Creative Hobbies Lift Mental Health as Phone Scrolling Fuels Anxiety and Poor Sleep
Updated
Updated · The Citizen · Aug 5
Creative Hobbies Lift Mental Health as Phone Scrolling Fuels Anxiety and Poor Sleep
3 articles · Updated · The Citizen · Aug 5
Summary
Creative hobbies such as painting, knitting, journalling and pottery are gaining traction as a low-cost self-care alternative to social media scrolling and binge-watching.
Psychologist Elize Thesner said passive screen use often leaves people mentally depleted because repeated scrolling trains the brain to seek frequent small rewards, driving dopamine loops, cognitive overload, anxiety, poor concentration and disrupted sleep.
Flow states help explain the appeal: sustained focus on a single task can restore attention, calm the body through parasympathetic activation and give people a healthier sense of reward than constant notifications.
Art, writing and music can also help process stress, grief and anxiety, while shared hobby groups may strengthen trust and connection through oxytocin release.
The shift fits a broader Gen Z-led return to analog habits, though Thesner said hobbies are not a cure for mental illness and work best alongside healthy routines and professional care when needed.