Hobbies to Boost Self-Care for Special Needs Parents

Hobbies can boost self-care by allowing time to focus on yourself. Hobbies can also help you grow through trying new things. They can also provide a creative outlet.

Why Are Hobbies to Boost Self-Care Important?

Hobbies can decrease stress.

Hobbies can also give you a creative outlet. They also are a way to grow and explore.

Many hobbies can be done at home.

Hobbies can also help you find a new community.

Barriers to Hobbies

Time

Busy schedules can make it difficult to find time for hobbies.

Resources

Finding ideas and materials to get started can be a barrier.

Money

Some hobbies can feel overwhelmingly expensive. But, keep reading for ways to get started without breaking the bank.

Space

Finding space to keep items for hobbies can be a challenge. Craft supplies especially can overtake an area if you are not careful!

Location

You may not be able to go to a class or meet up with a group. However, there are several hobbies you can enjoy from the comfort of home!

Action Steps to Overcome Barriers

Time Barriers

• Start with small increments!
  • Take a few minutes to read this article. Later look into a few of the connected articles. Then take five to ten minutes a few times over the course of a few days to explore a few hobbies. Then set a timer and try a new activity.
• You may also find some helpful time management tips in Finding Time for Self-Care for Special Needs Parents.
• A nice thing about hobbies is they are ongoing. You do not have a deadline. This is not work or something you have to do. It is fun and something you get to do.
• Remember you are allowed to take time for fun!
• Bonus – this time spent can decrease stress, increase joy in your life, and also models good self-care for others in your life. I still remember watching my mom take time to read every night. I am thankful she modeled spending time as a mom on something she enjoyed as a person.

Resource Barriers

• Hobbies can feel unavailable due to the number of items involved. Take advantage of the internet and the library.
• It can feel tempting to wait until you have “all the things.” Take stock of what you may already have available.
• Pace yourself and try one thing at a time. Get one ball of yarn, or one library book, or one work out video. You will build up as you go along and learn more about the new hobby.

Financial Barriers

• It can be tempting to buy multiple items in the initial excitement of a new hobby. Do not let the feeling you need to purchase something prevent you from starting. For example, you can start doing a yoga workout in your bedroom using the sweatpants you already own.
• Many hobbies do require you to have some materials. Start with entry-level materials until you know this is the hobby for you.
• Many thrift stores sell hobby materials. For example, you may find some great arts and craft materials. You can also find items to upcycle, sports equipment, cookbooks, puzzles, books, and kitchenware.
• Let friends and family know about your new interest. They may have items to share. You can also make a wish list for holidays.

Space Barriers

• Some hobbies require more physical items than others. Others require more space, such as in-home exercising. As you learn more about the hobby of interest, pay attention to the space it may require.
• Other hobbyists are a great resource to problem-solve storage and space issues.
• You may also find some helpful space management tips in Organizing Physical Items to Improve Quality of Life.

Location Barriers

• The following suggestions in this post will focus on activities that can be done at home.
• Many hobbies such as hiking, pottery classes, and skiing require being able to go alone or with your child. While great hobbies, I am focusing on things you can do from home because times of great stress often come with limited ability to find caregivers or the ability to leave the home on a set schedule.

Some Potential Hobbies to Boost Self-Care

Creative Pursuits

Psychological Self-Care focuses on taking care of your psychological needs. It includes creativity, mindfulness, and learning new things.

Common ways to address this area include taking an art class, going to a museum, or painting pottery.

Hobbies to Boost Self-Care that Address Some of the Barriers Include:

Arts and Crafts

• I really enjoy adult coloring books. They are portable and can be done in short or long time increments. I also enjoy pairing coloring with listening to audiobooks or tv shows. It is also a hobby I can do while spending quiet time with my children. There is a large online community that allows other artists to share pictures and tips.
  • Enjoy a year-long garden with Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden or World of Flowers coloring books.
  • Check out our post all about getting started with Coloring as a Hobby!
• Scrapbooking. This is a hobby that can quickly take up a lot of space! But if you keep items limited to a box and a book you can maintain some control. I have scrapbooked for my children as babies, but I have also taken time to scrapbook past travels and made pages about me across my life. For example, you can scrapbook about favorite books, movies, food, travels, and hopes for the future.
• Knitting or crocheting. I have not yet mastered this skill! However, the repetitive movement of weaving yarn on a loom has been quite calming over the years. It also provided all my Christmas gifts one winter!
• Jigsaw puzzles. Putting together a puzzle is both calming and cognitively challenging. Check out more in More about Self-Care Hobbies for Special Needs Parents: Puzzles.

