I have to honest with you. Before I started on my journey to slow living I had no idea what hobbies I liked. My mom would actually pose this question to me when I would call her to vent about being overworked and overtired. She would say “What does Ashley want?” I couldn’t even give her an answer – I was lost. Ashley was buried under laundry that needed folding, walls that needed painting and meals that needed cooking. I had now idea who I was if I wasn’t housekeeping or driving the kids from one activity to the next. My to-do-list was my identity. That was not okay.
So, at the beginning of 2024 I decided that was going to change. I was headed on the journey to finding out just who Ashley was and what she liked to do. How did I start? By bringing back the hobbies I liked to do before “adulting” took over my life. What did I do when I wasn’t in classes as a teenager? What did my Saturday’s consist of back when we weren’t filling our weeks with things to do? Where did my imagination go? Where was my child-like wonder?
A few things were easy for me to pin down. First, it was time to reclaim my identity as an Artist. I wanted to get back into drawing and painting just for fun. Second, I loved writing and journaling as a teen (and had a short renaissance as a young mom), so it was time to bring that back. I began with journaling for myself, and then, as my confidence grew, and I decided I had something to share, this blog was born.
The Ultimate List of Slow Living Hobbies
Ready to reclaim once loved hobbies or try some new ones. Here is a list of ideas:
Getting Outdoors
Reconnecting with nature is an important part of cultivating a slow living mindset. Here are some I have tried and some I can’t wait to learn more about. It might be unusual (or nerdy?) but I am super excited to learn more about bird watching and tracking the birds I see, lol.
- Walking
- Hiking and Geocaching
- Picnics
- Find seashells on the beach
- Sit on a park bench and people watch
- Gardening
- Bird watching
- Star gazing
- Forest bathing
- Fishing
Arts and Craft Hobbies
I think a lot of people naturally think of the arts when they think of hobbies. And really, it is no surprise. Arts and crafts are really enjoyable and relaxing once you find your groove. Bonus: it’s a great way to spend a rainy weekend. I collected a ton of DIY ideas on my Pinterest Board for more inspiration.
- Knitting and crochet
- Embroidery
- Making pottery
- Jewelry making
- Sewing
- Painting
- Drawing and coloring
- Felting
- Soap and candle making
- Photography
- Creative writing
- Play a musical instrument
- DIY home decor
- Origami
- Restoring furniture
- Macrame
- Quilting
Learning and Self Improvement Hobbies
This list is all about personal development, an important part of cultivating the mindset for appreciating the moment.
- Reading
- Take a class to learn something new
- Podcasts (here are my favorites)
- Stop and talk to people
- Journaling
- Meditation
- Puzzles and games
- Play a musical instrument
- Volunteering
- Learn a new language
- DIY spa day
In the Kitchen
The kitchen and I have a love/hate relationship. As a wife and mother I have always tried my best to cook and bake from scratch, until recently, when I had to let go of parts of my to do list for sanity sake. I still have an itch to get back in the kitchen from time to time and, hopefully, as I get more settled into my slow living mindset, I will engage in this hobby more often. (Keyword: hobby not chore).
- Baking
- Cookie and cake decorating
- Cooking
- Making bread
- Preserving and pickling food
- Making jam
Getting Physical
Movement and mental health go hand in hand. Why not give some these hobbies a try to get you into the slow living mindset?
- Dancing
- Yoga
- Tai Chi or Qi Gong
- Exercising
- Hiking
- Walking
- Sports
What’s Missing from the List
You may have noticed a serious lack of technology in this list. No scrolling, no TV watching, no video games. There is a reason for that and it comes with a little story. When speaking with a therapist, he asked my husband and I what our hobbies were. This was pre-hobby-rediscovery for me so I had no answer and my husband answered with what he likes to do when he is not working- video games. The therapist’s response: “that does not count”. Not just from a slow living perspective but from a healthy living perspective. Anything that involves a screen is not a healthy hobby and you can’t get the same benefits as more traditional hobbies. They don’t relax us in the same way and actually cause us to become addicted to the screens. Wow. So our parents were right. All that TV will rot our brains, lol.
There you have it the ultimate list of slow living hobbies. Did I miss anything? What’s your favorite hobby?
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