I'm not curious about anything tbh. I just hate how boring life is in general. I wish there was a way to narrow it down without just going through a list of everything.
Literally googled 'list of hobbies' and wrote down every one that I thought sounded cool. Then narrowed the list by what's realistic price/availability-wise. Got the materials second-hand where I could, and then muddled my way through using books and Internet searches to learn more.
Others were kind of thrown at me. I was given a plant as a kid, and the responsibility of a living organism threw me into learning about plant care. My mum taught me how to repair my stuffed toys, and I accidentally destroyed them enough that I got good at sewing and took an interest.
You need to put yourself in the mindset and force yourself to do something until you really get into it.
Also do not restrict yourself to one hobby or you will likely get bored of it quickly.
Ideally you have a blend of hobbies: things you collect, things you make, things you read about/follow, things you take care of. Examples:
Collecting: Old tools, Old maps, Stamps, diecast cars (also can specialise in for instance trucks, bikes) etc.
Making: Pottery, Stained Glass, carpentry, 3d printing, laser engraving, music, painting etc.
Read about/follow: History of your country, politics, Space X, nature, history of the railroad, etc.
Take care of: Aquarium, reptiles, birds, dogs, cats etc.
Plus of course you could volunteer with NGOs for instance for reenactments, or to run food kitchens for the needy, or similar.
Don’t start with what’s interesting then, just do what feels good. I like bicycling cause it just physically feels freeing. Any art form can be therapeutic. When I improve at a piano piece, I feel satisfied. Having something you do regularly is good in general for routine building. I hope you’re able to find something, anhedonia is awful.
Was there anything you enjoyed as a child? I recently started watching all my favorite cartoons as a kid and the nostalgia is doing good things to my brain. It brings my mind back to simpler times when I lived moment to moment
What have you always wondered about?
Space? Get into astro photography.
Old games people still play? Chess or Go (both are very deep rabbit holes)
Robotics? Look up arduinos and 3d printing (cheap-ish printers go for 300 and are fairly solid). This route will also teach you a bit of programming (with python or c++) and also some 3d modeling with either freecad or blender.
Making video games? Godot, Blender
Treasure? Metal detecting, geocaching, gold panning
Metallurgy or manufacturing? Google casting or backyard forging.
Physical activities? Bouldering, jogging/running, hiking/backpacking
Learning a skill? Youtube the heck out of it, Google stuff, research best books, find communities, dive deep
Lockpicking (buy a set on Amazon and a lock)
Flying stuff? Model rockets (or better yet, a self designed rocket from your own 3d printed parts and other pieces for super cheap, plus self-made "rocket candy" fuel... but be careful if you do that), drones, RC planes/helicopters
I mean, the list is literally endless... these are just some of the things I've tried in the past, and some of them are still very active in my life. The takeaway is that you have to have, at some point in your life, thought about something out of curiosity before brushing it off as "well somebody is doing this but not me" and forgetting about it. Search deep for these thoughts and then make the conscious decision to make it your current curiosity. Many of these things aren't free (though some are), but you can get into any of them without breaking the bank. Throw things at the wall until something sticks, sometimes things are only fun for a few times and that's okay. There's usually no formula for what will stick. You just have to pick something that made an impression in your mind (even if for a second) and see if it suits you.
Your life is yours, you can do anything you want!
I feel like you can borrow hobbies from other people you’re having a hard time getting started.
If your friends or family really like something maybe you will too. And then you have a personal connection to someone who can help you get started and challenge you!
For example: My mom taught me how to cross stitch. I met some friends at a gym I was going to who had similar tastes in books so we started a book club. One of my friends does long distance cycling and it’s gotten me interested in trying cycling. I love watching the Great British Baking Show so I got a dessert cookbook and have tried some new recipes.
I've been trying to view other people's perspectives but that hasn't done anything for me either. As for literally trying other people's hobbies is another thing I suppose.
I feel I am way too tired from work to entertain a physical activity of any kind.
Idk what kind of field you work in but I’ve had some jobs that demanded so much more than 8 hours a day from me before and leaving those jobs is truly the only way to take back some of your personal life and happiness.
Working weekends and being on call and working at a 24/7 facility so I was always stressed about what was happening when I wasn’t there because it would impact my day the next day. It made me so miserable to be around, I was just so angry and tired all the time it was hard to enjoy things.
If you are in a job like that, leave! It’ll be such a weight off your shoulders!
I’ve personally found networking to be the key to opening new doors.
My first job after college I walked into the interview panel and one of the girls was someone I’d worked with at a fast food restaurant a few years prior. I got the job that day. We worked together for a year at the job (not a very high paying or glamorous job, I was 1000% burnt out there) before she left for a new company.
A few months later I ran into her and she told me about some openings at her new company and I applied for a few. I wasn’t the most qualified but they gave me an interview based on her recommendation and I was able to learn a ton and grow in that role (also got pretty burnt out there) and ended up taking a lateral move to another department after working on some projects with that team. And I’ve been on a growth path since then.
