Step back from screens: How to find a hobby that helps your health

During the winter of 2024, Rachel Martin realized she was spending the bulk of her free time looking at screens — sometimes more than 12 hours a day. The 33-year-old in Sydney, Australia, who lives with chronic migraines that are sometimes triggered by screens, began testing analog alternatives and settled on journaling with fountain pens and specialty inks. What started as a tactile escape became social when she began attending local meetups for fountain pen enthusiasts.

Health researchers and leisure experts say Martin’s experience is common: deliberately adopting a screen-free hobby can provide rest from digital devices and bring measurable mental and physical benefits. Studies have linked enjoyable pastimes to reduced stress, improved mood and better overall wellbeing.

Experts advise people not to search for a single "perfect" hobby, but to build a mix of small, enjoyable activities. Sarah Pressman, a professor of psychological science at the University of California, Irvine, said a variety of brief pastimes — such as a little pickleball, trying a new recipe, chatting over coffee or gardening — can have a cumulative effect on mood and health. "So rather than putting pressure on yourself to find the perfect pastime, just ask, 'What brings me a little joy today?,'" she said.

Matthew Zawadzki, an associate professor of psychological sciences at the University of California, Merced, who has studied hobbies, recommended starting small. "Think about activities that would be fulfilling for 20, 10 or even five minutes at a time," he said. "We really need to embrace small engagements with our leisure. A pastime may not reset your life, but instead it’s going to reset the next hour."

Practical approaches include casting a wide net and testing activities in short trials. Pressman suggested treating the search like dating: try an activity for about 30 minutes and note how it makes you feel. Revisiting childhood interests, or noticing what makes time fly, can help generate ideas that translate well into adult life.

Zawadzki said it can also help to identify what is missing from daily routines. If a person feels sedentary, a new form of exercise may help; if they need to get out of their head, an engrossing book could do the trick; if social connection is lacking, volunteering or joining a club may fit. Asking friends and family for recommendations, while noting financial, time or space constraints, can expand options and remove some of the friction of choosing.

Keeping hobby materials visible and creating a direct transition from work or dinner into hobby time can make it easier to avoid defaulting back to screens. Pressman advised keeping a sketchpad or crossword puzzle in plain sight rather than stored away. Gabriela Tonietto, an associate professor of marketing at Rutgers Business School who researches leisure, recommended setting specific goals — for example, "I will read for an hour before bed" — and enlisting a hobby buddy for accountability.

Experts cautioned against treating screen time as uniformly bad. Zawadzki noted that watching a movie with family or following a show while exercising can have positive effects if people optimize those activities for their goals and put reasonable limits on passive screen use. "Any kind of activity has the potential to be positive," he said. "But you have to optimize it a little bit to serve your goals."

Tonietto’s research shows that viewing leisure as wasteful undermines its benefits. "Step one is actually experiencing that positivity when you engage in these activities," she said. People who allow themselves to enjoy leisure are more likely to feel relaxed, less stressed and happier, experts say.

For Martin, the hobby has been more than a screen break: it has produced social connections, reduced exposure to a migraine trigger and rekindled an appreciation for tactile, analog experiences. She is even considering selling her television. Others may find different pastimes, but researchers say the keys are intentionality, small steps and recognizing the real benefits of time spent away from screens.