I love cozy hobbies. I truly believe they are the key to a happy, peaceful life. Having hobbies in general is such a nice way to unwind after a long day at work and on the weekends.
This post is on cozy hobbies specifically, which to me is any hobby that is relaxing and makes me feel calmer inside. I split them into three categories: nature, brainy, and creative.
Without further ado, here are some of my favorite cozy hobbies!
NATURE | cozy hobbies
I love nature hobbies. There’s this inner wild child in me that feels so free and happy when I’m in nature. These are my favorite nature hobbies for connecting with the plants, the animals, and the earth.
sky gazing
Sky gazing is so fun. You can do this at any time of day. To me, sky gazing is about watching the clouds pass by, looking for constellations among the stars, and gazing at the moon.
You can take this a step further and do some research on the types of clouds and stars in the sky. You’ll know what you’re looking at which will make your sky gazing even more fun.
To make it more beginner-friendly, you can totally start out just using your eyes, but to make the whole experience cooler, you could eventually level up to a telescope. This way you’ll be able to see even more stars and planets!
gardening & foraging
Gardening is so calming to me. Having my hands and feet in the dirt makes the little kid in me so happy. I can’t wait to have my own backyard and garden one day.
When it comes to gardening, you can start small. Start with a little basil plant in your kitchen or a blueberry bush on your porch. It’s so satisfying to grow something you can use and eat.
If you want to go a step further, you could forage plants in your area. Tap into your inner green witch and explore the local, native plants around you. Spend a little time researching herbalism and your local plants so that you know what you’re looking at when you’re exploring!
nature walks & hiking
This might not be considered cozy to everyone, but once you get used to the forest, it’s the most comforting place in the world. Being surrounded by trees has a way of melting my worries away.
It can be so fun to check out new trails and explore the best nature spots in your area. I love using the app AllTrails to find the best trails and parks around me. I talk more about it here.
birdwatching
Birds are so fascinating. There’s something about them that brings me back to the present moment. Whether it’s two birds in a quarrel or a mother building a nest, they’re so entertaining to watch.
You can go out and find them—go to parks with plenty of trees where they might live. Or, if you want them to come to you, hang a hummingbird or seed bird feeder somewhere on your porch or in your backyard.
Maybe buy one of those little bird identification books or take pictures of the birds and image-search them online to learn the names of your local birds. This makes the hobby even more fun and helps to make you feel more connected to your surroundings.
BRAINY | cozy hobbies
Next up is brainy hobbies! These are any activities that require a little more brainpower and prompt you to think.
reading
Reading is the ultimate cozy hobby. On a chilly fall day, there’s nothing better than making a cup of tea, curling up with a fuzzy blanket, and reading a book.
The best thing about reading is there’s a genre for everyone. From fantasy to self-improvement to romance to nature to biographies, you’re bound to find a book you like!
The smell of books is great and all, but I have to say, I’m obsessed with my Kindle. I bring her with me everywhere I go. She carries thousands of books and fits in my little purse. It really doesn’t get much better than that. Here’s the one I have!
puzzles
I love puzzles. I’ve literally been doing them since I was three. My dad would let me sit in his office chair and do jigsaw puzzles on his computer for hours.
When it comes to puzzles you have so many options. First off, you can choose to do physical or digital puzzles. Then you can choose to do puzzles like jigsaw, sudoku, word games, and many more.
I personally love perusing the puzzle section at the bookstore. There are always so many fun options!
academia
This might be my favorite hobby of all. I love learning. I’m well past my school years, yet for me, education never stops.
The way you can go about this is to think about what you like. What interests you? Figure that out and then run with it. If it’s astronomy, then look up free online courses on Coursera or videos on YouTube to get started. I also love using Wikipedia to learn the basics of certain topics. They also have an amazing app that’s free to use with no ads!
