Solo Hobbies for Introverts: Fun Games to Play Alone

If you’re an introvert, you know that it can be hard to find activities that are satisfying to do alone. You might feel more comfortable in your own head than out with other people, and that’s totally okay. In this article, we’ll discuss some great solo hobbies for introverts and explain how they can benefit you.

Best Solo Hobbies for Introverts

Introverts love activities that allow for deep focus and creativity. Here are a few specific hobbies that especially appeal to introverts' preferences and sensibilities.

1. Reading

Few things are more rewarding than losing yourself in a good book. Whether you’re immersed in a fantasy world or traveling in a time machine - reading is an infinite way to entertain yourself as an introvert. And, as a bonus, your local library is the perfect place for you. It’s quiet, people leave each other alone, and so many options are available, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and audiobooks.

2. Writing

Being introverted may have disadvantages in settings with a large group of people, but it also enables you to be more in touch with yourself and your thoughts and feelings.

Writing is an excellent hobby for introverts as it can take on many forms, from journaling to poetry to narrative writing. Writing can help you find the words that may not immediately come to mind when you’re talking to people.

3. Painting & Drawing

If you feel more comfortable communicating with pictures than words, artistic mediums like painting and drawing offer a great outlet. With their required intricate motions and textures, drawing and painting are two hobbies that give introverts a place to recede and engage with what’s in front of them.

4. Photography

For the more outdoors-minded introvert, photography is a creative conduit that doesn’t require extensive social interaction. Like other creative mediums, photography is an elastic craft that can mutate based on the situation. One picture may be a landscape with a creek that caught your eye, while another might be an extreme close-up of a bee pollinating a coneflower. Any picture is possible.

5. Gardening

For an even more tangible connection with the outside world, gardening gives you the chance to nurture and care for living things without worrying about conversation or the other parts of being social that make you feel anxious. Instead, you only need to read the signals of plants and when they need more water or sun to thrive. Or if you don’t want to be outside, you can also buy indoor plants that require minimal care, hydroponic plants that don’t require soil, or even bonsai plants, which can add an extra creative element when you finely manicure their shape.

Relaxing Hobbies for Introverts

When you’re introverted, finding ways to unwind and find inner peace can be difficult, but these hobbies can help you feel more relaxed.

6. Meditation & Mindfulness

Mindfulness may be an unfamiliar word, but it’s really just the act of being fully present and open to whatever is happening. Activities like breathing exercises, guided meditations, and yoga can all help you increase your mindfulness and feel more relaxed.

7. Journaling

Journaling about the day or your daily feelings is a great method to reflect and center yourself. Two specific types of journaling to try are gratitude journaling and bullet journaling. Gratitude journaling is when you write down the things you’re thankful for from a day. It’s a way to mark progress and feel better about the day. Bullet journaling, on the other hand, is a daily series of tasks, comments, or things to remember that you document in a series of bullet points in a journal.

8. Puzzles & Brain Teasers

Various kinds of puzzles and brain teasers are natural stress relievers. You can use them to disconnect your brain from the demands of everyday life for a few hours. Jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku, and other puzzle games all offer regimented ways to solve problems and feel at ease.

9. Origami & Paper Crafts

Originating from a combination of the two Japanese words for fold (Oru) and paper (Kami), Origami is a craft that involves folding paper into figures.

By following intricate designs, you can make everything from cats to dragons. These creations require focus and can be very relaxing for introverts.

Best Hobbies for Introverts Who Love Strategy

For introverts who like to solve problems or employ strategic thinking, there are a number of activities that engage these skills. Here are a few examples.

10. Chess & Board Games

While some board games or games like chess may require another person, there are now many ways to play chess, such as board games and tabletop games online. These strategy-based games allow you to play against another person worldwide or against AI players with different difficulties.

11. Sudoku & Logic Puzzles

Made from numbers, symbols, and letters, introverts may take to Sudoku and other logic puzzles that require trial and error and meticulous examination of a playing board to complete.

12. Solo Board Games

If you want to play a solo game in person, there are also several board games including Mage Knight, Friday, and Onirim.

All of these games are designed as puzzle games for a single player to complete.

13. Single-Player Video Games

Many different single-player video games are available for a variety of moods. For those who want a cozy but problem-oriented game, Stardew Valley requires players to maintain a farm while running errands for friends in the game and discovering hidden treasures.

Other games like the Portal series or Civilization require players to solve elaborate puzzle rooms or colonize a virtual world alternately.

