New Hobbies to Try at Home Instead of Scrolling

Choosing a new hobby to try at home can be frustrating. If you’re like me, you want something simple that will take up the same part of the evening your phone does. What you DON’T want is a lot of start-up expenses, a big learning curve to get started, or messy projects that require more time to clean up or put away than you spend doing the hobby.

This list of hobbies offers possible solutions for the most common scrolling tendencies. Hands that unconsciously scroll to stay busy need a craft. Eyes that scroll as distraction need something to notice or reflect on.

The twelve hobbies below are sorted that way, with a first evening mapped for each. One condition flips the rule: if you mostly scroll away from home, skip anything with a setup and start with a pocket-sized or small bag-sized one like embroidery, a sketchbook, a small whittling project, or a reading journal.

Why Does Swapping in a Hobby Work, and When Does It Fail?

Laura Braider, a psychologist at Northwell Health’s Zucker Hillside Hospital, calls a hobby a “competing response”: a replacement action that keeps the hands and eyes busy in a similar way to the screen habit. The trick isn’t to take the phone away, but to have alternative activities as easily accessible as reaching for the phone. By redirecting the urge to scroll to something else that still satisfies the hands and eyes with new movements or observations, you’re not trying to “cold turkey” the phone habit but are allowing another activity to fill the space instead. Over time, this switch can begin to build a new habit that offers a sense of accomplishment instead of a hollow sense of time wasted.

The hypothesis that replacing a doomscrolling habit with a hobby can be an effective way to cut screen time comes from habit research done by James Clear as discussed in his book Atomic Habits. Clear writes in an article on his website that habits are difficult to break because they often meet some need in your life. Trying to simply stop without addressing that underlying need makes sticking with the change very tough. Creating a plan to replace the habit with a healthier option that still fulfills that need is a more effective way to go.

How I Chose the Hobbies

I built the list below around hobbies that engage hands and eyes and address the two most common reasons Clear says a bad habit forms – to overcome stress and boredom. In choosing most hobbies on the list I also considered researcher Shawn Achor’s “20-second rule” that says keeping a habit within 20-second reach is enough to make it stick and Gloria Mark’s research that indicates interruptions will slow you down more than you think in completing a task.  Compact hobbies that can be left out or that are easy to complete in a few short sessions beat a hobby you’ll put in the closet and never finish.

This list is research, not a test of all twelve hobbies discussed. Since my scrolling habit tends to happen in the evening as a way to keep my hands busy, I have tried jigsaw puzzles, needlework, paint by number, whittling, and journaling. I did well with the jigsaw puzzle and paint by number replacements if started with small puzzles and mini canvases that I could keep out and easily accessible. I found that a small needlework project is a great take along when I know I will be waiting for an appointment or traveling.

My fails were: whittling because it took more hand movement control than I generally have; and journaling, probably because it took more thinking than the other hobbies. (My brain is tired in the evenings.) Ultimately, I found projects that had an easy start and quick finish made me more likely to keep doing them. By having something easy to grab as close or closer than the phone, I have been able to satisfy the “busy hands” issue most evenings.

Which Hobby Family Fits the Way You Scroll?

• Busy Hands (jigsaw puzzles, paint by number, embroidery): good at filling idle hands with satisfying activity.
• Maker (whittling, air-dry clay, calligraphy): good at ending the night with something you can hold.
• Observer (sketchbook, junk journal, reading journal): good at replacing the check-what’s-happening itch, even in bed.
• Naturalist (houseplants, birding, nature journaling): good at getting your eyes observing and caring for a living thing or getting you into a new environment outside.
• Fits in a bag: embroidery, sketchbook, reading journal, nature journal, small whittling items.

Which Hobbies Keep Your Hands Busy?

Jigsaw puzzles, paint by number and embroidery all work for the same reason: they need both hands and both eyes.

Jigsaw puzzles

Feels like: sorting by color under a lamp. Looks like: a half-built scene on a table or board/mat. First evening: flip every piece face-up and build the edge, about 30 minutes. Time needed: a 300 to 500-piece puzzle runs about a week of 20 to 30 minute evenings. Cost: low to moderate.

Paint by number

Feels like: matching one numbered pot to one small shape at a time. Looks like: a matte, textured canvas drying on a shelf. First evening: paint three or four shapes of a single color, about 30 minutes. Time needed: a small canvas takes 5 to 8 sessions of 20 to 40 minutes. Cost: low to moderate.

Embroidery

Feels like: a steady pull-and-push rhythm. Looks like: floss on linen in a wooden hoop. First evening: thread the needle and stitch one outline, 30 to 45 minutes. Time needed: a small starter hoop takes about 4 to 6 evenings. Cost: low.

Kits: Busy Hands Starter Kits. Who it suits: anyone who scrolls on the couch with the TV on.

Busy Hands Kits We Like

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Which Hobbies Leave You Holding Something You Made?

Whittling, air-dry clay, and brush-pen calligraphy end the evening with an object or a page you can hold.

Whittling

Feels like: a slow shave off pale wood. Looks like: wood blocks and curls piled on a tray or table. First evening: learn a safe grip and beginner techniques on a soft-wood blank, wearing a safety glove on the holding hand, about 40 minutes. Time needed: a first simple carving takes 3 to 5 evenings of 30 minutes. Cost: low to moderate.

