How to Find a Hobby That Sparks Joy (Even When You Have No Free Time)
Motherhood has a way of quietly erasing the parts of us that once felt playful, curious, or creative. Between caring for everyone else, managing the mental load, and surviving busy seasons, hobbies often feel like a luxury — or something we’ll “get back to one day.”
But what if hobbies weren’t about having more time?
What if they were about making space for joy, in small, realistic ways?
Why hobbies disappear after becoming a mum
Many mums believe they don’t have hobbies because:
they don’t have uninterrupted time
they feel guilty choosing themselves
hobbies feel non-essential or indulgent
they associate hobbies with productivity or achievement
But hobbies aren’t about output. They’re about identity, pleasure, and self-connection.
Start with how you want to feel
Instead of searching for the perfect hobby, ask:
Do I want to feel calm?
Do I want to feel stimulated?
Do I want to feel creative?
Do I want to feel rested?
The feeling is the compass. The hobby comes second.
Think micro, not monumental
You don’t need a whole afternoon, a finished product or even consistency.
You need something that fits into five or ten minutes — something you can return to when life allows.
Reading one page.
Sipping tea intentionally.
Journaling a single sentence.
Solving one puzzle.
These moments matter more than we realise.
Let hobbies change with the season
The hobby that fits your life now may not be the one that fits later — and that’s okay.
You’re allowed to evolve.
You’re allowed to stop.
You’re allowed to follow curiosity again and again.
A gentle tool to help you explore
To support this process, the Self-Care Menu was created as a simple guide to help mums:
identify what fills their cup
explore hobbies without pressure
choose moments of care based on real life, not ideals
It’s usually $4.95, but as a thank you for reading this and choosing yourself today, I’m offering it to you for free. Simply send me a DM on Instagram @notjustamum_pod and I’ll send you the discount code.
Finding joy doesn’t require more time. It requires permission, and here is your permission to start small, go slow, and let joy fit into real life.