10 “Performative” Hobbies that Actually Help You Perform Better
Performative male this, performative female that, let’s talk about the performative hobbies that are beneficial, helpful, and healthy for us.
This 2025, we gave the word “performative” a new definition. Coined by chronically online Gen Zs, being performative means exactly the way it does—performing—but in a different, more progressive setting, yet seen as ingenuine or as a “call for attention.”
Such a notion perpetuates gender norms since it is usually implied when a male reads, drinks matcha, brings tote bags, or the like. But any social behavior is honestly performative. Wherever we go, male or female, we cultivate a persona that is acceptable by those we interact with.
And what makes being performative so bad when it actually helps us perform better by honing our intelligence, literacy, and even our physical being? While we do things for clout or to look cool and perform, there are plenty of “performative” hobbies we should continue doing.
Here are ten performative hobbies that are beneficial to our well-being:
- Reading
- Journalling
- Writing blogs/essays
- Thrifting
- Bringing tote bags
- Hiking
- Bouldering
- Pickleball
- Drinking matcha
- People-watching
Reading is a power, not a performance
Bringing a book written by Nietzsche or Woolf may be a little pretentious for others, but as cliché as it sounds, knowledge is always power. It is common knowledge that reading helps us widen our vocabulary or discover new things we’ve probably never heard of. However, reading is more than just a performative hobby. It can be a power, not just for its provision of knowledge.
Reading is also a way to improve cognitive functions like our memory, critical thinking, and concentration. While it also provides entertainment and relaxation, reading encourages thinking, which, in the modern era, we have all grown tired of. ChatGPT thinks for us, TikTok worsens our attention span, and we tend to doomscroll on Twitter or Facebook. Reading, whether it is fiction or non-fiction, grounds us back to reality.
It is a power that helps us channel our conscious mind and thinking.
Journaling performs presence through reflection
Journals, notebooks, and pens are back in style, and they are more than an “aesthetic” way of self-care. It is a conscious act of pausing, sitting through your emotions, observing your thoughts, and documenting your life through pages. While reading grounds us back to reality, journaling grounds us in the present.
It also improves our mental well-being by reducing stress and anxiety through emotional processing and regulation. Our journals, whether small or big, kept in a leather folio or not, provide a safe space where we can process our feelings.
Writing as a performance of thought and identity
In the modern age of short-form content and short attention spans, writing blogs feels almost rebellious. Blogs are long-form, but they are easier to consume than novels while still providing a sense of perspective. When we write blogs and share them online, we give people a new way of seeing the world, sharing parts of ourselves.
Besides sharing new perspectives, writing blogs also helps us establish our personal brand. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), creating content and sharing it in public allows us to prevent AI from undermining human skills. While deemed performative, writing blogs helps us perform in the best way possible by acting upon our thoughts and putting them out there.
Performing in a sustainable style
Thrift shops are back in fashion, and the ukay girlies get it. Secondhand clothes and items are honestly the way to go with our declining environmental state. The climate crisis continues to worsen, and while thrifting is often performative, it promotes sustainability and a sense of eco-friendliness.
Beyond its environmental aspect, thrifting is also great for personal gain. Compared to buying new pieces of clothing from fast fashion brands, we get to save money and practice being frugal. All while finding our unique and personal style. Thrifting may be performative for others, but it is an ethical, economical, and environmental habit.
Bring a tote bag, help the environment
Bringing tote bags is not gay. Bringing tote bags is cool for the environment. Although sometimes a performative touch to our outfits, tote bags reduce single-use plastic waste. Like thrifting, this promotes a sustainable lifestyle. Therefore, everyone should start bringing tote bags! Not just as an accessory, but as a tool to help the environment.
Hiking to stay fit and perform better
Everyone is getting a pair of Keens, Salomons, Merrells, or whatever known hiking shoe brand. Sometimes, we just want to look good, but what happens when we actually hike? Though some attempt to hike popular mountains for experience, hiking is actually a good choice to stay physically and mentally healthy.
According to the National Park Service, hiking helps boost our mood, reduce our stress, and lower our risk of developing depression, while physically, it improves different aspects of our physical health—cardiovascular health, muscle and bone strength, balance, and endurance. It is a whole-body workout, no matter which trail we choose.
The building blocks of a better lifestyle
Similar to hiking, bouldering or rock-climbing is a whole-body workout that provides several health benefits. Despite the growing trend of bouldering on social media, it is more than just a performative hobby. It is a beneficial exercise that helps us gain physically, mentally, and socially.
Physically, bouldering also helps improve cardiovascular health, flexibility, balance, and endurance. Mentally, it hones our problem-solving skills and boosts our mental health. Lastly, socially, bouldering is a niche interest, hence its reputation as a performative hobby. Thus, it allows us to build a sense of community, helping us create new friendships within the niche activity setting.
Paddle, pickleball, perform, repeat
The rise of pickleball is evident right now, but why is it suddenly getting popular? According to Dream Courts, the sport’s growing popularity can be attributed to its short learning curve, regardless of age. It is not inherently performative; rather, it is accessible. Anyone can play the sport, not only because of its difficulty, but also because of its low startup cost. This shows that we can stay fit without spending a huge sum of money.
While it may seem performative, playing pickleball is just as beneficial as hiking and bouldering. It improves heart health, muscle and bone strength, boosts coordination, and balance.
Lastly, any form of exercise is not only helpful for our physical health, but also our mental health. Therefore, a great choice for a hobby, and a better one as a habit.
A cup of matcha a day keeps the doctor away
In the early 2010s, people refrained from drinking matcha because of its grassy taste. Now, everyone knows the terms nutty, earthy, or umami. Others simply drink matcha for its aesthetic appeal, hence becoming performative. But how does matcha actually help us?
Ground from shade-grown green tea leaves, matcha gives us plenty of benefits, including calm energy that comes from L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes focus and gives energy without causing jitters like coffee. It is also rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, hence its health benefits.
After taking photos of our matcha, we take in the benefits it gives us because it is more than an aesthetic drink, it also helps us keep the doctor away.
The art of noticing
Watch how a kid plays with a dog. Notice how a girl ties her shoelaces. Observe how a boy acts around someone who might be his crush. People-watching is a fun activity, especially at the park. But besides the fun of it, people-watching is actually a great habit. It improves our consciousness and observance of the world around us.
We become more mindful of our environment, more engaged, and more present. It allows us to live within our environment, not just let moments pass by. Who knows? The beauty of life might be right in front of us, but we miss it by choosing to focus on something else.
These hobbies may seem performative, but being performative can also be transformative. When we continue doing these hobbies, we transform into better people and perform better in our daily lives. Thus, whatever others think of us, whether we are perceived as performative or not, that’s okay. At the end of the day, our goal is to become better people.
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