An ode to the hobbies of days gone by.
Try as I might to resist it, I - like most Gen Z’s - am prone to the occasional distraction à la social media.
In the spirit of transparency, I started writing this 27 minutes ago, and have already swiped through 15 Instagram stories and opened TikTok three times. And yes, every time I have PROMISED myself that I’ll scroll for Just. One. More. Minute, and THEN the clock will be even-numbered again (my brain seems to love unnecessary rules), and THAT will be my sure-fire sign to get back to work (please tell me I’m not the only one?!)
And sure, I could chalk it up to being part of the “creative process” (tempting, honestly) - but my consistently high screentime and the semi-permanent indent in my pinky finger are screaming at me in disagreement.
So, in an effort to curb this embarrassing little dopamine addiction, and pull myself OUT of the virtual world in my palm and INTO the real world right in front of my eyes, I’ve spent the past few weeks experimenting with a handful of old-school, pre-smartphone-era hobbies.
And lucky for you, Billie gals, I’m not one to gatekeep.
So, here is a definitive ranking of undeniably cosy and gloriously nostalgic hobbies for anyone who would like to join me in my quest to unplug for a bit. (And let me tell ya, this newfound sense of zen is WELL worth missing a couple of Instagram notifications for!)
Puzzles.
I fear I may end up triggering some memories of lockdown here (sorry!), given that most of us passed a fair few of those long, lonely days huddled around our kitchen tables, muddling through the 1,000-piece puzzles we’d panic-ordered online.
But we were really onto something - there’s something SO satisfying (and therapeutic) about slowly mixing-and-matching all the little puzzle pieces until a bigger picture starts to take shape. There’s science to back this too - this study, for example, proves that puzzles do wonders for our cognitive functioning, including boosting our creativity and better equipping us to handle uncertainty.
Ngl, my impatient self did get a touch frustrated on a couple of occasions (I underestimated how many hours I’d end up spending on this thing, and how many of my other responsibilities would end up abandoned because of it) - but, the satisfaction when that last piece finally slotted into place made it totally worth it.
Overall rating = 8.5/10
Send some snail mail.
Growing up, I would spend a week at a kids' camp at Lake Taupō every summer. This was …eek, 20ish?!... years ago, so social media hadn’t entered the scene yet (and we were all too young to have phones anyway) - which meant that in between camps, we’d all stay in touch the old-fashioned way - by mailing letters to each other.
It’s been YEARS since I’ve sent …well, anything… via post - much less a handwritten letter, but in my quest for new hobbies, I decided to revitalise this long-lost art form, and mail off a couple of postcards to some out-of-town friends. And honestly, I’m now ready to lead a full-on revival of snail mail, because this was a FUN one.
It’s a gift that keeps on giving, too - first, there’s the joy of actually writing the letter (bonus points if you pull out the craft and scrapbooking supplies to make it look cute) … then there’s the buzz of knowing you’ve made the recipient’s day when the letter lands with them … and if you’re really lucky, there’s the delight of discovering a letter has arrived in your own mailbox in return.
Overall rating = 10/10
Painting.
Okay, I cheated a little with this one by buying myself a paint-by-numbers kit (having to fill a blank canvas with an artistic concept of my own accord was one step too far out of my creative comfort zone).
Regardless, I LOVED spending a couple hours blasting my Rae vinyl, tuning out my inner monologue, and unleashing my inner Van Gogh, one colour at a time. Plus, I now have a very colourful floral “masterpiece” (I say that in the LOOSEST sense of the word) to hang on my bedroom wall.
I do, however, have to dock a couple of points for the emotional crises that ensue when you inevitably mess up (which, yes, is possible even with a paint-by-numbers kit - and unfortunately, there are a couple of rogue petals on my canvas to prove it).
Overall rating = 8/10
Baking.
I mean, who doesn’t love running around the kitchen, throwing ingredients together, and then ending up with a delicious sweet treat to enjoy (or to share with your friends, if you’re feeling generous)? Need I say more?!
Overall rating = 9/10 (sorry, I had to deduct a point for the clean-up afterwards - always such a nightmare!)
Learning a language.
For years, I’ve been dreaming about learning Italian - and now that I have a 7-day Duolingo streak to my name, it looks like this may finally be my year.
So far, I’ve mastered ‘square’ - piazza, ‘train’ - treno, and even ‘good morning, a table, please’ - buon giorno, un tavolo, per favore. Will this actually help me when I eventually make it on my dream pizza and pasta-fuelled trip to Italy? Probably not. But have I been enjoying the experience? Heck yeah!
That said, I’d love to level this up by heading along to an actual Italian language class (note to self - Google nearby classes!), especially since Duolingo is technically not an offline hobby. I’m justifying my rule-breaking, though, because language learning is proven to improve our concentration, memory, creativity, and communication skills.
Overall rating = 8.5/10
Okay, you know that SUPER cheesy saying about how it’s about the journey, not the destination? Every part of me is screaming to not draw reference to it right now … but I’m sorry Billie gals, I simply can’t help it - it’s SO applicable here!!
Because if there’s anything these last few weeks have taught me, it’s that the hobby itself is kinda irrelevant relative to the *experience* that surrounds it - whether that’s the sense of calm, the opportunity to unwind, or the act of engaging your brain in tactile ways (and all without any pressure or expectation).
And tbh, this is so important. So many of us default to our phones to fill our spare time (hey, there’s no judgement here - I’m guilty too!), but with a growing body of evidence proving that high screen use decreases our gray matter (that’s the brain tissue that allows us to control our thoughts, emotions, and muscle movement), hinders our sleep, and impairs our psychological wellbeing, we really need to consider adjusting this tendency - and experimenting with low-stakes, feel-good hobbies is a fantastic way to do that.
So, Billie crew, if there’s a hobby that’s been calling your name, consider this your sign to give it a go this week - even if it’s just to see how it feels! And hey, if you end up with a burnt batch of cookies, or a questionable art piece at the end of it, just know you're in good company (and at least you’re walking away with a valuable experience).