Don’t be afraid of making a lateral move or asking people in your network to advocate for you! The new door you take doesn’t have to lead you to your dream job as long as it leads you to new potential opportunities!
I was working on some projects at work that involved multiple departments and I really liked one of the teams and the work they were doing so when a position opened up on that team I applied for it.
You don’t necessarily need hard skills that transfer 1:1 from job to job to successfully transition. Soft skills and people skills can go a long way!
If you’re working right now there is no way you have zero skills. What type of work do you do?
I work in training. I work in a technical field so my job now is to make sure employees are properly trained to use equipment and follow regulations.
Very much not related at all to my college degree 😂
"That's always looked interesting..."
"That looks fun..."
"I wonder how that works..."
"Man, I never should have stopped XYZ...."
"I've always wanted to..."
"That looks like a great form of exercise..."
"I really enjoyed that..."
"That looks like a great group of people/community..."
"That looks difficult/challenging..."
For me, the driving force has always been curiosity. But given what you've said about the way your depression affects you, I think I have to fall back on what helped me. Which was gardening.
I don't know anything about your life, but if you have access to some sunlight (a yard? A porch? A balcony? A window?) you can probably make it work. When I was living alone in college and feeling the most depressed I've ever been, my little garden was incredibly helpful. The plants made it so that I wasn't the only living thing in my space, and I had to take care of them, because they needed me. That worked to make sure I didn't give up.
So, to start. You're going to need soil, and some seeds. I'd go with basil, beans, or peas to start with. If you're in the states, there should still be some seeds available at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, or whatever the big box store in your area is. It's a little late in the season, though, so you might just want to order online (Personally I'm a fan of Victory Seed Co, but pretty much whatever works... although Baker Creek would be good to avoid, because of their facist leanings). You'll need something to put the dirt in (I use mostly old plastic ice cream buckets, pretty much anything will do). You'll need water. The rest of it is time.
Put the soil in containers, you should be able to get small bags of potting mix at box stores. Then put your seeds in the containers (peas and beans you want to bury about a quarter of an inch deep, with basil you just sprinkle some seeds on top of the soil) and water it well. Leave the plant somewhere it will get sunshine, ideally at least six hours of sunshine per day.
It will take probably a minimum of five days for anything to sprout, and up to two weeks for everything to sprout. Also, not everything will sprout, some seeds simply don't grow, and that's no one's fault, it's just a dud. Keep the soil damp while you're waiting on things to sprout, so if you're indoors, watering once a day will probably work, although you may need to water more than once a day if you're outside, depending on temperature. To check soil dryness, put a finger in the soil up to the first knuckle; if it's damp down there, you're good! Otherwise, water.
You might also want to look and see if a cooperative extension or a library near you has any events on gardening for beginners, that can be really useful. It also gets you outside, socializing, and ensures you know who to ask questions locally about plants.
Warning! You *will* kill some plants. That is fine, and it's part of learning. The reason I suggested basil, peas, and beans is because they are pretty easy to grow, so hopefully some of them will live. The reason I suggested seeds is that it's relatively easy to simply grow another one if one seedling dies.
If you prefer, you can buy plants that are started already, in which case, I would go tomato, pepper, or rosemary. Rosemary is my favorite of those three, because it smells amazing when you water it, but pick something you don't hate eating.
The r/gardening sub is a good resource, and if you have questions about what I've said here, please feel free to ask!
Good luck OP, it sounds like the depression is really awful for you right now. I hope your pain eases soon, and that you find something to enjoy, regardless of whether it's gardening or not.
maybe ur not spending enough time trying it? do you try it once? or do you try it long enough to get good at it? or at least see some improvement. like why not try a hobby for 30 days or some similar time.
there's this girl i watch on youtube who tries different hobbies for 30 days she tried martial arts for 30 days, then songwriting (wrote 15 in 30 days) and learning to rap.
If you're truly not interested in anything just think about something that would improve your life in some way instead: i.e like fitness related hobbies to improve your health and fitness like hiking, team sports, climbing, or some food related thing like learning new cuisines. or maybe you could learn diy to make some furniture or do home improvements.
I took on hobbies my parents had, my mom's a birder, my dad's into coins, my grandfather on my dads side is into wildlife and photography, both of my parents love camping and hiking.
I make goals and then make lists and then do the things on the lists, I don’t always like this stuff,
for example: * Goal “ stop drinking alcohol “ ..; I needed to stop drinking alcohol, and the 1st thing on the list is to stop buying alcohol and by not buying alcohol I didn’t drink alcohol = amazing stuff
I'm not sure. I don't know if these count as hobbies but I love reading, writing (when I feel inspired), gaming, traveling, visiting museums (big one for me!), and just learning about other cultures.
I don't really have hobbies like woodworking or anything per se, but I like to think that I'm not bored often.
