As tempting as it can be to use winter as an excuse for eating entire brie wheels in one sitting and rewatching all six seasons of Gossip Girl, those activities are likely to do little to ignite your creative spark and enhance your wellbeing. As much as you might try and insist to the contrary, channelling your energy into clearing your Netflix queue just isn’t going to have the same calming, creative impact that doing something a little more fulfilling might.
Hobbies are wonderful ways of trying new things, challenging yourself and exploring different aspects of who you are. Didn’t sampling various hobbies create some of your favourite childhood memories? Going from drama and art classes to judo lessons on a weekly basis enables children to find out what they do and don’t enjoy—and why should adults be any different? Winter is the perfect excuse to draw inward and focus on simple things that bring you joy.
Here are five hobbies that will enhance your winter weekends at home:
1. Yoga
Want a workout that is infinitely relaxing, good for your mental health and doable from the comfort of your own living room? Say hello to yoga. Bring the studio to you on a cold winters morning and diffuse some essential oils, play your favourite music, roll out your mat and tap into your favourite yoga app for a cosy flow.
Thanks to its grounding capabilities, yoga is the perfect activity to combat the stresses of winter. It helps to regulate your circadian rhythm, has a positive impact on your immune system and will instantly boost your SAD-affected mood (yes, even Savasana!)
2. Cooking
Does your diet unintentionally tend to become soup, soup and more soup come wintertime? As great as soup is (no seriously, we’re totally here for soup that y’know, actually fills you up) creating something new in the kitchen is the perfect way to wile away a winter’s afternoon. Plus you get something delicious to chomp on at the end of it—making it a great investment of your time.
Why not try a warming winter curry, or something for the slow cooker? If you chase it down with a cosy hot chocco, we won’t judge—promise.
3. Reading
Exercise your brain in a way that your trusty old Netflix account simply can’t and use winter as an excuse to hunker down with a good novel. It strengthens brain function, reduces stress, improves mental health and provides an endless source of inspiration to curiously creative souls. Plus, you get to do it cosied up with blankets drinking tea, so there’s that.
4. A new activity
Try taking up a home-based activity like knitting or calligraphy this winter. The practice-makes-perfect nature of both of these will help keep you engaged and balanced during cold weather, and you’ll have a year’s supply of beautiful, handmade birthday cards or a cute knitted scarf by the time spring rolls around.
5. Writing
For budding writers (or hey, anyone who enjoyed English at school) writing can be an insanely therapeutic hobby. Whether it’s consistently journalling in order to try and get clear on what you want out of life, or penning some fiction or poetry that’s been floating around in your brain, putting pen to paper is the perfect way to spend a winter’s day (bonus points for biscuits and blankets).
If you’re stuck for inspiration, run a quick google search for writing prompts to get the creative juices flowing, then hunker down and see where your writing takes you.
