Summer vacation used to be fun … even if you didn’t go anywhere, you could just sit back and relax. Did you ever look up “100 things to do when you’re bored” and get that list on Yahoo? Just me? Oh.

You know how a lot of people struggle with seasonal depression in the winter months? I’ve always struggled with seasonal depression (self-diagnosed) in the summer months. I love the winter months because it gives me an excuse to stay inside. But having things to look forward to and having things to do can make these months more enjoyable. Try some of these hobbies; if you have any of your own, let me know in the comments!

Knitting/embroidery

This has become all the rage—at least in my household. Think that you’re not creative or skilled enough to thread a needle? Open up TikTok (yes, really!) and search “embroidery” or “crochet” or “knitting.” There are videos and creators literally telling you how to do these sorts of things. Doing this will get you off your phone and relax your eyes from the endless blue light and scrolling.

Start a blog

Or the easy thing to do nowadays is to start a Substack. It’s free! Unlike a blog, that is. If you have something to write about, then start a blog. You can write about anything—not just fashion and beauty, but anything, like pop culture/entertainment news (think The Bachelor!), crafting, sports, mental health, career tips, parenting, news, travel tips … the list goes on. Start a blog for the summer and see where it goes. You don’t need to monetize it. You can just have it for the sake of having a blog.

Start cooking

I know—is this an actual hobby? I just always assumed cooking was something I had to do, ya know, in order to eat and survive. But friends, cooking is a hobby. Do you love watching all of those cooking shows on Netflix? Well…… get up and start cooking some of those meals! For me, baking has always been a mind-relaxing technique where I can just focus on the recipe. (Plus, I get to lick the spoon filled with gooey chocolate batter.) Search for recipes on Pinterest or TikTok and try some of those out. Maybe do some of that meal prepping that you always see on TikTok and actually feel like an adult.

Read a book (or the stack of them by your bed)

I can’t not say reading as a hobby. But let’s do it anyway, shall we? Read a book. Read a different genre than you’re used to. Try a summer reading challenge—remember those in high school? Make a fun reading bingo and put books in the bingo spots and try to get bingo by reading as many books as you can. Or, do the reward system: read a book and reward yourself with something.

Write a short story

Did you dream of writing the next Great American novel when you were younger? Same. The next time you’re bored on a Sunday, take out our journal (or a trusty Google Docs for the digital gals) and write a short story. Or at least outline one. Let your mind wander and take you to another world. You never know what you could create!

Start journaling

No, I don’t mean writing down three things you’re grateful for in your affirmation journal. (Although that’s good, too.) Set aside a creative journal. (This can also be in your mental health journal.) This creative journal can be anything you want! You can print out your own photos in and tape/glue them in, print out photos from your vision board and put it on a spread, or make each page fun and unique to you. Try searching some ideas on Pinterest for creative journals and see what you can find. Make this journal unique to you.

Try any of these? Let me know what you think in the comments below.