mercury?
You don’t need much money to adopt a new pastime. For example, plants grow everywhere in the wild and line your produce drawer, providing plenty of inspiration (and a few seeds) for your gardening adventures.
All you really need is the desire to improve your life by getting off your couch. If you need to relax, consider adding one or more of these nine mindful hobbies to change up your wellness routine.
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1. Sculpting
If you’re a fan of old movies, how can you forget the romantic scene in “Ghost” where Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze create sweet cinematic magic over the pottery wheel? You need not be in love to get into the joy of working with the earth, transforming it into various shapes.
There’s much mindfulness to conditioning your clay, feeling it warm between your hands as you kneed it into readiness. What if you don’t have a wheel or kiln? Specialty stores such as As You Wish let you sculpt creations within, using their wheels and firing your designs for you. You can also use a website called Kilnshare or Facebook and Nextdoor groups to find firing kilns near you.
2. Photography
Nearly everyone has a camera these days, neatly attached to their cellphones. Depending on your model, it could rival professional gear in clarity and enhancement ability. While it’s not the greatest for landscapes, you can find inexpensive lens kits that let you zoom. You can always graduate to a digital camera with all the bells and whistles after falling in love with this mindful hobby.
This pastime can line your pocket with spare change if that’s your yen. There are dozens of sites online where you can sell your photos, or you could start a casual part-time hustle shooting weddings and bar mitzvahs.
3. Knitting
Knitting can be soothing and mindful when practiced in a quiet room, perhaps with gentle music to ease your frazzled nerves. You can also do so in the living room with the family while you watch TV.
Knitting has practical applications besides encouraging mindfulness. Are the holidays approaching? You can delight everyone on your list with a unique homemade gift.
4. Gardening
Yet another utilitarian pastime that’s also mindful is gardening. Simply gazing at pictures of nature lowers your stress levels. Immersing yourself in the life cycle while you nurture your seeds in the sunshine is even better.
Even urban studio dwellers can get into container gardening. However, if you have more space, consider creating a shrine to mindfulness with a backyard meditation garden where you can practice yoga or kick back and find your inner zen.
5. Scrapbooking
Do you want to preserve precious memories to pass on to your kids and their children? Scrapbooking offers a beautiful way to do so.
This mindful hobby allows you to let your creativity shine, as there are few rules. Some people use nothing but photographs and stickers, while others include playbills, graduation programs and even tiny seashells from their favorite spot down the shore.
6. Woodworking
If you love working with a hammer and saw, woodworking might be the mindful hobby for you. There’s no end to what you can create, from birdhouses to rocking chairs.
You might get started with this pastime by tackling a need your household has. Could your college-bound kiddo use new bookshelves? Perhaps you can make some from scratch instead of heading to Ikea.
7. Playing an Instrument
Video games like Guitar Hero are a blast, but what’s even better? Playing the real deal. You’ll be the hit at your next campfire when you break out your guitar.
Although this hobby requires an initial investment, it need not get pricey. You can sometimes find old instruments at pawn shops or online auction sites like eBay. All you need is a guitar and a budget midi foot controller and you’ll be a rockstar in no time.
8. Dance
Maybe you want a mindful hobby that strengthens your relationship with your partner. Have you considered signing up for ballroom dance lessons — after all, it takes two to tango!
There’s a style for everyone, from energetic freestyle to highly formalized techniques like ballet. Although you can find dance videos galore on TikTok, signing up with a nearby studio introduces you to others who share your love of graceful movement.
9. Gourmet Cooking
There’s dinner — and then, there’s dining. If you want to elevate your family’s eating experiences, perhaps gourmet cooking is the mindful hobby for you.
Tune into the flavors, textures and colors of foods as they blend. Which substances balance one another, pleasing your palate? How does introducing heat change the composition of dishes?
This hobby also has a concrete payoff. You’ll delight the whole clan when they dig into your Four Seasons smoked salmon, followed by a rich chocolate torte, all courtesy of your kitchen.
Fill Your Wellness Routine With Mindful Hobbies
Relaxation may be the most overlooked aspect of wellness today. You need to wind down and do things you enjoy for optimal health, digging into hobbies for no other reason than your own fulfillment and enjoyment.
Fill your wellness routine with one or more of the mindful hobbies above. You and your health deserve it!
