People Who Grew Up In Loud Homes Usually Have 9 Quiet Hobbies That Feel Like Safety
Halfpoint | Shutterstock Kids who grew up in loud, chaotic homes face mental health consequences for life.
But as adults, they take on quiet hobbies that give them a sense of safety. And if they can continue to practice them, they can unwind their mind's tendency toward anxiety and stress.
Quiet hobbies that feel like safety to people who grew up in loud homes
1. Going for walks
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If they still live in a chaotic household, adults looking for an opportunity to calm their nervous systems may use walks to their advantage. They're accessible and don't take a ton of planning, and can be as long or as short as they need.
They're a quick break from an overstimulating environment, but they also connect people with nature in ways that boost their physical and mental health. For people dealing with a lot, nature can improve life satisfaction, giving people a chance to recharge.
2. Listening to music
For many kids from chaotic homes, where there were loud parents or a million things going on at once, headphones were their refuge. They could still be in the space with all this stimulation, but comfortable and safe in their own world. They could play music and block out anything they didn't have the energy to handle.
Regardless of what they listen to, music tends to engage the brain in all sorts of ways. It's an escape in itself, regulating the nervous system and requiring some level of attention that can be a healthy distraction in overwhelming environments.
3. Reading
With fiction novels that can be an escape into another world, reading is powerful for people seeking immediate comfort and safety. Not only does it make us feel connected and boost empathy, but it asks our brains to step away from whatever we're dealing with.
As kids, a book was an escape, and now as adults, it still gives them a break from all the noise.
4. Going for a long drive
Into their teenage years, when they finally had some kind of freedom to leave the house, kids from loud homes often created all kinds of excuses to get away. They went on late-night drives and listened to music. They went for long walks. They made plans with friends.
While the plans and destinations might have changed, many adults still seeking comfort use driving as an escape. Even if they're driving without a destination, sometimes the car still feels like a break from the world.
5. Making art and being creative
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Creating art often reduces our stress levels by lowering the body's cortisol levels. It could be painting or cooking, but it's still a way to exercise creativity.
Many adults still carve out creative time, like they did when they were kids, to create a safe, quiet space for themselves. Better yet, they don't just work creatively for a great outcome.
They don't need to make a perfect painting or share their creation with anyone. It's all about the process, one that usually asks for more solitude and idle time to cherish.
6. Journaling
Keeping a diary or journaling is a great way to regulate your nervous system. In hectic homes or seasons of life, when it's difficult to slow down, making time to write and recharge is powerful.
That's exactly why people raised in loud homes have this quiet hobby. They're used to setting that time aside to slow down. They use it as a way to unwind and make sense of how they feel.
7. Connecting with friends
Many kids raised in loud environments found solace in connecting with their own people, even if that happened online or over the phone. As adults, those same people and communities might not exist, but that practice of connecting does.
They're comfortable sending a text when they need help or using the healthy distraction of a phone call to remind them of what's important. That's part of why social connection is profound for improving happiness and mental health, because they're our safe spaces when we can't find security ourselves.
8. Self-care
Ordinary rituals like indulgent showers or just getting ready for the day can become a safe space for someone who needs time away from the noise. Instead of rushing through tasks to get them out of the way, they lean into them to nourish their bodies.
As adults, when free time becomes rare and self-care can feel like a chore, well-regulated people continue to make them a priority. They find safety in taking care of themselves.
9. Meditating
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As a literally silent ritual, meditation is powerful for mindfulness. Not only does it improve someone's cognitive abilities, but it allows them to tap into their bodies in a way that a loud, overstimulating space doesn't protect.
If their minds feel chaotic as a result of their environment, they find safety in meditation and use it as a ritual to reset.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
