There’s nothing as rewarding as being a mom. However, between tending to your kids, husband, work, and having a social life, getting time to indulge in your interests can be next to impossible.
With a lot to deal with as a single mother, self-care is extremely important for personal growth and fulfillment.
Even though we as single moms take on a range of duties and responsibilities, you have to remember that you are also a human being and need some time for yourself to find an activity that gratifies you.
Reasons Why Hobbies Are Beneficial For Single Moms
Being a single mom isn’t easy, which is why having habits that bring a sense of fulfillment, perspective, and balance into your life is essential. Hobbies help bring sanity to your already turbulent life.
1. Provides Perspective
Hobbies for single mothers assist in alleviating the mind from the troubles of day-to-day living. As much as being a mom is awesome, being a single one, so to speak, can prove to be quite exhausting, if not burdensome at times.
Since you won’t be spending most of the time with your kid, remaining at the house can feel isolating, which is why engaging in a hobby during the weekends or evenings can provide you with a sense of perspective.
Moreover, when your kids are having a difficult time not having their dad in their lives or the elements are keeping you indoors, having a hobby can really go a long way in alleviating your troubles and provide another point of view of life.
2. Helps In Rejuvenating The Mind
Hobbies help keep your mind engaged as you will be concentrating on executing a certain task. This can refresh your mind and make you feel more patient and encouraged.
Projects like decorating, photography, or sewing have tangible results and accomplishing the project can help you feel more in control and energized.
3. Helps Regain Your Sense Of Identity
Imagine having a partner, then getting a kid together, only for you to find yourself raising the child alone for whatsoever reason.
Getting a child completely changes you as a person as you have to think about another’s welfare, not to mention the father if at all. With all of this happening, it’s pretty easy to lose your sense of identity.
When you have a hobby you are familiar with and is independent of your role as a caregiver, you are sure to get back your sense of self and who you are as a person.
4. Stress Relief
Single moms are usually constantly stressed as they take on a range of activities almost simultaneously. This can turn out to be problematic to the mom’s sanity as she struggles to balance every activity.
In this case, it’s really important to take a breather and concentrate on something else other than your child(ren) and work. A hobby can act as an excellent stress reliever.
RELATED: Great Hobby Ideas For Working Moms
Below is a list of easy hobby ideas for single moms that may assist you to lead a more fulfilled life:
Gardening
If you’re more outdoorsy and are into nature, then you should consider gardening as a viable hobby option. Harvesting homegrown veggies can even turn into a side business as well as being a hobby that will save money that would otherwise be spent on groceries.
In case you don’t have enough soil space to do your gardening, you can consider growing veggies and flowers in pots on a balcony or patio.
Gardening requires one to be patient as they nurture and help the greenery to grow. This period of solitude away from the children has proven to be therapeutic for some single moms who feel overwhelmed with the burden of doing the parenting alone.
Exercising
It’s a known fact that exercising regularly assists in alleviating stress. Many people experience a ‘runner’s high’ or ‘mood-lifting’ after or during a workout.
Exercising assists in combating depression and anxiety. Furthermore, improving the fitness levels of your body makes other aspects of your daily life feel balanced.
You don’t necessarily have to engross yourself in an intensive fitness regimen to get the benefits associated with exercising. You can begin slowly by including some physical activity into your daily routine.
You can stop taking the elevator and begin using the stairs. You can try enrolling in yoga to improve your fitness. You can also go running or take walks when you’re free. Regardless of the exercise routine you choose to go with, you’ll come out feeling more confident and centered.
Writing
There are various ways you can choose to write. Journaling is an excellent way of collecting your thoughts and decreasing stress.
You can also embark on blogging where you can write about new life experiences or it can be fiction. You can write about your journey as a single mom and how you’ve overcome the obstacles you’ve faced.
There are even sites that can pay you to write about your experiences. You can make use of the various social media platforms to make connections and reach out to more readers. When you grow your following, you can get a new income stream from affiliate marketing or ads.
Getting acknowledged and appreciated for your writing can help boost your mental aptitude as well as enable you to earn additional income.
Origami
There’s nothing as exciting as taking on a new culture and mastering a certain technique. Origami is a Japanese art form that was used in ancient times to craft shapes, creatures, and do decorations using paper. The most popular structure crafted are paper cranes.
You can also craft boats, butterflies, flowers, etc. Having such a skill to make anything using origami paper, you can tap into your creative side and even use the skill to entertain your kid(s) or guests.
Learn more about choosing origami as a hobby here.
Birdwatching
If you’re a single mom and aren’t into getting your hands dirty or being more hands-on, like gardening, you can still enjoy what mother nature has to offer with birdwatching.
Birdwatching is peaceful and therapeutic as you’ll get to see various types of beautiful birds in their habitat. You’ll get to watch them fly, eat, hunt, flirt, sing, and so on.
Having this as a hobby enables you to get out of your home and just enjoy nature.
Playing An Instrument
Music is food for the soul. Regardless of how low or stressed you may be, listening to music can help unwind you and lift your mood. Now imagine playing an instrument you like to listen to.
If you don’t know how to play a certain instrument, don’t worry; you can still learn a new instrument using YouTube and other easy-to-use apps. Playing an instrument has been shown to expound your brain and link its two sections.
It will help you relax and improve your problem-solving abilities, which is crucial for a single mom.
Foodie Creations
Even though single moms spend most of the time in the kitchen preparing food for their little ones, making food can turn out to be an activity you enjoy.
Other than the standard food you make every day, you might create special foods occasionally as a hobby. You can try making jellies and jams, baking cakes, making desserts, homemade pickles, and making bread.
Final Word
As a single mom, it’s really important not to lose your sense of self. Choosing the right hobby that brings joy to you will help you become a more complete mother to your child(ren).
For this reason, it’s very important that you adopt a hobby that works to your strengths and helps you become a better person.
As a single mom, engaging in a hobby that kindles joy to you will enable you to retain your identity and ensure you’re happy with your current life. Of course, we have a list of hobbies for busy dads too that you might want to check out.