Hey folks,
I have been trying to find some new hobbies to keep my anxiety/depression at bay. It seems, however, that my mind is not creative enough to find interesting things to do. So, I come to you to ask: What are your hobbies? Why do you like them?
Here are the things I’ve tried:
- Going to the gym (This is more of a habit than a hobby nowadays)
- Gaming (I’ve been getting less and less out of it as I get older)
- Bouldering (It’s fun, but not without a group of friends)
- TTRPG (I can’t seem to find a steady group or one online, but otherwise, it’s very enjoyable)
- Learning a new instrument (I started playing the guitar and I love it)
- Philosophy (Is that a hobby? I enjoy reading and reflecting on it)
So, folks, what are your favorite pastimes?
Thanks :)
The fact you have depression/anxiety and have managed to turn going to the gym into a habit is impressive, tell me your secret!
I sing choral music (I’m a soprano) in a couple of choirs. Summertime can be rough as during the rest of the year I’m busy a few nights a week but they break up for the summer holidays which isn’t great for my mental health.
I also do jigsaw puzzles - started during lockdown and it’s good to be able to do something manual rather than screen based. Calming too.
Also just started crochet, making a baby blanket for my incoming niece. Not very good at it but hoping the baby won’t care.
Otherwise I go to comedy shows regularly and try to read as much as I can.
Something about pushing my body to its limits just makes me feel very good. I can’t really explain it. I don’t like the pain or the effort, but doing one more bench press always makes me feel so good about myself. I suppose it’s the sense of accomplishment. The first few months were very hard since I was 30kg overweight and hadn’t done any kind of sports in a long time, so just the thought of exercising made me anxious. Nowadays, I’m much more accustomed to it. I’ve lost a bit over 10kg, and the challenge has become somewhat addictive.