Embracing Joy Offline: Unplugged Hobbies for a Mindful Digital Detox
Oh Heck, nobody actually gets the time for hobbies since all the time is on our screens. But isn’t it a need in the current times of the internet and social media, where people do want to have a digital detox but just find it hard to do so?
They even plan for it and do the detoxing for a time being, say for a few hours or for a day or two, and the plan is to have a great time offline, while you are at it. But now, we don’t know if not the screen, then what? Well, yeah, of course, we can work on our hobbies, but do we really have one? or if we have one, are they going unnoticed because of the devices?
Today, I’m exploring some overlooked hobbies in this blog, alongside a few common ones found on the internet. These less-considered activities can be surprisingly great if we give them some thought.
These do not ask you to have any electronics, and you can easily get into it. Also, I think we’ve kind of forgotten that we can work on these as well. So, it is kind of a reminder for you.
But, but, but before that, I am just going to give you my view on how I feel hobbies are crucial to have, irrespective of whether you want to have a digital detox or not, or irrespective of this context, means, in general, why is it so crucial to have a hobby.
When I was a kid, I was more into watching television, after coming back home from school, I used to watch it all the time. I’d say I was a television addict. I used to, at times, get scolded for watching too much TV, of course, but either used to do my homework or watch TV or watch TV while working.
I am realizing this now, that I so badly needed to have a hobby. Otherwise, and till now, I kind of make faces at myself for not having a hobby. After TV, I think it is the phone I am more into, so it is like I switched from TV to phone as I grew up.
Somehow, whenever I have tried to get off my phone and do the digital detox for a longer time period, I feel a void in me, oh my goodness, it gets so boring, so empty, I don’t like it. So, here is the role of hobbies: if I’d had one, I wouldn’t be feeling a sense of missing out or any sort of emptiness because now I do not have that addiction.
I feel hobbies help us get away from cheap dopamine or worthless time-wasting and addictions. Now, since I never really had a hobby, I struggle to have one now as well.
It’s all through the devices that I work on everything, and sometimes I just don’t like it, so, this is exactly why I wanted to get a hobby, and I think if you have one, and if you are using your phone mindlessly get off it and do that, and if you don’t have one, have one. There is one more thing, which I feel can come out because of having hobbies, it is your passion, what do you really want to do? Might casually come out in front of you while you do your hobby. Maybe, I still do not know what my passion is because I do not have or did not have a hobby.
So, let us get to the main context and find out some of the brilliant hobbies which can help you to be successful with your digital detox.
unconventional but easy hobbies to have:
1. Number one on my list is crocheting; this, infact, I am personally eager to learn it. One of my friends also recently showed me pictures of her progress of 15 days of practice from the beginning to how she is doing it right now. This got me all excited. I know, for some, this could be something to do in winters, but in my view, learning doesn’t need to have a specific season, specifically when it is completely in your hands of when you can begin practicing it. And oh, it isn’t something to be learned by a specific gender by the way. So, if you are a guy reading this, don’t be like it’s a girls’ activity, you can learn it too, you have all the rights.
2. Next on my list is what I am doing right now: writing. But I am doing it on the screen; you do it not on paper. Tell me honestly, how long has it been for you since you have written something on paper? Write a blog, your thoughts, your views, a poem, or anything in your personal space. It can be done on anything — maybe a rough copy, a diary, an old notebook, or anything, even a single piece of paper. The goal is to get you off your screen. So, you should be writing on paper, not typing and filling up a screen.
I remember the good old school days when whose writing is better used to be a matter of discussion among mates, or who will get better at writing with speed, or oh, the excitement to write with an ink pen. It’s not that bad to get back to your traditional form of writing for a time being.
3. Then, how about genealogy, i.e. getting to know or learning more about your family ancestry? You can even make a family tree side by side. There are even some apps for this, one of which is Ancestry.
