Are you a mom looking for some me-time to de-stress and do something just for yourself, but don’t have the energy or time to commit to an elaborate hobby? Me too! Let’s talk about low-effort hobbies for moms we can try!
It's Summer!
Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, it’s officially unofficially summer. Summertime, and the livin’ is easy – unless you are a mom, that is. The summer is often the most stressful time of the year for me and many of the moms I know. For many moms, the kids are out of school, so it becomes a childcare scramble. Other moms feel pressure to give their kids the “perfect” summer. Some moms just don’t like to be hot (raises hand). Whatever your major source of stress is during the summer, it’s important to know that you (yes, you mom!) deserve relaxation in the summer.
I think we can all get behind the idea of deserving some mom fun, but it’s trickier to actually make it happen. The concept of having a hobby to relieve stress and have a little me-time seems simple, but many moms don’t have a ton of time to devote to pursuing a hobby. We need hobbies that we can pick up here and there, that don’t require a ton of effort, and that bring us joy. Do these low-effort hobbies for moms exist?
They sure do!
I analyzed my life to identify the little things I do when I have a moment of free time. I talked to other moms about what they do that brings them joy. From there, I came up with a list of 5 low-effort hobbies for moms who need to relieve a little stress. These are all totally doable hobbies that moms of kids of all ages can incorporate into their busy lives with very little effort. Do me a favor and pick one to try from this list that sounds like it might be fun to you. Make this summer the summer of trying something new, in a low-effort, low-stress way, of course.
Low-effort hobbies for moms
Reading
If you’re a regular reader of the blog, I think you can tell that I like to read. I have recommended books to listen to while doing chores, books for moms, and books to explain the meaning of Memorial Day to your kids.
Reading was always my favorite hobby as a kid. I was the kid who got in trouble for reading during class when I was supposed to be listening to the teacher. Reading remained at the top of my list of ways to pass the time until I had my son. I found myself struggling to breastfeed, struggling to sleep, and struggling to be a human. My lifelong devotion to books flew out the window.
After I welcomed my second child, I was determined to reclaim my favorite hobby. As I explained in How to Set a Resolution that Lasts in 2024, I turned to audiobooks to help get me back on track with reading in 2023. Listening to audiobooks not only helped me “read” quite a bit more, it also got me back into reading conventional books. I read one per month in 2023, for a grand total of 12. This year, I’ve already finished 10 books.
How did I find the time? I listen to audiobooks as I do chores around the house – everything from laundry to washing dishes is done to an audiobook. To read physical books, I find little snippets of time. Rarely do I get to read for more than 10 minutes at a time between tasks, but those small chunks add up!
Cross-stitch
I spent an awful lot of time with my paternal grandmother, who we called Mam, growing up. Mam had many things she wasn’t good at, cooking being chief among them, but no one could cross-stitch like her. She cross-stitched Christmas ornaments, pillows, cushions, framed pieces of art. You name it, she cross-stitched it.
I picked up cross-stitch little by little as a child and turned it into a real hobby in college. Cross-stitching helped me through law school, the Bar exam, and life as a young law firm associate. Cross-stitch was unfortunately another casualty of motherhood. I haven’t picked up a needle and thread since my son was born.
This state of affairs is about to change, though. I am committed to getting back into cross-stitch. It’s another perfectly low-effort hobby that moms can pick up and put away quickly. It’s also an activity that can be done while participating in another activity. It’s easy to cross-stitch while watching TV or even while the kids are playing. I picked up an adorable kit to push me back into cross-stitch. It’s a beginner kit and only $2, so I urge you to give it a try too!
Art
I am a terrible artist. In the 7th grade, I still had to take art class in school. As “older” kids, we had longer art classes than the younger kids, so the art teacher was always coming up with more serious art projects we could do in the extra time we had with her. One day, we walked into the art studio and were met with a composed table containing a beautiful tablecloth, a vase of flowers, and fruit. After we were all seated, the teacher announced that we were to use pastels to recreate the still life scene in front of us. Then she looked directly at me and said, “Don’t worry, Sara, yours can be abstract.”
