Motherhood is consuming.
When one becomes a mum, looking after the family tends to become more important than taking care of yourself. Over time, you might even neglect to think of yourself as an individual and forget how to have fun as one.
However, scheduling time to care of yourself can help replenish what family or work takes away from you, and makes you better able to go back to the grind and give again.
Self-care for mums can come in many forms but one of the ways you can remember who you are as a person again, is to dedicate time for personal hobbies.
Great hobbies for busy mums to consider
There are hobbies that suit busy mums, which can be done at home and in as much time as you can afford. On the other hand, there are also hobbies that allow you to get out and leave your mum identity behind for a bit to recharge.
Here’s our list of great hobbies for mums, which you can explore and have some fun with.
Working out
Adrenaline from working out can build resistance against stress. At the same time, you can pave the way to a healthier you to handle your day-to-day life, which is why working out is one of the most ideal hobbies for mums.
If you are just beginning, start small and shift your focus from attaining difficult physical goals to simply enjoying the process.
For example, you may want to start jogging in a nearby park to take in the environment, or you may derive relaxation from a short 20-minute yoga workout in the comfort of your home.
Photography
Many mums are able to attest to the phenomenon of having the number of photos on your mobile phone increase exponentially after motherhood. You can pick up photography as a hobby to take even more memorable photographs for your children, home or anything that gives you joy to capture.
Blogging
Many mums want an avenue to record milestones and memories about their children. You may choose to preserve them on an electronic platform such as a blog, where you can express your thoughts and memories via words and images easily.
Your blog does not necessarily have to be set to public or be monetised. What many mums do to take things a step further is to blog about their other hobbies, like crafting or photography. Sharing online could also gives you access to a community to interact with.
Gardening or Farming
Gardening or farming can be as elaborate as you can imagine or as simple as growing some edible herbs and plants for your kitchen. The process of nurturing seedlings to fruition can be really therapeutic, possibly more so if they are eventually used to nourish your family.
Reading
The thing about reading is that you can be transported to different settings and escape reality for a change. Simply grab a good book and find a quiet location in the comfort of your own home, and you are all set to get lost in a world of words that could inspire, comfort or distract you from reality.
Even busy mums can indulge in this hobby – you can read for a short while or go on for hours if time permits. Forget about everything else for a while and you will definitely feel more relaxed afterward.
Baking
Baking can be a sensory hobby for busy mums who might gradually have become accustomed to the mind-numbing endlessness of motherhood. The feel of the flour, the sound of the mixer and the gratifying smell of a completed bake can be very rejuvenating to experience, not to mention the bonus of having the family enjoy your bakes at the end of it all.
Watching movies and dramas
Another easy way to escape reality for a while is to watch movies or dramas at home. With the availability of both free-to-air and subscription based sources of shows, even very busy mums can afford to enjoy this hobby without stepping out of the comfort of your home.
Enjoying music
Music has healing properties and many studies have shown how effectively it can adjust our emotions within a very short time. Enjoying music can be as simple as singing while doing the dishes or as grand as composing your own original music.
Painting
Putting paint to a canvas to create a piece to call your own gives you freedom to express anything you like at all. You can paint your heart out in a freestyle manner or you could try to replicate photographs you have taken and produce a painting that gives you joy. Make time for it and a therapeutic time is almost guaranteed.
Prawning
Unusual, but to really get out of the frame of common hobbies for mums, you could try prawning. It is a fun and relaxing hobby with some thrill and excitement when the prawns bite on your hooks. You can even look forward to a bonus when you catch enough to put protein on the dining table.
Aquascaping
If you enjoy creating, you might fall in love with aquascaping, where you can create beautiful, miniature world entirely out of natural materials and aquatic plants. The end product is beautiful and calming as well – whenever you feel frazzled, spend as much time as you can afford watching the mini world you have created to relax.
There are plenty of other hobbies you could consider apart from the list above, or you can think of picking up an old hobby you enjoyed in the past again, to rekindle your sense of self. Taking time away from your family is not selfish but rather, an effective way to recharge and come back stronger.