Enjoying the Arts

• Watch a variety of movies from a certain genre. Some genres to explore include: black and white, silent films, documentaries, from a specific country, in another language, or animated.
• I watched my way through the American Film Institute’s Top 100 list. It was something I could do while my children slept and many of the movies were available at the library. Check out the list here: AFI’s 100 Years 100 Movies. They also have smaller Top 10 lists in specific genres as well.
• You may not be able to walk through a museum, but there are many virtual museum experiences available. Many are free and available any time from the comfort of your couch! Here are a few to get you started!
  • The British Museum’s The Museum of the World is very interactive!
  • The Smithsonian has a huge online inventory. You may like to get started with a Narrated Virtual Tour from the National Museum of Natural History.
  • Google Arts and Culture lets you explore by artist, collection, theme and more!

Intellectual Pursuits

Psychological Self-Care focuses on taking care of your psychological needs. It includes creativity, mindfulness, and learning new things.

Common ways to address this area include book clubs, attending lectures, and adult learning through the library.

With more and more groups meeting online these days, it is easier to join in activities. Online groups reduce several barriers such as lack of caregiver, time constraints, or limited local availability.

Hobbies to Boost Self-Care that Address Some of the Barriers Include:

Reading

• Reading has endless possibilities. You can explore such genres as biographies, manga, self-published, romance, and science fiction.
• You may also find audiobooks enjoyable. For example, you can listen to a story while commuting. Interested in giving audiobooks a try? Check out this link for a free trial with Audible Plus.
• There are also many online reading groups. Try local libraries. You may also find community or Facebook groups. There are groups for authors or genres. For example, I connected with people world-wide on a Russian literature group.
• Try a theme, author, or genre. For example, each year I challenge myself to try something new. I have done a year of manga, read Jane Austen, and poetry. Some years surprise me and I gain a new interest. Other years, I try something new by June.

Writing

• Pick up a pen and give writing a try. Experiment with poetry. Write a haiku. Start a journal.
• Try writing prompts and keep a journal online or on paper.
• Write a letter or a card and send it to a friend. A card a week or a month can be life-changing for you and the recipient!

E-courses

• Check out what your library has to offer and you may be surprised. These resources can be checked out or may already be online.
• There are countless options with The Great Courses. Bonus – you can go at your own pace!

Further reading and ideas: Better Cognitive Self-Care.

Physical Pursuits

Physical Self-Care focuses on taking care of your physical body. It includes health, nutrition, sleep, exercise and rest.

Common ways to address this area include going to the gym, taking a yoga class, or enrolling in a cooking class.

Hobbies to Boost Self-Care that Address Some of the Barriers Include:

• Trying one new meal a week. Check out online resources for recipes. Experiment with familiar meals. Reach out to friends for new recipes. Work your way through a family recipe book.
• Experiment with making a new smoothie recipe each week.
• Exercise can also be done at home. Try weekly or monthly challenges. For example – do 10 jumping jacks 10 days in a row. Or a pushup a day. You can also try online workouts.

Hobbies to Boost Self-Care for Special Needs Parents: Summary

Hobbies are a wonderful way to address several aspects of self-care. There are so many possible hobbies to try!

We explored several ways to overcome the barriers of time, resources, finances, space, and location.

We also looked at several hobbies that address common barriers to self-care.

Then we looked at hobbies focusing on creative, intellectual, and physical pursuits.

Want to learn more? Check out our posts about Coloring and Puzzles as potential hobbies.

What hobbies have you tried? What are some hobbies you would like to try? Let us know in the comments and inspire fellow caregivers!

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