Top 10 Stress-Relieving Hobbies

Gardening

Gardening can be a great stress reliever for many reasons, including getting you into the sunshine and fresh air, creating more beautiful surroundings to come home to each day, and more.

Explore Photography

Whether you simply learn to take better pictures of your friends and family or delve into the world of creating true art, photography can be a great hobby. As you practice seeing the world through the eye of a photographer, you may begin to see things differently. The end result? Not only do you have a diverting hobby and an activity to call your own, but you see the world as a more beautiful place in your daily life.

Scrapbooking

Whether you have a few pictures or boxes of them, scrapbooking can be a great hobby. It combines artistry with journaling to create a unique vehicle for displaying your memories and passing them to future generations. Scrapbooking offers many social opportunities (in the form of classes, gatherings, and forums), and a break from what stresses you, to create something beautiful that others can enjoy as well.

Maintain an Aquarium

Watching aquarium fish has proven health benefits, including reducing blood pressure and relieving stress. Maintaining an aquarium of beautiful fish can be considered a useful hobby because it requires regular (but not overwhelming) attention, has the potential to connect you with other saltwater fish enthusiasts, and provides you with the opportunity to create something unique: your own mix of fish, rock, and plant life.

Puzzles

Engaging your mind in a puzzle can take your focus off of what’s stressing you, and develop your brain power at the same time. The end result is that you get a nice break, experience some 'flow’, and come back to your problems with a fresher, stronger mind, which can help you to better handle life’s stressors.

Drawing, Painting, and Coloring

You can get in touch with your artistic side and use drawing as a way to process emotions, distract yourself, and achieve other stress management benefits. The end result will be something beautiful and personal that you can enjoy or share.

Painting carries similar stress management benefits as drawing​ but through a different medium.

Coloring is another great stress-relieving activity that has grown in popularity.

Physical Activity or Exercise

Physical activity can not only improve physical health; it can also relieve stress and improve your mental well-being. Look for a physical activity or exercise that you enjoy, then start making it a regular part of your life. It might be something as simple as going for a walk each day. Other ideas including joining a local sports team, signing up for an exercise class, or using online exercise workouts a few times each week.

Knitting

Aside from helping you create beautiful gifts for yourself and others, knitting provides you with an opportunity to relieve stress. The repetitive motion can get you into an experience of ‘flow’, or can at least provide an outlet for nervous energy.

Playing an Instrument

Music has many health and stress relief benefits. While listening to music can probably be considered a hobby, creating music can be an even more powerful stress-relieving hobby, as it can absorb your attention fully and become a vehicle for creative expression as well.

Writing

Many people have found journaling to be a great stress reliever, and the practice comes with proven stress management and health benefits as well! Writing, whether in a personal journal, as an amateur author, or even as a professional, is a hobby that can be cathartic and relaxing, and provides something great to share with others.