Are you bored of scrolling through TikTok and repeatedly rotating between apps while your eyes glaze over? Because I know I am! Thankfully, I have picked up a few activities in my pastime that have not only decreased my time on social media but also diversified my interests. You can immediately pick up these four hobbies without breaking your bank account or having any experience in what these hobbies entail!
- Junk journal
The most recent hobby that I’ve started is junk journaling. Throughout the week, I collect little scraps from places I have been and things I have done, such as business cards, receipts or labels taken off of wine bottles. Once I have the “junk” to fill my page, I like to make it look pretty and decorate it with stickers and colorful pens. Junk journaling is a great way to cultivate your creative side while also allowing you to reflect on what you have experienced.
- Read or listen to an audiobook
It can be difficult to pick up a book if you have never been an avid reader or you are in a reading slump. Fortunately, I have found the best way to help me do a little bit of reading every day. The Libby app allows you to use your library card from your school or hometown and place holds on books and audiobooks. These are accessible on your phone and computer. Almost any book that you’ve been meaning to read or listen to is available! I enjoy listening to audiobooks while I cook dinner, clean, walk to class or easily read a book on my computer through the app.
- Dance
Another great hobby one can pick up is dancing, which is a great way to move your body and have fun while doing it. Dancing is my favorite form of exercise and following along with videos has made it easy to lift my mood without having to leave my bedroom. I usually pull up The Fitness Marshall on YouTube, whose energy is so upbeat that I do not realize how much time I have spent dancing. I highly recommend finding a creator who will guide you and hype you up.
- Learn something new
Who does not love a late-night internet deep dive? I usually take this further by finding a topic I am already interested in and then doing more research to advance my knowledge. There are so many documentaries and informative videos on YouTube, as well as eye-opening scholarly articles that are available for free online. It is always great to expand your knowledge and learn something new, so using resources that are readily available online makes the process much easier and more enjoyable.
Picking up something new may feel daunting because beginning anything you have not done before can be difficult, but these four free and easy hobbies are perfect for everyone to try. Hobbies are a great way to expand your knowledge, cultivate creativity and enjoy what you are doing, for free!