People Who Actually Hate Leaving The House Usually Have 10 Hobbies That Make Them Happy
Dean Drobot | ShutterstockTrue homebodies often get a bad rap because people assume they're shy, but most just know exactly how to make their time at home feel fulfilling.
They love their friends and family but don't need a packed calendar to feel happy. Their favorite hobbies give them plenty of ways to get creative and even sometimes connect with others without having to leave the comfort of home.
The hobbies that make people who hate leaving the house truly happy:
1. They rewatch their favorite comfort movies
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Many homebodies prefer to stay at home to ease the discomfort of uncertainty and unpredictability out in the world. Some just enjoy their space and are introverts, who are picky with the people they're willing to spend their time and energy with.
Comfort movies are a perfect hobby for both of these people. When they're not out socializing, they still get that feeling of belonging from a movie they've relied on for comfort for their entire lives. For someone who craves a sense of predictability, these movies also offer it, without the subtle stress of following a story you don't know.
2. They invite friends and family over
Even though they might hate leaving the house, that doesn't mean homebodies don't still love spending time with loved ones and socializing. Hosting parties and having friends over is the perfect way to balance socializing and spending time at home, as experts suggest is necessary for a strong sense of well-being.
Especially considering that most homebodies invest a lot in their spaces to create comfortable, safe environments, what better place is there to host the people who bring joy to their lives?
3. They watch birds and spend time around nature
It seems like such an innocent, passive behavior to watch nature as it is. However, many studies argue that even sitting by a window and noticing trees rustle in the wind or watching birds fly can be highly beneficial to well-being, both mentally and physically.
Even when they're alone, people who prefer to be at home get all kinds of benefits from watching nature. It reminds them of their place in the world, offers them a sense of belonging, and even helps to manage loneliness when they do feel somewhat alone in their living spaces.
That's why it's a hobby they make space for, whether it's having coffee outside in the morning or sitting near a window when reading a book in the evening. It makes them happier, whether it's an intentional mood-boosting hobby or just something they do to relax.
4. They play video games
According to a 2022 study, adults who play video games regularly are also associated with better cognitive abilities and greater feelings of connection. Even if they're actually playing by themselves at home, sometimes, narrative stories, characters, and experiences, much like a fiction book or film, can offer perspective and belonging.
When you feel seen, you feel grounded. That's why these kinds of hobbies often add value to someone's life, especially when they're protected as a relaxing part of the day rather than taking away from it.
5. They make junk journals
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For homebodies with a creative mind who often need and crave idleness in their daily routines, hobbies like junk journaling are the perfect excuse to cozy up at home and get crafty.
Especially because they house all the memories people usually forget, like receipts from meals with friends and ticket stubs from concerts, they're the perfect way to hold onto belonging, even for people who prefer to spend their time alone.
6. They care for their plants
Whether it's gardening, keeping an herb garden in the kitchen, or caring for houseplants, homebodies boost their well-being in many ways by caring for something other than themselves. That's why the identity of "plant parent" is so wildly important to so many people, because it's rooted in a sense of importance, belonging, and nurturing energy.
Even when they're spending most of their time at home alone, caring for a houseplant with intention can make a homebody feel needed and important, even if only in subtle ways.
7. They cook and bake
The mundane parts of our daily lives, even the ones people sometimes dread, like cooking and cleaning, can seriously improve our routines when we make rituals out of them. For someone who spends a lot of time at home, it's these small gestures and hobbies that give their life purpose and meaning.
That's why cooking and baking become fixtures in their lives. Yes, it's an essential part of living, to feed ourselves and prepare food, but it can also be a creative endeavor. It can offer a spirit of experimentation. It can urge people to try something new, even if they're not stepping foot outside their home.
8. They read fiction
Reading is such an essential part of our development, especially during impressionable times early in life, when our perspectives are so flexible and open to shifting and expanding. However, reading fiction and dabbling in new genres is also how we grow as adults, whether that's through empathy, a sense of belonging, perspective, or personal identity.
According to experts at Harvard Health, reading can even add years to your life, in ways similar to the social connections and interactions our society puts on a pedestal. That's why it's a fixture in a homebody's lifestyle. They invest in it for their well-being and health, but it also broadens their worldview and offers them perspectives from people they may never encounter in everyday life.
9. They create and share content online
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Even though boundaries around social media and screen time are essential, especially for someone who prefers to spend their time alone at home, creating content and building an online community are incredibly powerful. Much like our in-person connections and relationships bring joy to our lives, these connections with people who share interests, identities, and hobbies are powerful digitally.
Especially for introverted or shy people who don't always feel their full selves are conveyed in social conversations, creating content and connecting with others as their most authentic selves online fosters a sense of belonging.
10. They learn new languages
Learning a new language and leaning into a new culture is how you step outside your comfort zone and embrace the kind of discomfort that actually prompts change, even from the comfort of your own home. It also engages the kind of brain regions that don't always get action in adults and promotes better cognition over time.
Of course, it's something homebodies lean on for a sense of purpose and meaning, even if they rarely go out into the world to have conversations with others. It's a powerful way to boost their brain health and offers a sense of meaning that not everyone always gets in their daily lives.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies, focusing on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human-interest stories.
