Imagine being at a hip house party your friend invited you to. And out of nowhere, this intriguing stranger approaches you and starts a conversation. You smirk and you blush, but the thrill of talking to someone new is all the more worth it. Well, while talking to this new individual, they curiously spark the very random but drunkenly interesting convo with: “So…what are some of your hobbies?”.
You smile with thoughts of what you like to do in your head while you sip the last bit of your red wine; but just before you get to open your mouth and share your interests, you are just kind of…stuck?
“What the hell do I even do outside of work? you mumble in your head. “I walk my dog and get coffee with Sandra I guess. I love Olive Garde, yes! Sheesh, I sound so boring…”
And before you know it, a random and interesting convo ends with a simple “I guess I watch Friends on Netflix sometimes”, while the other person goes: “Yeah, I prefer How I Met Your Mother.”
“Cool”.
Hobbies have, throughout history, been an outlet to many of us hard-working peeps. Creative thoughts and emotions that had no room in the workplace have since been bubbling under the mundane everyday life – bands in mom’s basements, dressmaking in your room at 3 AM, and the occasional oil painting catastrophe that ruined your mother’s dining room carpet. Relaxing hobbies sure seem chaotic sometimes. But despite the exterior mess, hobbies are incredibly beneficial to us, much more than we think.
According to a vast number of studies, as well as some common damn sense, hobbies help remind us of who we fundamentally are. Our jobs, school and any other somewhat obligatory piece of social normality is never a full reflection of who we are. But our hobbies, on the other hand, are what we willingly choose to do whenever we are free.
They are direct reflections of our personalities.
Jobs may pay the bills and put food on the table, but productive free time hobbies help us not go completely insane in this man-mad machine we are currently living in. So, if you are anything like the abovementioned imaginary hobbyless party person, maybe it’s time to spice your life with some healthy and beyond creative activities and fun hobbies for women we’ve got in store for you!
1. Daily (music-powered) power walks!
No matter the season and no matter the weather – music is known to improve our mood, mental state and even increase our serotonin levels.
But combining it with daily powerwalks is a match made in health and rhythm heaven, especially knowing this is one of the best outdoor hobbies you could think of. To further our point, here are just some of the benefits of powerwalking:
- Can help you lose weight, especially belly fat;
- Can help you lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes;
- Can help you lower risks for several cancers;
- It’s extremely good for your bones;
- Walking also improves anxiety, depression, and self-esteem.
And to top it all off, it’s extremely fun! Whether you prefer to walk through the green and leafy countryside or the most hipster part of the jazzy urban city – get a pair of headphones, find or make a stimulating walking playlist and walk that damn walk!
2. Bullet Journaling;
If you were ever on YouTube, or have ever downloaded Pinterest, you’ve most likely heard of this BEYOND creative approach to planning and scheduling. It’s one of the most creative activities you can participate in.
Bullet journaling, alternatively to just having a regular diary, is a special notebook you would use to plan your work schedule, exercise, food journal, evening thoughts, mood swings, and anything and everything in between. Instead of your run-of-the-mill blank diary pages, a bullet journal is filled with your own original illustrations, color schemes, stickers, and more. The point is to not make it look perfect but to express yourself in the most original way possible. On a more serious note, you can write about your short and long-term goals, mental health state, and your biggest insecurities and fears. Some of the most popular young women activities ideas we can think of.
You can spend hours illustrating and just expressing your stress and negative energy on a notebook meant to help you plan and schedule your everyday life. They call it creative but we call it a Sunday afternoon spent marvelously well!
3. Go Green!
Being surrounded and consuming all the greenery this Earth has to offer is definitely a task worth exploring, and is definitely one of the most productive hobbies out there.
