5 Easy Ways To Make Time For Hobbies (Even When You’re Busy)
It’s hard enough getting through the day and its endless to-do lists, errands and projects.
So when the weekend finally comes around, it’s time to get the house in order, stock up on groceries and – if you’re lucky – cocoon yourself in a web of blankets and the latest series.
Hobbies?
Who has the energy to pick up a paint brush or a ball of yarn after a busy week?
But here’s the truth: the distractions you often fall into to relax are actually leaving you drained.
Sure, it might feel cozy to wile away an evening scrolling your phone and watching a silly movie.
But in the long run, that rush of easy dopamine just leaves you feeling depleted.
And ironically it’s the things that take more effort – like journaling in the park – that make you feel truly rejuvenated.
I’ve told myself countless times I don’t have time to read books or paint watercolors anymore. But in the meantime, I was also racking up 3-4 hours of screen time and falling asleep in front of the TV.
And when I did finally squeeze in a watercolor session, I felt frustrated because my paintings weren’t as good as the ones I’d saved on Pinterest.
After much trial and error, I’ve finally learned to enjoy my hobbies without stressing about the outcome. I’ve learned to curb my screen time and stop comparing myself to others.
And I’ve learned how to prioritize the things that bring me true happiness and rest.
So if you’ve been craving more rest and simple pleasures in your busy life, here’s my time-tested guide to making more time for hobbies:
1. Narrow it down
What would you do if you had an extra few hours a day?
Your list is probably endless. Maybe you’d love to get back into yoga, meditate, read or journal. Maybe you’d like to pick up painting, hiking, cooking or gardening.
Maybe you’ve already got the paraphernalia to go along with these aspirations somewhere in the garage: weights, sets of colored pens, pastels, stacks of notebooks and unread novels.
Now take all those half-baked ideas and narrow them down to 1 or 2 hobbies to start now.
It’s better to take a few small steps than to concoct countless ambitious plans. Too many hobbies on your wish list will only leave you feeling overwhelmed. Because chances are, there’s no way you’ll do them all.
A curated list of favorite hobbies helps you avoid overwhelm.
2. Schedule it in
Schedule in your hobbies like you’d schedule a dentist appointment.
Leaving your hobbies for whenever you have time – or whenever you’re in the mood – just doesn’t work.
Sometimes you just have to start. And it’s only when you’re in the midst of doing it that you get in the mood.
Hobbies, after all, are meant to bring joy and fun into your life. But that means pushing through your exhaustion to start. It means digging out your paint brushes when you don’t really feel like it.
I usually set aside an hour in the morning for hobbies like reading, journaling and sketching. It feels like a lot but I used to spend that much time in bed scrolling anyway.
On weekends, I allocate 2 hours in the evenings to paint, listen to music and sketch. It’s about as routine as dusting and doing the laundry every week.
3. Forget about the outcome
It’s frustrating to realize that you’re not immediately good at something.
We live in such a convenience-obsessed, fast-paced culture that it’s often a rude awakening to realize some things take a lot more time than we imagined.
Maybe you haven’t sketched in years. And when you finally make some time to draw, you realize you’re very awkward.
Maybe you’ve always wanted to journal. But when you crack open that beautiful leather notebook, you don’t really know what to write about.
We’re bombarded with feel-good hobbies on social media – from effortless urban sketching to beautiful kitchen herb gardens.
And it’s easy to forget that real life doesn’t look like that.
Real life means sloppy handwriting in an old journal and an aching wrist because you haven’t written on paper in years.
Real life means a few failed attempts and brown and yellow house plants before you grow a garden that thrives in your climate.
So don’t worry about the outcome and don’t fret about the finished results.
Your hobbies are meant to be enjoyed. Take delight in the process and do it just for yourself. Nobody in your friends circle or your social media feed has to know.
4. Keep it realistic
Maybe you’re not the kind of person to knit a scarf during an autumn weekend or throw together a scrapbook in an afternoon.
So you get down on yourself and wonder why your life always feels so busy and rushed. You feel guilty about not taking care of yourself.
But what if you knitted for 10 minutes with your morning coffee? What if you laid out plans for a single scrapbook page before you went to sleep?
What if you let go of your unrealistic expectations and allowed yourself 10 minutes a day to dive into something you really love?
Taking small steps is infinitely better than doing nothing.
Small steps remind you how great it feels to do what you love. And then you end up wanting more of that joy in your life – and making time for hobbies becomes easier.
5. Set a timer
You’re probably overestimating how much time your hobby will take.
But the truth is: a simple watercolor sketch takes about 10-15 minutes to paint. A quick chapter in a spine-tingling thriller takes about 10-15 minutes to read.
Time yourself the next time you’re indulging in your favorite hobby.
And you’ll realize you don’t need to set aside an afternoon to get that giddy, happy feeling of doing something you love.
You’ll be amazed how much you can accomplish in a 15-minute break that you’d otherwise spend scrolling.
Read next:
10 Best Slow Living Magazines (To Inspire You)
16 Essential Tips For Slow Living in the City
54 Life-Changing Simple Living Quotes (To Inspire You)
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