20 Best Hobbies for Introverts
Not only are hobbies a lot of fun, but researchers found that spending time enjoying your hobbies can lead to better mental health!
If you’re an introvert looking for a fun new hobby to enjoy, you’ve come to the right place. The following are 20 great hobbies for introverts to enjoy.
1. Interior Decorating and Design
Introverts love spending time at home since it gives them the freedom to be themselves and recharge.
Home decorating and interior design provide introverts with a fun hobby that they’ll get to enjoy during their downtime.
Working on home improvement and decor projects is a great hobby for introverts.
Whether you buy a can of paint and add a splash of color to your living room or spend an afternoon searching for the perfect throw pillows for your couch, interior decorating can be a fun and rewarding hobby.
2. Cooking
Cooking is not just fun, but an important life skill. Introverts can throw themselves into a cooking hobby, practicing making their favorite meals and treats.
As you become more confident in their cooking skills, this also makes a great hobby to share with loved ones.
There are plenty of options to get started. Whether you purchase a cookbook or search for recipes on Pinterest, there’s a wealth of information available to help you learn how to cook.
While some recipes require specialized tools, you can start small by using the cooking supplies you already have at home.
3. Mixology
This hobby is similar to cooking because you’ll get to enjoy consuming your creations.
Mixology is the art of making cocktails. You’ll learn about how different flavors and ingredients combine to create the beverages you love.
This hobby doesn’t have to be limited to people who love to drink. If you’re staying away from alcohol for medical or personal reasons, there’s a huge selection of mocktails you can enjoy making from home.
Purchase a mixology recipe book or dive into the thousands of online resources available on the topic to find information and inspiration.
4. Gardening
Gardening isn’t just for people with a green thumb. Whether you’re tending to a couple of plants in your kitchen window or building a huge outdoor garden, gardening is a great solitary activity for introverts to enjoy.
Gardening is a great hobby to cultivate (pun intended) if you also have a cooking hobby. You’ll love being able to grow your own ingredients to use in your favorite recipes.
If you aren’t sure where to start, purchase seeds for your favorite herbs and begin a small herb garden.
5. Yoga or Meditation
Yoga and meditation are great ways for introverts to recharge. Mindfulness activities help reduce stress and increase focus.
These activities can also be a great way to work through difficult situations or recenter yourself after a difficult day.
There are tons of great online resources to help you get started with yoga or meditation. From YouTube videos to podcasts, there are thousands of people helping make these practices more accessible to everyone.
6. Knitting or Crocheting
Knitting and crocheting are fun and rewarding hobbies you can start for $20 or less. Simply pick up some yarn and basic tools (crochet hooks or knitting needles) and find video tutorials online.
If you aren’t sure about teaching yourself, you can sign up for a class at your local craft shop. As your skill increases, you’ll love making cozy creations to wear.
Many introverts dive into crochet because of their desire to fill their homes with cute amigurumi (stuffed animal) projects. This is a great hobby to combine with home decoration, since you can use your knit and crochet skills to make things for your home.
7. Embroidery or Cross Stitch
Embroidery and cross stitch are two different needlecrafts that allow people to make beautiful designs on fabric.
Embroidery is done on regular fabric with a traced-on or freehand design. Cross stitch uses a special gridded cloth (called aida) and charted patterns to create pixel art. Both can be used to make both big and small projects.
Most craft stores and big box stores have small embroidery and cross stitch kits. These kits will have all the supplies you need to get started, with some kits costing as little as $10! It’s a great hobby if you enjoy spending a lot of time completing small and intricate projects.
8. Sewing or Quilting
You can learn how to sew by hand or invest in a sewing machine to make a number of amazing projects. If you aren’t sure if you’ll like sewing or not, it might be best to start out with a little fabric, thread, needles, and some project instructions.
You can make things as simple as little zipper pouches or use patterns to create stunning wardrobe pieces. Quilting allows you to make beautiful quilts by piecing together small pieces of fabric to make beautiful designs.
Both of these hobbies give you a sense of satisfaction when you complete a project.
9. Drawing
If you’ve always wanted to cultivate a skill for drawing, it’s not too late to learn!
This is a fun hobby for introverts to enjoy from the comfort of their homes. With an endless stream of YouTube tutorials and online guides, you can learn to draw just about anything!
