11 Low-Effort Outdoor Hobbies For People Who Spend Way Too Much Time Inside
Photo Editor: Sabrina James | Photo: Gabriella Csapo from capturenow, Canva Not everyone’s idea of a relaxing weekend involves a six-mile run or waking up at 6:00 AM to play tennis, but even introverts need to get out of the house more. There are some really chill hobbies that get you outdoors to breathe actual fresh air without turning it into some giant athletic event. Bonus: You can even wear a comfy sweatshirt and bring a cup of coffee for these, no sweat required.
11 low-effort outdoor hobbies for people spend too much time indoors:
1. Putting together a cute picnic to eat in the fresh air, even alone
At their core, picnics are an outdoor hobby for indoor kids. You get to read books, eat snacks, and talk about everything or nothing at all, while literally touching grass. Spending any amount of time in nature is deeply worthwhile, as it’s linked to having better mental health.
Harvard University professor Heather Eliassan explained, “Exposure to green space results in mental restoration and increased positive emotions and decreased anxiety and rumination. Improved mindfulness can result from exposure to green space as well.”
Picnics conjure up images of wicker baskets, fresh fruit, and flawlessly-realized charcuterie boards, but the truth is, having a picnic doesn’t have to be a complicated, luxe production. Do you have ingredients for a sandwich? Amazing. Do you have something to carry it in? You’re totally ready for this sweet, low-energy hobby that still gets you outside.
2. Backyard bird-watching to take a brain break from screens
So much of our lives are spent staring down at our phones, scrolling TikTok and consuming 20-second clips. Our attentional capacity improves when we’re out of our daily routine, away from laptops and phone screens. A study in conservation biology found that the simple act of birdwatching decreases stress, increases positive feelings, and restores attentional capacity.
We move through the world so quickly, we don’t see the sparrows perched in the branches of trees. We don’t hear birdsong carried by the wind. Birdwatching is a way for us to pause, to look, to breathe. Stepping out of your daily routine improves your attentional capacity, and so does being in an environment that attracts your attention without direct effort, which is known as fascination.
As psychologist Dacher Keltner shared in his book, Awe: The New Science of Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, feeling awe is a quiet yet powerful force, “quieting the nagging, self-critical, overbearing, status-conscious voice of our self, or ego, and empowering us to collaborate, to open our minds to wonders, and to see the deep patterns of life.”
To watch birds is to feel yourself shifting. You’ll see a sudden flutter of wings. Your heart opens, your breath catches in your throat, and you say to yourself, “Oh! A red-winged blackbird!” Birdwatching is a small moment of awe that will leave you transformed, even in your own backyard.
3. Sitting next to water to tap into the beautiful 'Blue Mind' effect
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Being close to water calms your racing mind and helps you feel grounded. It boosts your creativity, clarity, and focus. According to marine biologist and author Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, “Humans need the blue as much as we need the green.”
In his book, Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do, Dr. Nichols described “Blue Mind” as a “mildly meditative state characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity, and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment.”
“We are beginning to learn that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken,” he wrote.
Watching water is a way to reset yourself when you’re out of alignment. It doesn't matter what kind of water you sit with: A lake, a creek, the sea itself.
4. Small-scale gardening to raise a plant
It’s easy to forget that Earth is a living entity, and gardening acts as a reminder. Gardening is a grounding practice. When you kneel on the ground as sunlight streams down, you get the precious opportunity to turn inward. When you tend to the soil, you nourish yourself as much as the earth itself.
There’s magic to be found in the process of watching plants grow. You planted seeds and waited. You raised something from nothing. According to psychotherapist Elisabeth Crain, “The ability to nurture something growing in your garden provides nurturance back to self; it nourishes the soul.”
You might not have a full backyard, but you can still get your hands in the dirt. If you have a patio, you can use planter beds or other containers. If the only outdoor space you have is opening the windows in your apartment, you can plant herbs in boxes on your windowsill. Gardening is more than a low-energy hobby that still gets you outside; it’s a way to bring a little more beauty into the world.
5. Drawing with sidewalk chalk, even if it's messy and imperfect
Sidewalk chalk is a low-energy hobby that gets you outside once in a while and lets you channel your inner child. By the time you reach adulthood, you’re under so much pressure to achieve. You’re expected to compete for first place and be the best at what you do.
