Ditch Your Phone: 7 Hobbies to Try Instead of Doom Scrolling

Awhile ago I started to notice just how much time I was wasting doom scrolling on IG and Tik Tok. Countless upon countelss hours (yes, hours, I’m sad to say) to what end? Ok, yes, there are some really cute dachshunds out there that. can do some funny tricks and I’ve gotten some great cooking tips (don’t rinse your pasta after cooking if you really want the sauce to stick) but when I was seeing that my screen time was creeping into five hours a day, I knew I had to do something about it.

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Yes, my screen time is likely higher than others because I’m interacting with my Betty Edit Instagram account and posting fun stuff (give me a follow if you’d like!), but I am totally willing to admit that a good chunk of that was me wasting time watching people’s theories on murder cases and watching little kids say funny things. And I finally realized what a horrible habit it is that we are all staring at these tiny screens ALL the time. It adds nothing to our lives, it keeps us from connecting with one another and I started to feel embarrassed about how much time I was letting it take up in my life.

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I’ve made a conscious effort to put the phone DOWN and find my way back to my interests: reading, crocheting, painting, making things on my Cricut, cooking, gardening and dabbling with tarot cards. I can’t even tell you how refreshing it’s been to come back to the things that feed my soul. Don’t get me wrong, I still doomscroll, but I am spending much more time actually living in the real world.

Here are some hobbies that are a good start to setting your phone down and engaging in some real live fun!

01 | Paint By Number

I recently ordered this paint by number off of Etsy and I’m beginning it this week. I’ve done several in the past and find they are incredibly relaxing. Just put on some good music or your favorite podcast and you’ll wonder why you didn’t start this sooner. There are some really great paint by number’s on Amazon or even your local craft shop like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby (if you someone that likes to shop in-person).

A few tips? I like to iron my canvas. Usually they come rolled up can can contain small wrinkles or bumps and lumps. Ironing it means the paint goes on evenly and cleanly. Put your iron on teh lowest heat possible and always iron the backside of the canvas, not the front. You’ll always want to secure the edges with tape to the table or whatever you’re using as a flat surface. This keeps it from shifting unexpectedly underneath your arms. As for the paint, I start with the darker colors first and work my way on up to the lighter colors. To avoid smudging, paint from the top of the canvas on down and, if you’re right-handed, work from left to right (and vice versa if you’re left-handed. If you feel like the paint is a little too thick, you can always add a drop of warm water (but be sure not to overdo it!). Here are a couple of kits I would recommend:

02 | Online Yoga Classes

It may be strange to think of yoga as a “hobby” but hobbies can be so much more than something like painting or cooking. This is an especially great practice to undertake if you’re feeling overwhelmed with everyday life. I first started yoga when I was pregnant with my son. I was feeling incredibly overwhelmed at work coupled with anxiety over never having taken care of a little human before. Someone suggested that yoga may help calm my mind, give me a few moments of peace not to mention stretch and get my body ready to actually welcome said human into the world. After my first class I was hooked!

You don’t need much to try yoga or get started. If you are like me, and were intimidated to get started, online classes are a great way to try it out with a commitment to a monthly studio membership or more expensive in-person classes. There are several great free classes on YouTube. I personally love Yoga with Adrienne. There’s a reason she has over 13 million subscribers! You also don’t need a ton of gear so this is a really low-cost hobby. While you technically don’t need a mat, I would recommend getting one. I like Gaiam products for things like mats and bolsters. As for yoga clothing, my favorite is anything by Beyond Yoga. But please do not feel like you need to run out and buy yoga clothing. Just wearing comfortable loose fitting sweats or leggings and a tank top or sweatshirt and you’re good to go!

03 | Learn to Macrame

When I first thought of Macrame it sounded very 70s. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! But this craft is having a big-time comeback! Macrame is the art of hand-tied loops and knots wherein you end up with a really beautiful textile. Macrame plant holders are having a moment right now but you can also make things like a new strap for your handbag, wall hangings, tote bags and coasters. The sky is the limit!

the art of decorative knotting goes back centuries. Early forms of knotwork appeared in cultures around the world, with knots serving both practical and decorative purposes. The craft we recognize as macramé today is often associated with skilled weavers in the Middle East and North Africa, who used decorative knots and fringe to finish the edges of woven textiles.

Over time, these knotting techniques traveled and evolved. Sailors are frequently credited with helping spread the craft between ports, since knot tying was already an essential part of life at sea. In their downtime, sailors also created more elaborate decorative knotwork, making items that could be traded or sold when they reached shore. By the Victorian era, decorative needlework and textile crafts had become an important part of home life, and intricate handmade pieces were used throughout interiors. Macramé eventually found its way into everything from trims and table linens to curtains and decorative household pieces.

There are a number of step-by-step guides online (and it will depend on what you want to make) but you can also buy kits with specific guidelines. Here are two that I particularly like.

This is really fun and like paint-by-numbers, it feels incredibly soothing to do this. You can just sort of shut your mind off and have at it!