Start with paper and pencils (or charcoal or any other medium). As you get better at drawing, invest in nicer supplies to improve the quality of your work. If you don’t feel like drawing by hand on paper, there are plenty of computer and tablet programs that will allow you to draw digital art.
10. Crafting
As you can see from the hobbies listed above, creative hobbies are prime options for introverts because they’re often enjoyed in solitude.
While #6 through #9 offer a number of specific creative hobbies, crafting includes hundreds of other hobbies.
Enjoy paper crafting, soap making, beading, jewelry making, resin pouring, painting, and any other creative hobby out there. If you’re looking for something exciting to create, search YouTube and Pinterest for great tutorials to help you get started.
11. Graphic Design
Graphic design isn’t just for people looking for a career in design. It can be a fun hobby for introverts with a creative bent.
Whether you’re creating graphics to share on social media or investing time and energy in learning to create graphic animation videos, there’s a whole world of graphic design possibilities.
You don’t have to pay for the expensive Adobe programs to get started with graphic design. Free programs like GIMP provide you with the tools you need to start learning about design.
12. Blogging
If you love to write, you might enjoy the world of blogging. Whether you’re sharing your personal experiences or blogging about a specific topic, blogging is a hobby that can help you share your ideas with the world.
There are several blogging platforms that allow you to sign up for free. Use WordPress, Blogger, or other sites to set up your blog and start writing about your favorite topics.
It could even end up as a source of extra income!
13. Creative Writing
You don’t have to share your writing with the world to enjoy it as a hobby.
Journaling, writing poetry, and writing short stories are all hobbies you can enjoy without ever worrying about posting things online or promoting your content.
You can use a journal and pen or pull up a blank document on your computer. There are also great mobile apps for writing if you prefer to sit and write from your phone.
14. Reading or Listening to Audiobooks
Many introverts enjoy reading. If you haven’t had enough time to sit down with a good book, you might enjoy listening to audiobooks.
Listen to them during your downtime or play them during your daily commute. With the accessibility of ebooks and audiobooks, thousands of books are available at your fingertips.
Scribd, Audible, and other subscriptions offer libraries of audiobook content for you to enjoy. If you don’t want to spend your money on a subscription, you can pick up audiobooks on CD at your local library or download audiobooks from your library’s digital library resources.
15. Fitness or Sports
Not all introverts enjoy bookish or creative hobbies and that’s okay! If you enjoy sports or physical fitness, you can dive deeper into these activities.
Introverts often enjoy physical activities they can enjoy alone, such as bicycling, running, Pilates, swimming, or weight training.
Not only will it help you blow off some steam, but you’ll enjoy a myriad of other mental and physical health benefits.
16. Fishing
Fishing is the epitome of an introverted activity! You’ll spend hours outside in total solitude, enjoying the sounds of nature and mindfully embracing your surroundings.
You can pick up some basic fishing supplies at your local sports store or big box location. A rod, fishing line, and bait are all you need to get started with this hobby, although we’re sure you’ll end up hooked on this hobby (pun intended).
If you’re a fan of fresh fish, you’ll even be able to enjoy cooking up your catch of the day when evening comes!
17. Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way for introverts to use their intellect and stimulate their minds. Whether you put together a jigsaw puzzle or sit down with a book of sudoku, puzzles can be a great hobby.
While there are plenty of physical puzzle products you can purchase, you can also find puzzles online.
Magic Jigsaw is a jigsaw puzzle game you can install on your phone or tablet. It allows you to put together puzzles for hours on end without fear of losing a piece or taking up space. There are also endless apps with sudoku, logic problems, and other puzzles to enjoy.
18. Photography
Digital photography is a fun hobby you can enjoy without investing a bunch of money.
While there are certainly quality cameras you can use, most smartphones these days have high-resolution cameras perfect for the photography hobbyist.
You can pair this hobby with graphic design or spend hours editing your photos to sell on stock photos sites. Digital Photography School is an online site that provides free resources to budding photographers and a valuable resource for honing your abilities.
19. Collecting
Collections are a creative and fun way to show off your passion for a certain item.
Whether you collect stamps or memorabilia, building a collection will provide you with entertainment and serve as a great conversation starter when guests come over.
20. Playing an Instrument
You don’t have to perform music to enjoy it. If you’ve always wanted to learn guitar or piano, take some time to invest in an instrument and learn how to play.
Learning to play all your favorite songs will keep you busy for hundreds (and even thousands) of hours.