Why Women Need Hobbies That Aren’t “Productive”

There was a time - and I swear I’m not imagining this - when hobbies were things you simply liked. You didn’t have to monetise them. You didn’t need a vision board. You weren’t expected to learn a skill, complete a course, or transform yourself into the next big thing in your local community group.

But somewhere between hustle culture, Pinterest, and capitalism, deciding that every moment must be optimised, women’s hobbies quietly stopped being hobbies and became “projects.” Crochet? Sell it on Etsy. Drawing? Start a small business. Journalling? Become a wellness influencer. Picking up a new craft? “Have you tried making it a side hustle?”

It’s exhausting. We’ve forgotten what it feels like to do something purely because… You want to. Because it feels good. Because it makes your brain do a happy little wiggle.

And honestly? Women desperately deserve hobbies that offer joy, not obligation.

The Mental Load Has Eaten Our Leisure Time Alive

Women’s downtime is already limited. Between work, childcare, house admin, relationship admin, social admin, emotional admin, that endless list of things-to-do-eventually-but-probably-tomorrow - it’s a wonder we have any free time at all.

So when we do get a spare hour, it shouldn’t be filled with pressure to perfect something. Or produce something. Or post about something. The last thing we need is another task disguised as self-care.

A proper hobby should feel like an exhale, not another spreadsheet in your brain.

The Joy of Being Mediocre On Purpose

One of the greatest acts of rebellion a woman can commit is choosing to be delightfully average at something - and enjoying it anyway.

Bake the cake that comes out lopsided. Knit the scarf that looks like it’s been through a minor identity crisis. Paint the picture that could easily be mistaken for the work of a very talented six-year-old. Dance like you’re made of elbows. Garden with the enthusiasm of a beginner who has killed three plants already.

Being good at something is optional. Enjoying it is not.

Why “Just for Fun” Matters More Than You Think

A hobby that serves no purpose except your happiness gives your brain a break from the relentless pressure of being Useful And Productive. When you do something simply because it delights you, you’re giving your nervous system something precious: rest disguised as play.

Women often forget to play. We get so used to doing everything for a reason - to help someone, to improve something, to achieve something - that doing something just for the hell of it feels almost rebellious.

But fun isn’t frivolous. It’s restorative.

Your Inner Child Is Desperate for You to Lighten Up a Bit

Somewhere inside you is a little girl who once loved colouring, dressing up, doodling, singing, climbing, dancing, making mud pies, collecting shiny rocks, and being wildly imaginative. She did things because they made her feel something - joy, curiosity, excitement - not because they made her productive.

She did things without worrying if she was good at them. She just… did them.

A hobby that serves no purpose brings you back to her - the version of you who wasn’t concerned with outcomes, achievements, or whether someone was judging her.

You’re Allowed to Choose Ease Over Excellence

You don’t have to challenge yourself all the time. You don’t have to push through discomfort “for growth.” You don’t have to improve constantly. You don’t have to add everything you enjoy to your CV like it’s a competency you’ll be assessed on.

You’re allowed to choose easy things. Fun things. Relaxing things. Ridiculous things. Clutter-your-home-with-the-results things. Jobs-would-never-ask-about-these things.

Not everything has to be a journey. Some things can just be… enjoyable.

Stop Saying ‘But I Don’t Have Time’ - Start Saying ‘I Deserve Time’

You don’t need empty weekends to have a hobby. You don’t need hours. You don’t need perfect conditions. You can sneak joy into the edges of your week - 10 minutes of doodling, a quick dance break, half an episode of something you love, half an hour of baking something mildly experimental.

You deserve time that belongs to you and only you.

• Not time borrowed from exhaustion.

• Not time that depends on productivity.

• Not time that someone else must “grant” you.

Your time matters, and it doesn’t need to be justified.

Hobbies That Don’t Require You to Be Good

If you’re unsure where to start, think about what you enjoyed as a child, or what sparks even the tiniest bit of curiosity now: colouring books, scrappy baking, taking photos, learning a silly TikTok dance, embroidery, pottering in the garden, knitting badly, writing stories you’ll never show anyone, collecting shells, feeding ducks, singing loudly, rearranging your bookshelf, playing video games, building Lego.

If it’s fun, it counts. Full stop.

Give Yourself Permission To Be Useless - In the Very Best Way

The world expects women to be endlessly competent. Endlessly accommodating. Endlessly self-improving. You don’t need to meet those expectations.

You can choose softness. You can choose fun. You can choose something gloriously pointless.

You can say: I don’t need to be good at this. I just need to enjoy it.

And honestly? That’s the whole point.