14. Escape Room Puzzles

Escape rooms are popular group activities, but others have also created escape room puzzles that you can print out online that can be played by a single player. With riddles, plenty of buttons, and cryptic writing, these bespoke escape room puzzles empower introverts to solve their own escape room.

Hobbies for Introverts with Anxiety

One of the greatest hurdles of being an introvert is dealing with anxiety and the tension that stems from those feelings. Here are several calming and therapeutic hobbies that can help ease your discomfort.

15. Knitting & Crochet

Knitting and crocheting are two activities that help with anxiety as they’re fun, intricate, and repetitive activities that visibly reward your handiwork.

There are always new patterns or a stitch to master, and great satisfaction comes when learning a new skill. Maybe just don’t start with a Catherine’s Wheel if it’s your first time.

16. Calligraphy & Hand Lettering

Like knitting and crocheting, calligraphy and hand lettering are two activities that require deep focus, symmetrical designs, and repetition. All very therapeutic qualities in hobbies.

17. Listening to Music & Podcasts

Anxiety is fickle. Sometimes, you’ll want something familiar, and other times, you’ll feel restless. For the familiar, music platforms allow you to build playlists of favorites or fall down a rabbit hole of new artists you’ve never tried. Try looking up a band from a country whose music you’ve never heard.

The same goes for podcasts; there are thousands of podcasts about every subject imaginable, and learning about something new can be very energizing.

18. Nature Walks & Hiking

Walking is a great way to feel better if you’re feeling overloaded by the world. And it’s even better if it’s secluded and you won’t have to bother with other people. As a pro tip, wear visible headphones if you don’t want to be stopped by others.

19. Candle Making & Soap Making

For the science-minded, you may be more interested in candle or soap-making as a potential crafting project. A process that requires melting hot wax and precise timing, candle-making is a hobby that can help with social tension. Soap making, as well, is another involved craft that can decrease anxiety.

Hobbies for Depressed Introverts

While most extroverted people may want social contact when they’re depressed, introverts want to find their own sense of accomplishment. Here are some solo activities that can help make you feel less down.

20. Painting & Coloring Books

Painting and coloring books are two great hobbies to help with depression as they offer different kinds of outlets to change mood. With painting, each stroke can change your feelings. And with a coloring book, you can transform images by coloring things in different ways.

21. Cooking & Baking

There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a kitchen while baking. Whether you’re experimenting with a new recipe or trying to refine an old favorite, baking is an activity that lends itself to depression and attempting to quiet the noise in your head.

22. Creative Writing

When you write, you can help communicate your feelings and frustrations, leading to less depression.

23. DIY Projects

When you feel like you haven’t done enough in a day, it can be hard to shake that feeling. One idea is to take care of DIY projects. It could be as simple as changing a light bulb or as complicated as putting together a piece of furniture, but both of these options are great ways to feel less depressed.

24. Gaming

Gaming doesn’t just have to be for those who like strategy. It’s also a way to change your mood. Games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, or Super Mario Odyssey are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Hobbies for Introverts with Anxiety and Depression

It’s one thing for an introvert to have anxiety or depression, but it becomes a little more complicated when you experience both of these, as you’ll need to calm down but also stay engaged. Here are a few hobbies for introverts who have anxiety and depression.

25. Playing Solitaire Online

Playing Solitaire online is one of the most relaxing but engaging hobbies for an introvert. You don’t have to deal with a time limit, so it won’t become stressful. But it’s still a game that requires smart decisions and will keep you engaged for hours.

Try 247-Solitaire for your next online game.

26. Journaling with Prompts

For a more structured form of journaling, you can add prompts that you have to answer while writing in your journal. This can be a good way to guide your self-reflection and track your mood.

27. Stargazing

Looking at the stars is already a soothing activity, but it can become even more engaging if you download an app like Sky Safari, which allows you to identify constellations.

28. Pottery & Clay Sculpting

For a more physical hobby that can also make you feel at ease, pottery and clay sculpting are great options. It’s structured but also allows you to indulge in your most creative impulses.

Get started with your new hobby today – play Solitaire for free online!

Being an introvert can be difficult and lonely, but there are so many hobbies that you can do to make yourself feel better, ranging from gardening to Solitaire. All you need to do is think about what activities feel right for you and can help with your social anxieties.

Get started with a new hobby today, like playing online card games at 247 Solitaire.

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