From growing your own greens to eating them in the most delicious meals possible – the benefits for this are off the charts. If you’ve never grown plants before, maybe start off small; a few tiny cactuses here and there, all the way to growing your own cherry tomatoes, coriander, and even spinach. Other than this actually being very fun, it is also beneficial for the environment, the air, as well as your own diet and well being. Doctors and nutritious all over the world can’t stress enough how important it is to eat our greens on a daily basis, so why not try growing them on your balcony or back yard? Think of it as a two-in-one package deal. Plus, talk about relaxing hobbies.
4. Meal-prepping all the way;
Aren’t you tired of spending so much money on lunch every single day at work? Who knows how much money you end up spending at the end of every month?! Furthermore, the lack of healthy choices when not prepping your own food is laughable, at the very least. Here’s the deal:
It’s not that hard, and it’s a great time and money saver too. Plus, this is a great idea for hobbies for couples as well!
“Meal prepping is more than a food trend: It’s a handy approach you can use to make delicious, homemade food you’ll want to eat every day—without the wait. And while the end results look impressive, meal prep doesn’t require complicated planning or tools. All you really need is time and elbow grease.”
To give you a really good helping hand, here are some easy recipes you can try out in your own kitchen!
- Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats;
- Autumn Kale and Sweet Potato Salad;
- The Peanut Butter Lunch Box;
- The Tuna Salad Lunch Box;
- The Hummus Luch Box;
- Freezer Breakfast Burritos;
- Smoky Roasted Sausage and Vegetables;
- Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls;
And many more! If you are interested in doing this, doing it weekly is the best possible approach. Additionally, this is one of the best hobbies for couples! Especially if the both of you need some lunch to go when going to work. Not to mention all the cash you would save by not ordering food every other day.
5. Explore new restaurants and places in your own city;
All we ever hear these days is “I want to go abroad and explore new spaces and cultures soo damn bad”; especially after the whole corona ordeal. People are DESPERATE for a chill and covid-free vacation. But before you get all vaxxed and passported, have you ever thought about all the cool places in your own city or town? We are sure many of them are yet to be explored by both you and your friends. These are far beyond just fun hobbies for women!
Considering our societies are getting more diverse by the second, you are surely bound to find some unique and themed cafes, cozy and underground book shops, as well as the occasionally cheap amateur art gallery. You never know what kind of crowds and mini cultures you’ll end up in just by opening your eyes and soul to your own hometown’s history and aesthetic.
And if you ever end up leaving it, make sure you’ve given it your all when it comes to discovery, so you know what you’ll miss the most.
6. Give Video Games a Go
Contrary to popular belief, PC and Console video games aren’t all that kill-kill, pew-pew nonsense. These free time hobbies offer much more than meets the eye. Some of them have tremendous amounts of engaging lore, vibrant landscape designs, and beyond dreamy soundtracks. All of which can help you relieve stress and get your mind away from the real world for just a little bit.
“Playing video games directly affects and impacts regions of the brain responsible for memory, spatial orientation, information organizations, and fine motor skills.”
A videogame study done at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Charité University Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus in Berlin, Germany, came to the conclusion that playing video games increases and improves grey matter (your brain’s size) and improves both your hardwired and learned skills. Since they know how to exercise the brain quite well, playing some World of Warcraft or any of the Witcher games for 30 minutes a day sure can improve your mind’s stamina and agility, so to say.
7. Amateur photography & photo-editing;
All Insta baddies and so-called trendsetters and influencers aside, photography sure has been smeared in the last couple of years; all thanks to Instagram and its filtered-out perfection mobs.
But underneath it all, on a more pure and natural level of visual beauty, we have amazing Instagram photographers that have managed to turn their love for photography into a successful Instagram business account. From travel pieces of art to illustrative graphic design posters – their content creators just may be the inspo you were so desperately looking for.
Some Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, you should freely do whatever your soul is desperately lusting for. Whether that’s on the more creative or practical side of things, the bottom line is this: We are human, and we NEED hobbies in order to survive; no way around it.
And if you’re ever struggling to find inspiration or motivation, or even some young women activity ideas, your friendly online neighbor, GRRRL, is right there when you need us most!
