Finding Hobbies are Hygge

Finding hobbies are Hygge. Why is that? Could it really help? Day 8 of my 30 days of Hygge was finding a new hobby or picking up an old one. If you are following my journey, welcome back!

I started this journey figuring out what is Hygge life and then committed to 30 days of Hygge. I’m writing about each day and the lessons I’ve discovered working through this challenge.

When I read the task for today I thought it was going to be easy. I have hobbies and have had a few favorites over the last few years. It wasn’t though.

I struggled with finding the energy to even want to do this task. I was exhausted and drained from my workday and the “busy mom brain” was in full force.

That’s the thing about Hygge though. It seems easy but it takes intentional decisions to make it happen.

Join the Hygge Challenge

I made the decision to figure out what hobby to do for the task of my 30 days of Hygge challenge. It had to be simple because I was tired from my workday.

Do I dig out the cross-stitch that I haven’t worked on for years?

Do I pull out the card making supplies that I have in the basement?

How about starting a new hobby? Nope, definitely not that tonight!

A hobby doesn’t need to be a craft. It can be a game, puzzle, activity, or something you love to do. The definition of a hobby is an activity one does for pleasure in one’s leisure time.

I know what you’re thinking, what leisure time?!

Remember what I said about making intentional decisions? This is what I mean.

The hobby I chose for this task was a logic puzzle. It kept my mind off of “all the things” and I didn’t snack as much. Bonus!

I remember, years ago, I started cross-stitching and it did the same thing. It was great at curbing the snacking late at night because I couldn’t eat and cross-stitch. After all, staining the canvas was not good.

The Benefits of a Hobby

Up above I talked about how a hobby helped me calm my “busy mom brain”. But why?

When you have focused on one task and not multitasking, you are more mindful of that activity. Your mind is focused on that task and the worries and “all the other things” are pushed aside for the moment.

A hobby can help you break a bad habit. Habits are ingrained in our brains. They are like hiking trails for our thoughts and actions. It is natural and easy to do a habit, but hard to break it. Finding a hobby that you can enjoy instead of doing that habit is an easy way to re-wire that brain, breaking the habit.

The benefit of helping us calm that “busy mom brain” is enough to start a new hobby. Using hobbies to break habits takes to create a better Hygge experience. You are able to achieve some life goals while creating a Hygge lifestyle. Obviously, finding habits are Hygge. What hobbies are you going to start today?