50+ Hobbies for That Girl Who’s Healing, Growing & Still a Little Bit of a Hot Mess

Let me be clear: this is not a Pinterest-perfect list of hobbies for women who have their lives completely together and spend Sunday mornings arranging flowers in matching silk pajamas. This is for the girl who’s still figuring it out. The one who tried to start a “clean girl” aesthetic phase but ended up rage-cleaning while listening to true crime podcasts. The one who’s doing the work—healing, unlearning, becoming—but also sometimes still stress-eats half a sleeve of Oreos while watching The Bachelor.

If that’s you? Welcome. This list is for us.

Why Hobbies Actually Matter When You’re Healing

Let’s be honest—sometimes, healing feels like a full-time job. You’re in therapy, trying to journal consistently, reminding yourself to drink water, and attempting to “hold space” for your emotions without spiraling. It’s a lot.

And in the middle of all that emotional heavy lifting, hobbies can feel… unnecessary. Like, do I really need to learn macrame right now? But here’s what I’ve found: hobbies aren’t about becoming more productive. They’re about coming back to yourself.

They give your brain a break from survival mode. They give your inner child a chance to play. They remind you that life isn’t just about coping—it’s about creating, exploring, and sometimes just vibing.

So here’s a gentle, pressure-free list of hobbies you can try. No expectations. No aesthetics required. Just things that might feel good for your nervous system, your soul, or your sense of fun.

🌿 Creative Hobbies (Even If You “Can’t Draw a Stick Figure”)

1. Watercolor painting – Soft, forgiving, and totally okay if it looks like a toddler did it.
2. Collage journaling – Rip up magazines, make a mood board of your healing era.
3. Writing poetry – Doesn’t have to rhyme. Doesn’t have to be deep. Just let your brain spill.
4. Trying new fonts in Canva – Seriously. It’s weirdly soothing.
5. Starting a bullet journal (and giving up after 3 pages—that counts too)
6. Painting affirmations on thrift store canvas – Dollar Tree DIY, but make it spiritual.
7. Coloring books for adults – Or for kids. Who cares?
8. Messy journaling – No prompts. No grammar rules. Just brain-dumping.
9. Taking photos of your morning coffee like you’re a moody artist in a French film
10. Rewriting the story you tell about yourself – Literally. Pick a memory and retell it from a place of love.

🎨 Reminder: You don’t have to be “good” at something for it to be healing.

🌸 Soft, Gentle Hobbies (For Days When You’re Running on Empty)

11. Tending to a houseplant (or apologizing to the one you forgot to water)
12. Watching the same comfort show on loop (yes, New Girl counts as self-care)
13. Listening to lo-fi playlists and pretending you’re the main character
14. Lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling with intention
15. Taking slow walks with no destination
16. Sitting in the sun and doing absolutely nothing
17. Rewatching childhood movies and letting yourself cry
18. Knitting half a scarf and forgetting about it
19. Doing five yoga poses and calling it a session
20. Making your bed like a loving ritual instead of a chore

☁️ Soft hobbies don’t look impressive—but they often save me when I’m hanging by a thread.

🌺 Nature & Grounding Hobbies (For When You’re Too In Your Head)

21. Gardening (or just poking around in the dirt and calling it spiritual grounding)
22. Collecting leaves, rocks, or acorns like you’re a little forest witch
23. Pressing flowers between old books and forgetting about them
24. Sitting with your back against a tree and just breathing
25. Cloud-watching like you used to when you were 8
26. Going to the farmer’s market even if you only buy a croissant
27. Starting a compost bin and feeling like a crunchy earth goddess
28. Listening to birds in the morning like it’s your job
29. Touching water—lake, stream, shower, sink—and imagining it washing away stress
30. Watching the moon go through her phases and remembering you do too

💫 Spiritual-ish Hobbies (Zero Dogma, All Vibes)

31. Pulling a daily tarot or oracle card (and Googling what it means)
32. Creating your own rituals—like lighting a candle before journaling
33. Listening to spiritual podcasts and rolling your eyes half the time
34. Smudging your house even if you forget why halfway through
35. Charging crystals on the windowsill while also questioning if crystals work
36. Reading about astrology and blaming Mercury retrograde for everything
37. Making moon water and forgetting to drink it
38. Writing your own affirmations that sound like your highest self AND your sassiest self
39. Meditating for three minutes and still calling it a win
40. Making playlists that feel like prayer

🔮 Your spiritual practices don’t have to make sense to anyone but you.

🥣 Cozy Domestic Hobbies (Healing Your Inner Homemaker)

41. Baking banana bread that you mostly eat raw from the bowl
42. Trying new recipes and pretending you’re on a cooking show
43. Lighting every candle in your house and calling it a “sacred vibe cleanse”
44. Redecorating one shelf 17 times because it “doesn’t feel right yet”
45. Curating your own cozy corner with books, blankets, and snacks
46. Thrift-shopping for weird mugs and funky vases
47. Starting a sourdough starter then ignoring it like a Tamagotchi
48. Reading cookbooks for fun (and aesthetics)
49. Learning how to make your own herbal tea blends
50. Doing laundry while pretending it’s a form of moving meditation

🪴 You don’t need a Pinterest-perfect home. You need a space that feels like a hug.

🎧 Just-For-Fun Hobbies (Because You’re Allowed to Have Joy)

51. Karaoke alone in your car
52. Dancing in your kitchen with zero choreography
53. Learning TikTok dances you’ll never post
54. Trying out roller skating (wobbly counts)
55. Joining a random online book club
56. Making up fake names when ordering coffee just to feel spicy
57. Practicing your British accent alone like you’re auditioning for Bridgerton
58. Doing jigsaw puzzles while listening to true crime
59. Trying weird crafts like felting, soap-making, or embroidery kits
60. Rewriting pop songs with ridiculous lyrics about your life

✨ Play is productive. Joy is valid. Pleasure is healing.

🧠 Mindful & Self-Growth Hobbies (Without the Pressure to “Level Up”)

61. Reading self-help books but only applying 10% of them
62. Listening to audiobooks while cleaning (or pretending to clean)
63. Writing letters to your future self
64. Making vision boards that are 50% quotes, 50% outfit inspo
65. Trying out new journaling prompts just to see where they go
66. Practicing saying no and calling it your hobby
67. Hosting a solo retreat day with zero agenda
68. Doing shadow work… and then watching trash TV to recover
69. Creating lists of things you love about your current self
70. Romanticizing your daily routines like you’re in a slow indie film

❤️ Final Thoughts (And a Permission Slip)

You don’t need to master any of these hobbies. You don’t need to have the perfect setup, or post about it, or turn it into a side hustle. You don’t need to be good at it. You just need to let yourself try. Let yourself be bad at something and still love doing it. Let yourself play, even when life feels heavy.

Your healing journey isn’t just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about remembering what lights you up.

So here’s your permission slip: pick one hobby that feels kind today. Maybe it’s coloring. Maybe it’s staring at clouds. Maybe it’s writing an angry poem or dancing to Lizzo in your kitchen.

You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to explore. You are allowed to just be.

Healing is messy. Life is messy. But you? You’re doing great.

And if you’re reading this in your pajamas with unwashed hair, eating cereal for dinner—same, girl. Same. 🥣💕