04 | Journaling

I have been journaling since I was a young girl. I find it not only helps me keep track of my days (and it’s fun to look back on the person I was years and decades ago) but it’s also incredibly cathartic to get some of my thoughts and feelings down on paper. Some days I write pages, some days just a few sentences. Some days I cut out pictures from magazines that resonate with me, mean something to me or represent how I’m feeling. Sometimes it’s just doodles and little pictures. Either way, it’s a habit, and hobby, that I have loved forever.

Not looking for an investment? You can grab a cheap notebook at your local drugstore and begin right away. Feel free to write about whatever moves you – talk about your day, how you’re feeling, what you’re grateful for, what is bothering you, a lovely memory that brings your comfort. The sky is the limit! If you’re having trouble getting started, access writing prompts. There are tons of them floating around out there on the internet. Sometimes I feel stuck as to what to write about, and prompts are my best friend. But if you’re looking to make it a more robust hobby, there are so many things to make this hobby into an art. A good pen, a lovely notebook, a pretty pair of scissors. Below are some of my own favorites.

05 | Forest Bathing

Despite the name, forest bathing doesn’t involve water or a swimsuit. It’s simply the practice of spending intentional, unhurried time in nature and paying attention to what’s around you. The idea comes from the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, which translates roughly to “taking in the forest atmosphere.”

Unlike hiking, where you might have a destination, mileage goal or workout in mind, forest bathing isn’t really about accomplishing anything. You’re there to slow down. You might wander along a wooded trail, sit beneath a tree, listen to birds, notice the smell of pine or fallen leaves, or simply spend a few minutes somewhere without looking at your phone. And you don’t necessarily need an actual forest to do it. A wooded park, nature preserve, quiet garden or even a tree-lined path can work. The point is less about where you are and more about giving yourself permission to be fully present there.

How to Make Forest Bathing a Hobby

One of the nicest things about forest bathing is that there’s almost no barrier to getting started. You don’t need special equipment, lessons or a long stretch of free time. Start by finding a natural space you enjoy and setting aside 20 or 30 minutes to explore it without turning the outing into a workout.

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Leave the headphones behind and, if possible, keep your phone tucked away. Walk slowly enough to actually notice things. What does the air smell like? What can you hear when you stop moving? What plants are growing along the trail? How does the landscape change from one week to the next?

If you want to make it feel more like a hobby rather than an occasional walk, choose a few favorite places and revisit them throughout the seasons. You could bring a small journal, learn to identify local trees and wildflowers, take nature photographs, sketch what you see or keep track of birds you encounter. Pack a thermos of coffee or tea and find a favorite place to sit for a while. There really aren’t many rules, which may be exactly what makes forest bathing so appealing. In a world where even our hobbies can start to feel like things we need to get better at, track or accomplish, this is one that asks very little of you. Go outside. Slow down. Pay attention. Stay awhile.

06 | Embroidery

Embroidery became my best friend during the pandemic and I’ve not looked back. Funnily enough, it was my dad that told me about embroidery as a hobby. He said making the small stitches helped to calm his mind and it was something fun to do with his hands while he was watching tv.

Knitting and cross-stitch always intimidated me (and still do) and embroidery is a much easier way to jump into pool of doing a craft with my hands that was more of a no-brainer. Yes, you do need to learn how to make different stitches but beginners can start with really easy patterns and get the hang of it in minutes. You can get really cute kits at your local craft shop, but so many are readily available online. Look for kits that have a medium weight cotton or linen fabric, come with its own hoop and thread and pattern on the fabric. When starting out, be sure to keep your stitches flat but more importantly, don’t pull too tight otherwise the fabric will pucker. The easiest stitches to master off the bat? The running stitch, backstitch, and split stitch. And remember that YouTube is your best friend for any tutorials or advice. It’s always nice to see someone doing something in real-time, versus trying to copy it from a diagram in a book. A few cute kits:

07 | Cook Seasonal Recipes

If you’re in charge of cooking everyday for your household, scratch this one. You’re probably NOT thinking of adding more cooking to your plate. But if you don’t cook often, just cook for yourself and end up having a lot of girl dinners, or you want to start cooking more… getting into seasonal recipes are are good jumping off point, especially in the fall and winter months.

RELATED: Fall & Winter Comfort Food I’m Currently Making

In the heart of summer, look up some really great salads to make use of all those abdundant vegetables. In the fall? That is definitely the beginning of soup season in our home. Winter brings luscious comfort foods like lasagna and butter chicken over rice. I am not quite sure why, but cooking with the seasons in mind always seems more comforting and fun than coming up with random recipes to make. Here are a few of my favorite seasonal cookbooks:

I hope you’ve been inspired enough to take up one new hobby this season in order to take a break from the screens and tech that are almost impossible to ignore. Heck, it can as simple as reading a good book for 30 minutes a night, scrapbooking, or taking an art class for free at your local library. The options are endless. But life is way too short to spend it staring at a tiny machine that fits into our pockets. If you open up your experiences to new hobbies, you may be surprised to learn what hidden talents are waiting inside of you!

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