8 Low-Effort Ways To Have Fun When You Have Zero Energy Left

You’re finally home after an exhausting commute from the office. In theory, it’d be nice to do something fulfilling with your free time, but after spending the last eight hours creating shareholder value, you do not have the energy for making sourdough from scratch or heading across town to a ceramics class. Instead, you couch-rot with TV and takeout. Again.

While analog activities — aka grandma hobbies — have been trending lately, some of those activities have incredibly high costs of entry. Needlepoint canvases, sewing machines, and scrapbooking materials can require a hefty haul from the craft store. To get the hang of tennis, you might need to pay for lessons or court time. Committing to a running program that you have to do every single day, no exceptions, can also start to look a lot like toxic productivity. Whether it’s internal pressure to be good at something in order to enjoy it or external pressure to turn a hobby into a side hustle, it can all feel entirely overwhelming.

Fortunately, there’s a happy middle ground. Below, eight people tell Bustle about their favorite low-lift ways to have fun that don’t require a ton of supplies, lessons, talent, money, or even much time.

Hunt For Four-Leaf Clovers

“I collect four-leaf clovers. I’ve found more than 200 since I started keeping an eye out for them for them in 2020. I press them or turn them into jewelry and key chains, but mostly I tape them into the covers of journals I use. And sometimes when I’m sending mail to friends, I add a clover if I think they could use a little whimsy.” — Ravynn, 32, Suffolk, Virginia

Hang Out With A Shelter Dog

“I take shelter dogs on weekend adventures as part of a ‘Dogs Day Out’ program at a local shelter. I spend the afternoon going on walks, hanging out at the park, going to the beach, and buying them pup cups and treats. I get to play with cute dogs for the day, and they get out of the shelter environment and are seen by possible adopters. It’s a win-win!” — Keely, 30, Cleveland

Cook Meals From Pop Culture

“I like to make recipes from cookbooks based on movies and shows. What started as a goof has become something that gets me out of my cooking comfort zone and teaches me legitimate techniques. I usually get them at the library or yard sales. My favorite so far is the Avatar: The Last Airbender cookbook by Jenny Dorsey. I made some great pierogies from the Street Fighter cookbook, and my now go-to chicken stock recipe came from Tiana’s gumbo recipe in The Disney Princess Cookbook. I still make Deadpool’s chicken chimichangas, too.” — Matt, 47, Utah

A Neighborhood Coffee Crawl

“When we moved, we made it a task to taste-test all of our local coffee shops, slowly but surely. We rated them then picked our fave! Doing this helped us find our go-to spot, so much so we now have the barista coming to our wedding.” — Ellie, 30, London

Low-Key Learn To Crochet

“I started crocheting in March when I read a really daunting essay on AI that made me feel like we should all be learning skills that cannot be replicated. I bought yarn and started watching YouTube videos, making just a rag to practice. Since May, I’ve been working on an ombré scarf for my mom’s birthday. It’s taking longer than anticipated. I would love to learn how to make something other than a rectangle, but I haven’t ventured that far yet and I’m having fun along the way.” — Sage, 23, New York City

Watch An Actor’s Entire Catalog

“I pick one actor and watch all of their films. You learn a lot about someone’s craft. I started doing it in 2020 with Jesse Eisenberg. The best run I’ve done so far is Philip Seymour Hoffman, easily. His best roles are the ones where he plays against type, like The Talented Mr. Ripley or Punch Drunk Love. Also some fun ’90s movies you probably forgot about, like My Boyfriend’s Back.” — Bridget, 41, Washington, D.C.

Make PowerPoint Presentations

“I make them for myself or close friends. I’ve made them to talk someone into quitting their job, to get a friend to go out on a Wednesday, to share tips on how to be organized, to explain Formula 1, and to convince people to move to New York City.” — Sara, 29, Brooklyn, New York

Visit Your Local Greenhouse

“I go to a nursery or botanic garden with zero intent to buy plants, just to enjoy them. There’s a part of it that’s just looking at beautiful flowers and plants and enjoying seeing things I haven’t seen before. There are always little signs about the plants and how many pollinators depend on that particular species to survive. It gives me hope knowing that there’s some intentional care happening in the world and that folks are going to take the plants home from the nursery and watch them grow and transform.” — Shelby, 34, San Francisco