13 Hobbies That Help People Cope With Their Mental Health

Hobbies can be fun, but they can also be excellent ways to practice self-care while and keep your mind off any challenges you have in your life for a moment. On Saturday, Chrissy Teigen shared on Twitter she has stared “her journey into the horse world” as a way to cope with her mental health: “My therapist says I need something that I do for just me, as I have absolutely nothing currently,” Teigen wrote.

My therapist says I need something that I do for just me, as I have absolutely nothing currently lol. Today begins my journey into the horse world. I hope this dude likes me ???? he’s so handsome and appears lazy, I love pic.twitter.com/1Ytejb4L6J

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 16, 2021

Teigen had a miscarriage this past October, and just like everyone who is going through a difficult time right now, deserves to have a break from everything. If you are looking for a new hobby to help cope with your mental health (and get your well-deserved break), we asked members of the mental health community to share what helps them.

Here are some hobbies that people recommend: 

1. Horseback Riding

“Horseback riding helps me with it all! Real hard to think about any of the bad stuff when you’re focusing so hard on your pony.” – Kat

“Horseback riding helps me cope because when I’m around horses I forget about everything else that’s going on in my life. It’s like life is put on pause when I’m riding.” – Elizabeth

2. Coloring

“Coloring and doodling! Helps me to focus on something other than my anxiety or the depression and gives me a goal.” – Amber

“It keeps my hands busy whilst giving me something to focus on. If I listen to a podcast or music while coloring, it slows down my anxiety.” – Rita

3. Puzzles

“Puzzles are a good mindful escape during winter months.” – Kandice

4. Knitting

“When I can’t focus on anything else, I knit. It is something I can accomplish when my mood is in the toilet.” – Jennifer

“The texture of the yarn and the colors are key to the pleasures/relief. Simple projects require no thought and I can work on them during meetings or during especially difficult times. More complex projects take my full attention which means I can’t think about my anxiety symptoms.” — Robyn

5. Fitness

“Fitness. It helps me to clear my head. When I’m working out, I think about nothing and that is really a relief because my head is on nonstop.” – Francis

6. Painting

“I paint ceramics and table game miniatures. My grandma taught me as a child, and we spent hours together painting until she passed. The concentration helps clear my mind and reset myself.” – Courtney

“Painting has helped me a lot. I love how it flows and how easy it is to get lost in it.” – Jennifer

7. Video Games

“I collect vintage video games. I’m fascinated with the history of that industry and I love being able to take deep dives into the libraries of my favorite video game consoles. When I get a new game I really enjoy for one of my favorite systems, it evokes good memories of when I was younger.”  – Cody

“Concentrating (and in my case, mostly losing) on hard boss fights means you don’t have time to think and overthink.” – Matthew

8. Roller Skating

“Roller skating, when I skate I feel instantly at peace and free from negative thoughts and feelings.” – Chelsea

9. Felt-Making

“Making things out of felt for my kids.” – Dawn

10. Fishing

“I go fishing as much as possible. It puts me in nature and I find the act of fishing can be calming.” – Kandice

11. Movies

“‘Comfort movies’ as my therapist and I call them. Movies that I know well and some by heart. They bring me comfort and a sense of stability when things feel out of control. They also don’t require a lot of focus or brainpower because I already know them so well.” – Morgan

12. Hockey

“Ice hockey, watching it, playing NHL 20 on my PS4 or anything hockey-related.” – Chris

13. Writing

“I write letters to people who have upset me in the past then I set them on fire.” – David

“Writing 100%.” – Bailey

What hobbies help you cope with your mental health?