4 Common Hobbies of the Mindful & Focused ⋆ Earth and Water

Becoming mindful is increasingly catching the attention of the world. Having long been out of mainstream culture however, especially in the west, many who wish to increase their mindfulness practice are left confused on how to get started or what it even really means.

In our piece on ‘The Basics of Meditation for Anxiety’ the actual idea of meditation was described in very helpful terms. It is about “understanding yourself fully,” “learning to control your emotions and actions so that you can make better decisions,” and “living life intentionally, rather than on auto-pilot.”

These are straightforward ideas, but for many they help to clarify practices of mindfulness and meditation — making them less mystical (as some misconceptions stray toward) and more practical and relatable.

For some who are new to meditation, or who might question its benefits to begin with, one thing that can take this clarification even further is considering different activities and tendencies that relate to mindfulness and meditation. That is to say, some people will open themselves up more to pursuing greater focus and inner peace if they think of it in a broader way (rather than imagining people sitting cross-legged on yoga mats and humming gently).

To build on this idea, we want to look at a few common hobbies of the mindful and focused. To be entirely clear, we are not suggesting that these habits are in and of themselves forms of meditation. However, there is some overlap between those who tend to excel in mindfulness and those who enjoy these hobbies.

1. Gardening

Gardening is an activity we commonly associate with inner peace, or even the concept of “Zen,” and from there it is not a big leap to the actual conscious practice of mindfulness. Indeed, as a writer working for The Guardian put it in an article on this very topic, “gardening and mindfulness seem like a perfect match.”

This works two ways, however. In one sense, you can use gardening as a means of practicing a certain form of meditation — connecting with the world around you, tuning out the “noise,” and getting in touch with yourself. On the other hand, gardening is also a popular hobby among those who already focus on these things in other aspects of their lives.

If you’re new to mindfulness, you will find eventually that regular practice makes you more inclined to appreciate slowness, patience, and beauty. A hobby like gardening can hold a natural appeal to one who is calm and present.

2. Playing Poker

Poker is a popular game all over the world, and is certainly not reserved only for those who practice mindfulness. At the same time however there’s evidence that people who meditate and prioritize personal focus do tend to excel at the game.

Poker pros today have openly embraced meditation, such that it has become something of a trend among young, emerging players. According to TRNTO.com, established champion Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu has seen his play benefit so much from meditation that he now teaches a course on it.

Meanwhile, we also know that prominent athletes — many of whom count meditation and yoga among their routines — are also drawn to poker. At least two superstar athletes Poker.org has identified as pro-level poker players — Michael Phelps and Cristiano Ronaldo — are specifically known to be major supporters of mindfulness.

And ultimately it isn’t difficult to see why people of this sort are attracted to poker. It’s a game that requires focus, inner calm, and an ability to assess surroundings clearly. It makes for a perfect hobby for those trained to focus and remain mindful.

3. Journaling

Journaling can be done in virtually any state of mind, and for any reason. Sometimes, in fact, the most cathartic version of this practice is when one records sad, angry, or otherwise bothersome thoughts.

To make a regular practice of it, however — to turn it into a hobby, or part of a routine — almost requires a certain threshold of focus, and a certain familiarity with the inner self.

It’s for this simple reason that a lot of people who do end up regularly journaling tend to be those who have made a habit of practicing meditation and pursuing mindfulness elsewhere in their lives. The wonderful thing here is that journaling can deepen that pursuit.

4. Cooking

Cooking is sometimes thought of as a somewhat hectic activity. When you imagine it, you might think of messy kitchens, shouting celebrity chefs, and so on. These perceptions exist for a reason, but it’s also true that cooking can be a very relaxing activity. And at the professional level, we are even seeing mindfulness becoming somewhat trendy (just as we mentioned it’s caught on with younger poker pros).

A few years ago, renowned French chef Eric Ripert was profiled in Huffpost after his assertion that meditation transformed his life. Through his own practice, Ripert has become a calmer, more compassionate, and more mindful chef, and is in turn helping to change perceptions of the sort of mental state it takes to cook.

It is now becoming more and more common to think of cooking as a hobby for the calm and the self-possessed — a zen-like activity that can heighten one’s sense of mindfulness.

Again, these hobbies are not in every case actual parts of meditative practice. But they are activities that appear to specifically attract people who train themselves in focus, presence, and self-awareness. This is helpful to recognize, whether you’re pursuing mindfulness and looking for new hobbies yourself, or you simply want to look for examples of how the mindful take on the world.

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About The Author:

Nancy Jespersen is a wellness and health blogger. She believes that mindfulness can be applied to every part of life from the biggest events to the smallest decisions. Her hope is that her articles help more people embrace mindfulness.