Absentmindedly assembling stuff is my zen space. Every now and then I’ll go buy a bunch of those laser-cut wooden model kits or DIY electronics kits.
They’re less time-consuming and require less effort than real models, and aren’t as expensive as something like Lego (so when I finish them and think “wtf am I supposed to do with this” and throw them in a closet or give them away I don’t feel too bad.)