Rebuild: Three Hobbies That Are Changing My Life

For a long time, my main hobby was… surviving.

Between working from home, being a single mom, navigating autism parenting, and carrying a level of mental exhaustion I didn’t even realize had a name, my days blurred together. I wasn’t doing much outside of what I had to do. And when I did get “free time,” I mostly spent it dissociating on the couch with my phone in my hand, telling myself I was resting.

But rest and numb are not the same thing.

Lately, I've tried to rebuild my life in smaller, quieter ways. Not with dramatic glow-ups or unrealistic routines — but with things I can do with my hands. Things that ground me. Things that actually give something back to me and to my daughter.

Right now, my top three hobbies are:

• Knitting

• Writing & journaling

• Making (and laminating) sensory books for my daughter

They might sound random. They’re not. They’re the most regulated I’ve felt in a long time.

1. Knitting (a.k.a. accidental therapy)

I picked up knitting thinking it would be a cute little hobby. My mom tried to teach me how to knit when I was younger. I picked up on it really well, started making my own scarfs and making them for her too.

What I didn’t expect is how much it would calm my nervous system as an adult. I now see why she resorted to it so much as a single parent.

There’s something about repetitive motion, counting stitches, and watching something slowly come together that feels… medicinal. It forces my brain to slow down. It gives my hands something to do that isn’t doom-scrolling. And at the end of it, I actually made something. Not content. Not tasks. A physical object.

It’s the first time in a long time I’ve done something purely for the process, not productivity.

2. Writing & journaling (rebuild and meet myself again)

Writing has always been part of me, but journaling feels different.

This isn’t “writer brain.” This is human brain.

I journal when I’m overwhelmed. When I’m overstimulated. When I’m spiraling. When I don’t know how I actually feel but I know I feel something. It’s the only space where I don’t have to perform, explain, or hold it together.

Sometimes it’s deep. Sometimes it’s dramatic. Sometimes it’s literally:

“Today was hard. I am tired.”

And that’s enough. It’s helping me process this season of life instead of dissociating through it.

3. Laminating sensory books (purposeful chaos)

This one is very specific to autism motherhood.

I’ve been making sensory books for my daughter — cutting, designing, printing, laminating, organizing, assembling. It’s creative, tedious, messy, and strangely satisfying.

On the surface, it’s for her. But honestly? It’s for me too.

It gives my days structure. It makes me feel useful in a way that isn’t just work or survival. It lets me channel my energy into something that directly supports her development instead of just worrying about it.

Also, there is something deeply unhinged (but healing) about sitting at a table at 10 PM surrounded by laminating sheets and Velcro dots while your brain finally feels quiet.

Why these hobbies actually matter

These aren’t just “things I like.” They’re how I’m:

• Regulating my nervous system

• Reconnecting with myself

• Creating instead of consuming

• Parenting with intention instead of burnout

I’m rebuilding my life in small, tactile ways instead of waiting for motivation or some mythical “perfect routine.” I’m choosing:

• Hands over phone

• Process over pressure

• Grounding over numbing

And honestly? It’s the most stable I’ve felt in a long time.

What’s coming next

This post is just the beginning. I’ll be sharing separate, deeper posts about:

• How I started knitting (and why it stuck)

• How I use journaling for mental regulation

• How I create sensory books for my daughter

This is my Reset & Rise era. Not loud. Not performative. Just intentional, functional, and real.

And for the first time in a while — I actually feel like I’m living again instead of just getting through the day.