This all to say that I stick to coloring with colored pencils in adult coloring books for my artistic hobby. It’s super relaxing, takes as much or as little time as you want to devote, and you can even do it while your kids are coloring in their coloring books. It’s a pretty perfect low-effort hobby for moms.
But if you are more artistically inclined than I am, there are other artistic activities you can do that would work equally well. You can sketch in a sketchpad, doodle in the margins of church bulletins, or paint (either free-hand or by number). You might be amazed by how helpful a little artistic expression can be.
Cooking/Baking
I know, I know, cooking is likely the bane of most moms’ existences when they have little kids. Almost every day I feel extremely torn about my relationship with making food.
I have loved to cook and bake since I was a pre-teen. When I entered 7th grade, my mom took a new job that had her working several evenings a week. This new job for my mom left the spot of family cook vacant. With my dad knowing how to cook only Mexican meatloaf (a combination of barely-cooked ground beef and salsa) and my sister asking on several occasions how to make grilled cheese, I was nominated to fill the position. I loved it! And I still do love to cook, sometimes.
Of course, dinner is often a struggle when dealing with small children. They are often picky and wary of new foods. It’s often difficult to actually get cooking done when they’re constantly asking for a snack or to be picked up. Cooking dinner for small children can be anything but low-effort or stress-relieving.
If, like me, you once had a passion for cooking or baking, stick with it! Don’t look at the dinnertime grind as part of your hobby. Save that for moments when you can actually focus on the task, get creative, and make something other than macaroni and cheese. Make good use of nap time, early mornings, evenings after bedtime, and moments when your partner or mother takes the kids on an adventure. You can even make cooking into a date night! That’s what I call killing two birds with one stone!
Writing
I have saved what is possibly the best low-effort hobby for moms for last!
Since my second child was born two years ago, I’ve been struggling with what makes me, Me. For the last 12 years I have been a lawyer, and for the past 4.5 years I have been a mom. Those two identifiers were threatening to overtake all other aspects of me. Last September, I decided I needed to head off this attack and do something for me, outside of my job and my role as mom. That’s where Sara in Season came to be!
Writing can be so good for the soul. It is so empowering to use your voice, even if no one is listening. If you feel moved to start a blog like I did, go for it! It’s been one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. If you don’t think the idea of a blog sounds attractive to you, I encourage you to journal. Just jotting down your feelings, goals, hopes, fears, and random ideas is so cathartic and takes almost no time at all. Keep a notepad on your desk or bedside table and scribble down whatever, whenever. It doesn’t have to even be in complete sentences to count!
Other ideas
- Crochet – @blairblogs has gotten so into crochet, that she really makes me want to try it!
- Gardening – My sister has recently discovered her green thumb. Her yard is so beautiful! Maybe I’ll develop a green thumb from being green with envy?
- Swimming – Oh to be able to get back in the pool! This one takes a bit more pre-planning, but if you can swing it, I highly recommend!
- Yoga – I have started doing yoga YouTube videos, but I’m nowhere near to a place where I feel like practicing yoga is low-effort or stress-relief yet. It’s hard! Hopefully will a little more practice and help from Yoga with Adriene and SaraBethYoga, I’ll get there someday!
- Crafting – I struggle with crafts, but I’d like to give my adult self an opportunity to try crafting and see if there isn’t a craft out there for me. Calligraphy perhaps?
I hope you find a low-effort hobby that brings you joy and stress-relief this summer. Try a couple out – what’s the worst that can happen? I’d love to see your attempts – tag me on Instagram @sarainseason so I can cheer you on!
We still have our treasured cross-stitch items from your “Mam” – my Aunt Ann. Every year we would get something on our Christmas present. The stockings are still hung every year in the house. We have a lovely wedding cross-stitch. Aunt Ann got so tired of waiting for me to verify the spelling of my (soon-to-be) husband’s last name that she sent me a postcard to mail back to her. Fill in the blank! Straight to the point – it made me laugh.