Still Stressed? Try These 11 Habits and Hobbies to Channel That Anxious Energy For Good

To say things have been tough for a lot of people lately would be… well, an understatement.  You’re probably juggling a lot, trying to stay engaged, and might feel a need to stay up to date on stressful news all the time. It may become increasingly difficult to pull yourself away from everything that’s happening. And in a year marked by hardship and distance, how you take care of yourself in order to better take care of the people around you is bound to change, maybe even from day to day. 

Maybe you’re looking to channel your energy into a hobby that allows you to decompress, or you want to establish habits that help you stay involved for the long haul. Whatever you’re looking for, there are plenty of things you can do, either around your house or in your community. If you’re struggling to come up with pandemic-appropriate habits, here are 11 choices to keep you afloat and keep your momentum going. 

It is perfectly okay to allow yourself to feel. Sometimes writing it all out can be liberating. If you’re not a fan of putting your thoughts down on paper, making a zine is a great alternative. You can use magazine clippings to collage visuals, draw your own, scribble your feelings, whatever strikes your fancy. Journaling and zinemaking are incredibly tactile ways of processing your emotions, but they don’t have to be deep if you don’t want them to be—you can journal about your day at work or make a zine about your cat!

Remember March and April? Back when people thought lockdown would last a few weeks maximum? How little we knew then. One of the biggest trends to come from those days by far was cooking and baking, and if you haven’t turned your oven on in a minute, whipping up something tasty and comforting might help. Whenever I stress-cook, I lean towards roasting meats and whipping up complex salsas, but aim for something you’d actually enjoy and feel proud of. And, hey, if you have extras, you can always freeze them for later or give some to neighbors who are probably feeling just as stressed as you are. 

All right, exercising right now is ambitious. Not gonna lie about that. But Elle Woods was right when she said that endorphins make people happy. Going for a run, practicing yoga, or doing an at-home HIIT workout courtesy of good ol’ YouTube are all great avenues to get your blood pumping and calm you down. The key point here to remember is that you don’t have to be perfect, but that you are grounding yourself in your body.

Perhaps it’s time to learn that skill you’ve always dreamed about picking up. Check out your local community college or arts organization to see if they have any virtual offerings. There are also options on YouTube, Khan Academy, MasterClass, and Coursera for everything from watercolor painting to computer programming, if your local spot doesn’t offer a course that works for your schedule and interests. 

Whether you opt for a knitting set or a calligraphy starter kit, there are plenty of ways to keep your hands busy (and therefore make doomscrolling a whole lot harder, at least in the moment). Try a painting kit, needlepoint hoop, or get messy with some paper maché if you have the space for it. You might wind up with your new favorite piece of apartment decor.

With everything happening around us, sometimes it’s easy to forget that we are not the only beings on this earth. We are part of a beautiful system, full of joy and sorrow. Birds are a part of that system, too. And they happen to be really cute and endlessly engaging if you know how to look. Grab a pair of binoculars (although not necessary) and get started! The beauty of birdwatching is that it can be done anywhere, from your fire escape to the grocery store parking lot. If you do go outside to a park or reserve to bird, the National Audubon Society says to be sure to check the weather and do a quick search for what kinds of birds are in your area before you go.

Organizing a Zoom meeting or phone call to hang out with your loved ones or your pals can be a great distraction or a moment to share how you’re feeling. They probably are feeling the same way you do! But if the vibe is more, “Let’s open a bottle of wine” or “Group-watch a silly reality TV show,” that’s okay, too. The crucial thing here is to remember that you are not alone. 

It never hurts to dial up your therapist and schedule an appointment. Therapy can be useful not just for stressful moments, but also for helping you find strategies to tackle problems preemptively. If you don’t have a regular therapist or the means to pay for one right now, there are several free hotlines, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  or the National Helpline, which can potentially connect you with local mental health resources. 

Scrubbing your shower down won’t make election results come in any faster, nor may it necessarily ease all of your worries. But cleaning your home can be an opportunity to not only distract yourself for the 20 minutes or more it takes to complete your chore, but make things easier for you down the road. And after you declutter, you might be able to help others in your community by donating gently-used clothing and other home goods to a local charity. Deep-cleaning your pantry? Set aside food that hasn’t expired to place in a community fridge or donate to a soup kitchen.

I can tell you right now, nothing was more useful for me than protesting down Pennsylvania Avenue in 2016. There’s something about shouting into the void that allowed me to process my feelings and shape them into a plan for moving forward. However, these are extremely tense times: Be sure to wear your mask, share your location with a loved one, and be cautious of your surroundings. This guide on protest safety from Wired is a good place to start if you’ve never protested before.

If protesting isn’t your speed (that’s entirely okay!), see if there’s an organization, shelter, church, or community garden that needs your help right now. Getting involved behind a cause you believe in can be rewarding, especially in your own neck of the woods. Call or email ahead and ask what they need. If you can’t give your time, check if you can donate money.