When it comes to learning, have fun with it. Learn what you want, in the ways that you want. This isn’t school. No one is telling you you have to learn a certain way.
gaming
Gaming is the best. It’s such an easy and cozy way to unwind after a long day. It’s great too because there’s a game out there for everyone. I always thought I wasn’t into gaming because I didn’t want to play Call of Duty like my brothers. I didn’t realize all my years of Farmville and The Sims count as gaming too!
I definitely prefer the chiller, cozier games out there. I like games that are centered around farming, life simulation, and strategy. Some of my favorites are Stardew Valley, The Sims 4, and Japanese Rural Life Adventure (on iOS).
lego building
This is one I haven’t tried yet, at least not as an adult. I’d play a little with my brothers when I was younger—creating fighter ships and fortresses. But nowadays I’d love to buy one of those little plants that I could put on my shelf. I love the thought of creating something that I can use as a decoration.
It’s definitely something I’ll try once I take a break from traveling and settle down somewhere. It seems so fun and relaxing to spend a few hours creating something with my hands—something cute I can be proud of when I’m done.
CREATIVE | cozy hobbies
Creative activities are some of the best cozy hobbies for a more peaceful life. They spark your inner artist and allow you to create something that has yet to exist.
watercolor
I find watercolor painting to be so relaxing. It’s less messy and more forgiving to the beginner than acrylic painting is. Also if you’re a little more scent-sensitive like me, it’s way less fragrant than acrylics.
I love using the kits with the paint brushes that hold the water inside. It makes it so easy, mess-free, and portable. And this way, I actually use them, I actually paint. Painting used to be such a hassle that I’d never do it. Here’s the watercolor painting kit I use.
creative writing
Creative writing is so, so much fun. It’s something I’ve enjoyed since I could write my first sentence.
It can be fun to look up writing prompts online for some creative inspo. I like to look on Reddit under r/WritingPrompts, search “writing prompts” on Pinterest, or look at the prompts on Writer’s Digest.
Instead of just looking up creative writing prompts, it can also be fun to write about yourself. Look up questions that are meant to help you get to know yourself better. It’s so fun to think about what you like and who you are on a deeper level.
scrapbooking
Scrapbooking has been a huge part of my life since before I can remember. When I was little, I’d spend the night at my grandmother’s and we’d spend hours scrapbooking. Those moments created some of my favorite memories.
The great thing about scrapbooking is that it can be done physically or digitally on Pinterest Shuffles. Shuffles is great if you don’t have a lot of supplies or are on the road, like me, and have to travel light.
If you choose to scrapbook with physical materials, grab a journal, a pen, some old magazines, double-sided tape, and you’re good to go! For me, even just looking for the photos I wanted to use from the magazine was a hobby within itself. You can also find super cute inspo for scrapbook pages on Pinterest.
coloring
I love coloring, but I have to say I prefer kid coloring books over adult ones. I don’t find it very relaxing to color into tiny little spots over and over again.
That being said, there are these coloring books I see all the time on TikTok with these cute little bears that I’m obsessed with! I think these books are the perfect medium between those old brown-papered Crayola kid’s coloring books and the tightly woven adult coloring books.
There are also these markers I see all over Tiktok that look amazing—they color so nicely and you can blend them! I’ll definitely be buying a set once I’m no longer traveling. Here’s a link to the Ohuhu markers I’m going to get.
drawing
Drawing is another hobby I’ve been doing since forever. I find it so cathartic to take an idea from my brain and create it in the material world. There’s also something incredible about creating something that literally didn’t exist before I decided to draw it.
When I draw, I usually prefer drawing little doodles. It’s easy, low pressure, and they’re just so cute!
I love to look for inspiration on Pinterest. I’ll search for something like “cute doodles” or step-by-step drawing tutorials for flowers and animals. This helps to get those creative energies flowing.
HAVE FUN
That’s it for my favorite cozy hobbies! I hope you’ll try out these hobbies and find one that you love. Remember: above all, have fun!
When spending time with your hobbies, relax and allow yourself to let go. There is nothing else you need to do—don’t worry about your work or your to-do list. Be in the present moment. Enjoy!
