Lived Experience Forum

[MermaidHair]

Hey @D1ng0, this is such a great question, thanks for asking and I hope you're doing alright too! 

Throughout my recovery process I've kind of done a bit of both picking up some old hobbies and discovering new ones. The majority of my hobbies were solo kind of things, reading, writing, collecting antiques, walking and exploring in nature. Something I never saw myself doing was being overly social or participating in group or team type stuff, however now I actually do a lot of it and I love it. I'm a member of a sporing club, a parent committee and another organisation that involve getting out of my comfort zone, socialising and volunteering 

There were a couple of turning points for me and the big ones were my depression and isolation, it was just me and my kids. I knew that having a village so to speak was necessary, and that being apart of a community and having connection is a key factor in easing feelings of loneliness and depression. That said it hasn't been easy because I also suffer terribly from anxiety so I've had to overcome a lot and I still struggle sometimes. 

I'd love to get back into antique collecting again, that is a part of myself I haven't picked back up yet!

Motivation can be hard when you're not feeling it, even for the things you really love. Everything is baby steps when it comes to depression and every little bit eventually adds up to a lot. Trying new things or easing into things is definitely the way to go.

[D1ng0]

Hey @MermaidHair thanks for the insight into your life, and into how your relationship to hobbies has changed 😊

[Spirit_Healer]

@D1ng0 , I would back what @The-red-centaur said about 'doing it anyway'. Sometimes you just need to start the activity first, and the enjoyment comes later. I've taken many breaks from playing piano over the years; I'm glad to say I've picked it up again recently and it's been fun! The more I play, the better my dexterity gets, and then I enjoy playing it more because it sounds better. I've found a couple of new pieces to start learning, and I might start improvising again, too.

I've also gotten back into a little bit of salsa dancing after stopping during Covid, that's been good, too. @tyme 

Let us know how you go!

[tyme]

I really learnt so much in salsa dancing... not the dancing itself, but to control my thoughts and my mind @Spirit_Healer  It was so good for my MH. 🙂

[Jasper_123]

Hey @D1ng0 ! I started playing social futsal almost 2 years ago after not having played soccer for about 8 years. It's really ignited by love for the sport and having it as a way to see friends and get exercise has really helped my mental health! 

[LilMapleLeaf]

@D1ng0 

I think @The-red-centaur hit the nail on the head. In particular I always tell people (and try to practice what I preach) about the importance of scheduling in moments of joy. So scheduling in your hobbies and making them just as important as having a shower or finishing an assignment. There's a lot of research showing he benefits of hobbies for our mental health however our mental health can be the thing stopping us from starting the hobbies in the first place (vicious cycle) but if we can schedule them in and make it a priority, that can make a huge difference.

And I'm saying all this in full knowledge that I haven't touched any of my hobbies in a while 😂 so a good reminder to myself as well to schedule in my hobbies.

Also, reading books absolutely counts as a hobby. I also like the concept in creating things of purposefully making really crappy things, not for the purpose of making something incredible but for the purpose of just finishing something even if it sucks. Like with sketching, setting a 5 minute timer and just sketching something really bad but making sure you finish it. Just having that accomplishment of finishing a project is amazing, even if it sucks.

[D1ng0]

Hey @Jasper_123 thanks for sharing that 😊 I'm very envious, I miss being able to enjoy exercise like that. I'm really glad you have that positive aspect in your life.

Thanks for the insights @LilMapleLeaf. I don't really want to get back into art, if I'm honest, although I do see the wisdom overall. When it comes to making art... I did it for so long, and it completely dominated my personality, that I don't find it relaxing anymore. It's a good distraction when I'm waiting for appointments, but otherwise it just feels pointless. I used art as a way to get attention and praise, and I really can't disconnect art-making from competition when I try it nowadays. I don't get any satisfaction from making a piece of art, I get satisfaction when I'm praised for the art... It's how my brain was trained over years of art training 😅 I think it's ruined for me.

I thought for a while that I disliked art-making because of my depression, but I think it's more than that. I've just moved on.

I reckon I'll focus on reading books and writing my own stories. There's less of a feeling that I'm forcing myself to enjoy it, whereas that's how I feel when I create art. Reading books definitely feels the most accessible. For most of my life, hobbies have been about excelling and competing... but there's not really a way to do that when I'm reading, so my brain doesn't even try.

Anyway 😊 I hope you can enjoy your hobbies soon too, and that it helps you feel positive!!

[LilMapleLeaf]

@D1ng0 

I totally get that, I'm the same with dance. It's too much in my head now.

But stories are amazing, I reckon you could you the same concept though when writing. Also love reading a good book. I have soooooo many books on my to be read list at the moment!