3 Reasons You Should Indulge In ‘Grandma Hobbies' — By A Psychologist

Forbes

14-04-2025

Not old-fashioned, just underrated —'grandma hobbies' might just be the remedy your overstimulated ... More and anxious mind has been needing all along.
In a culture hooked on speed, screens and constant stimulation, there's a growing desire to slow down and reconnect with simpler and more intentional ways of living. That's where 'grandma hobbies' like knitting, gardening, baking and sewing come in. Activities once seen as old-fashioned are now being embraced for their surprising mental health benefits.
Take knitting, for example. A study published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy found that frequent knitters often report feeling calmer, less stressed and more uplifted.
By focusing on one specific activity rather than general leisure, the study revealed how knitting promotes mindfulness, sparks creativity and even encourages social connection — whether through community groups or online forums. In other words, it's not just something you do to pass the time. It's a soothing and mentally restorative act.
At a time when burnout is rising and hustle culture is being questioned; slow, hands-on activities like these are more than nostalgic pastimes — they're practical tools for restoring emotional balance and everyday joy.
Here are three reasons why indulging in grandma hobbies might just be one of the best investments you make in your well-being.
Amid the pressure to constantly hustle and be productive, grandma hobbies offer a refreshing, pressure-free way to achieve fulfillment and well-being.
Cal Newport, in his book Slow Productivity, challenges the pervasive culture of busyness, urging us to reject constant multitasking and return to work that is meaningful and rooted in quality.
His approach emphasizes the importance of doing fewer things at a natural pace and shifting away from hyper-visible activity that often masquerades as productivity. This philosophy aligns surprisingly well with the practices we often associate with grandma hobbies.
Indulging in any sort of grandma hobby — which tends to be centered on craftsmanship and mindfulness — helps you inherently reject the pressure to hustle.
A 2025 study found that participants who engaged in creative practices rooted in their heritage, like traditional crafts, reported feeling less anxious and more emotionally balanced compared to those completing puzzles with a clear end goal. The key difference was that the creative activities were not focused on finishing a task, but rather about being present in the process.
These kinds of hobbies gently challenge the idea that time must always be optimized. They remind you that time spent doing something slow, quiet and meaningful is not wasted; rather, it is restorative. It's a way of choosing presence over pressure and imagination over efficiency. In a world wired for hustle, that choice becomes a radical act of self-respect.
The cherry on top is that you end up with something tangible like a scarf, a jar of pickles or maybe a blooming patch of flowers, which you can hold and cherish as a product of your presence and patience that brings you quiet satisfaction.
The act of doing something slowly and mindfully becomes your quiet rebellion against a world that insists on constant speed and output.
Engaging in grandma hobbies provides more than just a creative outlet. It nurtures your mental and emotional health. A 2020 study highlighted that home gardening, for instance, gave participants a level of happiness and satisfaction comparable to activities like biking, walking or dining out.
In fact, gardening ranked among the top five activities that participants found most meaningful, which speaks to the deep, intrinsic satisfaction such hobbies bring. What's key here is that these hobbies tend to be slow and rooted in the present moment, allowing you to detach from the constant buzz of modern life. As the study showed, these activities don't need to be complex or demanding; they just need to be authentic and centered around personal engagement.
This aligns with the therapeutic aspects of grandma hobbies, which are not about producing something for the sake of it, but instead about enjoying the process. Whether it's tending to a garden, making homemade jam or crafting, these hobbies offer a calming and stress-reducing experience that enhances emotional well-being.
By slowing down and focusing on the task at hand, you allow your brain to release stress and anxiety, shifting your focus to something grounding and fulfilling. Indulging in such activities is a powerful way to create space for self-care and resilience, boosting both mental clarity and emotional stability.
Incorporating simple, traditional hobbies into your daily routine can have a profound impact on your cognitive health. While these activities may seem outdated or simplistic, they play a critical role in maintaining brain function and cognitive resilience.
Research shows that a diverse range of activities is linked to improved brain health, particularly in areas related to memory, learning and spatial navigation. Researchers found that engaging in varied activities can lead to greater hippocampal volume, which is crucial for cognitive functions like memory retention and spatial reasoning. The hippocampus benefits from activities that require sustained focus, learning and creativity — characteristics inherent in many traditional hobbies.
Reintroducing traditional hobbies and learning new skills can significantly boost cognitive health. These activities engage the brain in multiple ways, from improving memory and motor skills to enhancing spatial awareness and problem-solving abilities.
Manual tasks like knitting and sewing require focus, dexterity and memory, while gardening encourages both physical activity and mental engagement through planning and tracking growth.
Similarly, puzzle-solving and brain games can stimulate cognitive functions like attention and processing speed, providing consistent mental exercise. Learning new techniques, whether in crafting, baking or other hobbies, challenges the brain and strengthens neural connections, contributing to overall cognitive resilience.
Revisiting these timeless activities can serve as a simple yet powerful way to enrich your cognitive well-being, offering a holistic approach to brain health that blends creativity and mental agility.
The true value of indulging in grandma hobbies lies in embracing the freedom of slowing down and savoring the process. By carving out time for yourself to engage in mindful hobbies, you reconnect with a softer pace of life.
Approach these activities without an agenda of achievement. Let your only goal be to enjoy and immerse yourself in the experience.
To make this a consistent part of your life, start by dedicating small, non-negotiable time slots each week for your chosen hobby. Whether it's 15 minutes of knitting or tending to your plants, make it a priority.
Remember, these hobbies aren't meant to impress others or gain validation. Don't do them for social media, for likes or for others' approval. The real magic lies in indulging in these activities purely for your own satisfaction, without any expectation of a perfect outcome.
In doing so, you'll experience the creativity and solace that come from doing something simply for the pleasure it gives you.
Are your habits helping you stay present or just keeping you busy? Take this science-backed test to find out: Mindful Attention Awareness Scale