4. One of the oldest ones, I’d say you can pick up as your hobby can be scrapbooking. I remember in school times, they used to give us scrapbooks along with other books, and I used to be so happy for it; it used to be for school projects, but how about you restart with it, and start to bring in all the things memorable into it.
From a leaf that fell from a tree, or you took it from the tree on a memorable day of your life, write your story of the day below it? That leaf can just act as a memory from that special day of your life. If you have a camera, here you can have the liberty to capture one from your phone, but just for capturing and then take it out and paste it in your scrapbook.
Or maybe a coin someone gave to you and you want to keep it as a memory, paste it there. Or do whatever you like to do with your scrapbook; you will surely have fun.
5. Next in my hobby list is Gardening, and if you do not have a garden you can choose to grow plants inside your home using planters or hanging containers. Consider plants that thrive indoors, such as succulents, herbs, or small houseplants. If not this, you can also Use pots, buckets, or any containers to grow plants on a balcony, windowsill, or patio. This allows you to cultivate a variety of plants, including flowers, herbs, or even small vegetables.
I was going through the comments of a post on this topic on Reddit, and someone even mentioned that gardening literally saved their mental health, also one of them was mentioning a mistake he/she made while gardening and suggested watching YouTube videos for understanding proper posture while gardening. Explicitly mentioned to learn from the mistake and make sure to bend and lift properly. The Redditor said that Poor posture plus over-exerting in the garden messed up their back.
“To everyone out there: make sure you’re bending and lifting properly while gardening! Look up ‘gardening posture’ on YouTube. Please learn from my mistakes!”
So, be mindful! While you do your garden. Other than this, you can go out to a park every day without your phone, maybe with a book, and consider sitting there reading and chilling, or just go for brisk walking; it is good for your health too.
6. You can also choose to practice the art of nothingness; it’s difficult but valuable. It can help you be more creative than you think. You know it is important to get bored as well, sometimes; let the boredom sink in. It will help you cultivate solitude within and keep your phone away all this time, maybe somewhere under a drawer, in another room.
During this time, when you sit with yourself, if it’s just too much for you, you can just sit by yourself, closing your eyes, and letting all the thoughts flow. You don’t have to react to any of it; just let it flow. Or if not closing your eyes, you can choose to observe things around and breathe in and out while keeping your eyes wide open. Or you can choose to just do nothing at all, as I have said you have to practice nothingness.
Being yourself doing nothing shouldn’t be that difficult for us because you do not always have to have something or someone with you. This might help you to be more independent on your own and will help you get away with the feeling of void when we will practice this often.
I know we are social animals, but we should also be knowing how to be by ourselves, with nothing in hand or by having none with us. Plus, we do not need to practice this for
longer time periods, but for some time from your every day or even on alternative days or any way you want this to practice this, it is helpful. Having this as a hobby can also help you feel whole on your own without anything or anybody.
7. Next is, if you are animal-friendly or if you have a pet, do the good deed and take care of them. Animal grooming or knowing how to do it is itself a task. You will have a good time while doing this, and as someone who has grown up with pets at home or even in my surroundings outside, I can say it is something one must know how to do. At least, if you call yourself an animal lover, make sure to know at least the basics.
8. Then, the last one i am suggesting is a complete mind booster; it is a sport, the dart game. Oh god, I loved it back then in my childhood as I do remember playing it. My aim to throw the arrow stick at the center of the dartboard used to get me all my focus together at the center. I think this can also help to get our focus back.
I’d call it one of the 101 playful ways to get our focus back for literally anything. Since it asks for focus, let’s practice focusing on things; we can begin from here, right?
This is it; these are the hobbies that hopefully will help you to be successful in being away from your phone or electronics for your settled goal time or for general purpose after work. If you want to be away from your devices, these might help.
Lastly, as we wrap up, I’d love to hear about your favorite screen-free hobbies! Drop them in the comments below and let’s inspire each other to cultivate mindful activities that bring joy and fulfillment without the constant glow of screens. Here’s to embracing a lifestyle that goes beyond pixels and enhances the richness of our offline moments!