Dorm Therapy

5 “Low-Energy Hobbies” That’ll Get You Through This Dark Winter

Written by

Isabella Hussar
Isabella Hussar
Isabella Hussar is an aspiring journalist at Rutgers University. She is published in Rutgers' Daily Targum and HerCampus, and works for Rutgers' School of Communication & Information. If she's not in her cozy college apartment, you can most definitely find her in New York,…read more
published Jan 29, 2025
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Someone journaling
Credit: Photo: Christopher Testani; Prop Styling: Carla Gonzalez Hart; Nails: Mamie Onishi; Rug: Courtesy of Aelfie

Cold weather can bring with it a creative slump. Seeking fun ways to spend your time when it’s dark and chilly outside and you’re feeling lethargic and unmotivated can be difficult.

One idea straight from Instagram and TikTok: This semester, lean into “low-energy hobbies,” which Jacey Adler (@jacey.adler) refers to as finding ways to replace time spent doom-scrolling on your phone with activities that don’t require too much thought. 

Adler posted videos describing what “low-energy hobbies” are and suggested a few examples of how she spends her time. The comments are full of enthusiasm for “low energy” ways to spend your time this season. 

I rounded up a list of my favorite “low-energy hobbies” I think we should all try. 

Build LEGOs 

Adler mentioned she’s been building LEGO sets, a nostalgic nod to her childhood, and an activity that is so simple yet totally satisfying and fun! Why should playing with LEGOs stop in your adult years? (It shouldn’t.) Personally, I think this spaceship LEGO kit looks epic, and it’s on sale for $15.99 on Amazon!

Paint 

I just recently sat down and painted my little heart out for a whole Sunday. All you need to do it, too, is a canvas, brushes, and some acrylic paints. Painting is a great way to channel pent up creative energy and let your mind relax. 

The internet seems to be currently obsessed with “diamond painting,” and if that’s the route you want to try, you can find kits online — I like this Hello Kitty one on sale at Amazon for $23.99.

Learn a New Language 

Using a language learning app can make it so easy to practice a new language or brush up on one you haven’t studied since high school. I personally love Duolingo (¡Me gusta practicar español!), but some others out there are Babbel, Rosetta Stone, and Memrise. Plus, learning a new language is the perfect way to manifest a trip abroad! 

Create Mood Boards 

Adler suggested making mood boards, too, and putting together vision boards has captivated a lot of my time recently. I love manifesting my goals into visual boards that I can refer back to. I’ve used Pinterest to make mine before, but if you want to take it all a step further, I’d recommend collecting magazine cutouts and various embellishments (ribbon, stickers, glitter, etc.) to create a collage of sorts. I had one hanging in my kitchen for years (the visions did come true!). 

Research a New Topic 

Adler also touches on this in her videos, explaining how her interest in neuroscience inspired her to create an entire brain map, which she presented to her boyfriend. I think picking a topic of interest to explore and creating presentations to share with your roommates/friends/significant others is a great way to spend your time productively and share something new with your friends. You could even make an activity out of it and have a group of your friends each create their own to share, too!