Air-dry clay

Feels like: cool, soft and a little gritty. Looks like: a speckled trinket dish, flowers, or objects. First evening: create a simple figurine or pinch a small dish, no wheel or kiln, 30 to 45 minutes plus a day or two to dry. Time needed: one piece per evening. Cost: low.

Calligraphy

Feels like: ink lines, one stroke at a time. Looks like: a practice sheet filling with rows of letters. First evening: learn downstrokes and upstrokes with a brush pen, 20 to 30 minutes. Time needed: 15 to 20 minutes a night for two weeks before words look good. Cost: low.

Kit: Maker Starter Kits. Who it suits: anyone who wants to end the night with something finished and doesn’t mind a little cleanup.

Maker Kits We Like

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Which Hobbies Replace the Urge to Check What’s Going On?

Sketchbooks and journals give your eyes something to look at and your hands somewhere to put it.

Sketchbook

Feels like: looking at an ordinary object longer than you normally would. Looks like: a half-filled pocket sketchbook with soft pencil lines. First evening: draw one mug for ten minutes. Time needed: 10 to 20 minutes a night. Cost: low.

Junk journaling

Feels like: layering paper scraps, stamps and ticket stubs. Looks like: a thick, textured spread with torn edges. First evening: glue three scraps to one page, 30 to 45 minutes. Time needed: 30 to 60 minutes a session. Cost: low to moderate

Reading journal

Feels like: writing down what you noticed after a chapter. Looks like: a tabbed book log on the nightstand. First evening: set up one page with the title, start date and three lines on your first impression, 15 minutes. Time needed: 10 to 15 minutes after reading. Cost: low.

Kit: Observer Starter Kits. Who it suits: anyone who scrolls in bed or on breaks and wants a hobby that fits in a nightstand drawer.

Observer Kits We Like

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Which Hobbies Get Your Eyes to a Living Thing or Outside?

Houseplants, birding, and nature journaling give your eyes something that moves more slowly than a social media feed and provides connection to the natural world.

Houseplants

Feels like: planting a seed, checking soil with a finger and turning a pot toward the light. Looks like: green leaves and a growing, living thing. First evening: pot one small, forgiving plant or herb and set it in your brightest window, 20 to 30 minutes. Time needed: about 5 minutes a day. Cost: low. Overwatering is the usual way they die, so always check the soil first.

Birding

Feels like: waiting, listening, then a flick of movement or sound. Looks like: binoculars and a field notebook by a window, in the backyard, or in a park. First evening: sit at a window or in the yard for 20 minutes in the last hour of daylight and identify one bird with a printed field guide. Time needed: 20 to 30 minutes at dawn or dusk. Cost: moderate.

Nature journaling

Feels like: drawing one leaf and labeling it. Looks like: a small notebook with pressed leaves and dated notes. First evening: bring one object inside, draw it, and note the date, place and weather, 20 to 30 minutes. Time needed: 15 to 30 minutes a session. Cost: low.

Kit: Naturalist Starter Kits. Who it suits: anyone who spends the day indoors and wants a reason to look out a window or walk outside.

Naturalist Kits We Like

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What Goes Wrong with a Hobby Swap?

You bought the best-looking kit, not the one that fits how you scroll. A reading journal won’t stop couch scrolling if your hands need a job. Sort by hands or eyes first, then let the look break the tie.

The kit is bigger than the evening. A 1,000-piece puzzle or a large paint by number canvas can’t finish in a week, and an unfinished project reads as failure. Start with the smallest size.

Common Questions

What is a good hobby to replace scrolling?

One that keeps your hands and eyes busy at the time of day you scroll most. For couch scrolling, start with a puzzle, paint by number or embroidery. For bed or breaks, start with a sketchbook or reading journal.

What are good new hobbies to try at home?

The ones that need a small table, a portable storage device, or corner of the room.

How long does a screen-free hobby take to stick?

There is no honest number, but habit research says taking steps to make the old habit hard to reach for (remove the phone), the new habit easy to reach for instead, and creating small wins helps. Start with one 20-minute evening and count evenings, not weeks.

Do I need a kit?

No. But a kit reduces overwhelm and helps when deciding and shopping for separate supplies is what stalls you.

The Bottom Line

A hobby can successfully replace scrolling when it fulfills the same common needs of reducing stress and overcoming boredom without adding a lot of extra effort. Match your first hobby experiment with how and when you scroll, start with a small project, and keep it where you most frequently reach for the phone. Still not sure which is right for you? Take our 60 second, two question quiz to get headed in the right direction.

Sources

• Reduction in Social Media Usage Produces Improvements in Physical Health and Wellbeing: An RCT—Springer
• The Solution for Teen Phone Addiction Is At Our Fingertips-Laura Braider, Ph.D., Queen’s Library, reprinted from U.S. News & World Report with permission from Northwell Health
• How to Break a Bad Habit and Replace It With a Good One-James Clear, author of Atomic Habits
• Forbes: Brain-Based Tips For Sharpening Your Focus — Forbes Coaches Council
• How to Start a New Healthy Habit in Just 20 Seconds— Oprah.com

This original content was created with the assistance of AI text and image generation tools, with creative direction, curation, drafting, and refinement by the author. Images may contain AI generated people.