When you put chalk on the pavement, you release your need for perfection. The lines you draw might be wobbly, but you’re still going to play hopscotch. The seat of your pants might be covered in chalk dust, but your sense of joy outweighs whatever vanities you carry. Returning to the activities you did when you were young is like pressing a reset button, only this time, you don’t get in trouble if you stay outside, playing past your bedtime.
6. Feeding the local ducks (with healthy food, of course)
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It’s easier to get stuck in daily routines than it is to break out of them, but operating on autopilot is no way to live. You don’t have to overhaul your whole life, but you can commit to one thing each day that gets you away from your laptop and into the great outdoors. Even if you’re in the middle of a city, you can level up your outdoorsy side.
Feeding ducks is a classic low-energy hobby. It’s a picturesque activity that pulls you out of your head and into the present moment. There’s only one rule for feeding ducks: Don’t give them bread.
As wildlife conservation organization Maine Audubon explained, bread is especially bad for young, developing ducklings. When baby ducks fill up on store-bought white bread, they don’t get the nutrients they actually need. This leads to “angel wing” syndrome, when the wing itself grows faster than the joint, making ducks flightless.
So, skip the carbs and give your local duck community food close to what they eat in the wild. You can toss them leafy greens like lettuce and cabbage. You can give them peas, rice, and broccoli. You can even offer them pieces of fruit, as long as it’s not citrus.
7. Collecting and pressing flowers or leaves from around your neighborhood
Being in nature doesn’t just benefit your mental health; it also reminds you that you’re part of a much bigger world than what you find in your living room. There’s an entire ecosystem waiting to be discovered. Open your eyes, and you’ll see it all: Bees pollinating plants, squirrels collecting acorns, ladybugs landing on blades of grass.
Springtime can’t last forever, but you can keep the vibes going by pressing flowers, a low-energy and vintage-inspired hobby that gets you outside. Once you’ve gathered your collection, place the flowers between wax paper, then slip them between the pages of a heavy book. The weight of the book pulls moisture from the petals, leaving you with a delicate dried flower, a piece of the earth you can keep.
8. Quiet cemetery strolls with a heavy dose of reflection
For the spooky people, cemetery strolls are a low-energy way to get outside and move your body. This hobby might seem dark and depressing, but cemeteries actually hold a lot of life. They’re a space for quiet contemplation, where you can honor the past and consider the cycle of existence.
Take note of the gravestones. Study their shape, the names inscribed upon them, the year someone was born, the year they left this earthly realm. Walking through a cemetery is a meditative practice, one that lets us consider who we are, along with all the lives that came before us.
9. Window shopping with zero pressure to buy anything
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Window shopping is a low-energy hobby and the modern extension of 80s mall culture. Just swap out the Orange Julius for a cold brew with oat milk and let yourself wander, pausing at whatever store window strikes your interest.
One of the joys of window shopping is that you don’t actually spend any money. You’re not buying, you’re browsing, taking in beauty just for beauty’s sake. It allows you to let go of your money anxiety, even for a brief moment. Window shopping is a way to relax and reset your nervous system, something we all need.
10. Flying a kite like you did when you were a kid
It’s not always easy to get off the couch and out of your comfort zone, but a dose of fresh air can realign your energy and raise your vibrations. Exercise might not be your way into the outdoors, but you can find a low-energy hobby that immerses you in nature while standing perfectly still.
Flying a kite is probably not on your radar, but it’s an activity that takes minimal effort and offers significant rewards. You’re literally harnessing the air, letting the wind carry a slip of fabric. Flying a kite lets you explore the expanse of the sky. All you need to do is stand there and watch.
11. Stargazing at night to gain perspective
Stargazing is another way to take in the sky and let yourself feel how vast the universe is. Lying on the ground and looking up at the stars is a low-energy, magical hobby, something that enhances your sense of wonder.
Several scientific studies have discovered that stargazing is a powerful way to improve well-being. Watching the night sky provides an “increased sense of flow through fascination and loss of time.”
Whether it’s conscious or not, stargazing is a way to measure your life and feel awestruck by how small you really are. According to a study from the University of California, Irvine, moments of awe make you more selfless and empathic. As lead researcher Dr. Paul Piff shared, “Our investigation indicates that awe, although often fleeting and hard to describe, serves a vital social function. When experiencing awe, you may not, egocentrically speaking, feel like you’re at the center of the world anymore.”
Stargazing brings you into yourself and out of yourself at the same time, as any mindfulness meditation practice will do.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a writer who researches psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