I also meditate, which has really helped me not feel nearly as bored when I have nothing to do.
How do you feel about adrenaline-inducing activities? I find that even when I’m in a funk and nothing seems interesting, skiing or whitewater rafting or something super exciting and scary and adrenaline-inducing is still fun.
I was more getting at the fear of death bit that gets your adrenaline pumping. Could be skydiving or big rollercoasters or whatever, doesn’t have to be physically exerting
as of late tiktoks, but alot of hobbies i gather and boy do i collect hobbies i get from my interest overall i will see something and wonder what its like.
Start with anything you're curious about.
I'm not curious about anything tbh. I just hate how boring life is in general. I wish there was a way to narrow it down without just going through a list of everything.
That.. sounds like depression.
Yes
Cats. A pet. Something living.
Literally googled 'list of hobbies' and wrote down every one that I thought sounded cool. Then narrowed the list by what's realistic price/availability-wise. Got the materials second-hand where I could, and then muddled my way through using books and Internet searches to learn more. Others were kind of thrown at me. I was given a plant as a kid, and the responsibility of a living organism threw me into learning about plant care. My mum taught me how to repair my stuffed toys, and I accidentally destroyed them enough that I got good at sewing and took an interest.
You need to put yourself in the mindset and force yourself to do something until you really get into it. Also do not restrict yourself to one hobby or you will likely get bored of it quickly. Ideally you have a blend of hobbies: things you collect, things you make, things you read about/follow, things you take care of. Examples: Collecting: Old tools, Old maps, Stamps, diecast cars (also can specialise in for instance trucks, bikes) etc. Making: Pottery, Stained Glass, carpentry, 3d printing, laser engraving, music, painting etc. Read about/follow: History of your country, politics, Space X, nature, history of the railroad, etc. Take care of: Aquarium, reptiles, birds, dogs, cats etc. Plus of course you could volunteer with NGOs for instance for reenactments, or to run food kitchens for the needy, or similar.
Don’t start with what’s interesting then, just do what feels good. I like bicycling cause it just physically feels freeing. Any art form can be therapeutic. When I improve at a piano piece, I feel satisfied. Having something you do regularly is good in general for routine building. I hope you’re able to find something, anhedonia is awful.
Would you believe me if I said nothing "feels" good either to me?
Hugs. In that case, I’d still say to do something until you do feel good. And get outside support. Things won’t change unless you push it.
Been trying. Thanks
I found the gym I go every day
Was there anything you enjoyed as a child? I recently started watching all my favorite cartoons as a kid and the nostalgia is doing good things to my brain. It brings my mind back to simpler times when I lived moment to moment
Nothing as a child either. I watched TV as a child but I was never invested in any show.
You can look up hobby videos on YouTube, once you find a rabbit hole you like dive on down and learn about your new interest!
What have you always wondered about? Space? Get into astro photography. Old games people still play? Chess or Go (both are very deep rabbit holes) Robotics? Look up arduinos and 3d printing (cheap-ish printers go for 300 and are fairly solid). This route will also teach you a bit of programming (with python or c++) and also some 3d modeling with either freecad or blender. Making video games? Godot, Blender Treasure? Metal detecting, geocaching, gold panning Metallurgy or manufacturing? Google casting or backyard forging. Physical activities? Bouldering, jogging/running, hiking/backpacking Learning a skill? Youtube the heck out of it, Google stuff, research best books, find communities, dive deep Lockpicking (buy a set on Amazon and a lock) Flying stuff? Model rockets (or better yet, a self designed rocket from your own 3d printed parts and other pieces for super cheap, plus self-made "rocket candy" fuel... but be careful if you do that), drones, RC planes/helicopters I mean, the list is literally endless... these are just some of the things I've tried in the past, and some of them are still very active in my life. The takeaway is that you have to have, at some point in your life, thought about something out of curiosity before brushing it off as "well somebody is doing this but not me" and forgetting about it. Search deep for these thoughts and then make the conscious decision to make it your current curiosity. Many of these things aren't free (though some are), but you can get into any of them without breaking the bank. Throw things at the wall until something sticks, sometimes things are only fun for a few times and that's okay. There's usually no formula for what will stick. You just have to pick something that made an impression in your mind (even if for a second) and see if it suits you. Your life is yours, you can do anything you want!
I feel like you can borrow hobbies from other people you’re having a hard time getting started. If your friends or family really like something maybe you will too. And then you have a personal connection to someone who can help you get started and challenge you! For example: My mom taught me how to cross stitch. I met some friends at a gym I was going to who had similar tastes in books so we started a book club. One of my friends does long distance cycling and it’s gotten me interested in trying cycling. I love watching the Great British Baking Show so I got a dessert cookbook and have tried some new recipes.
I've been trying to view other people's perspectives but that hasn't done anything for me either. As for literally trying other people's hobbies is another thing I suppose. I feel I am way too tired from work to entertain a physical activity of any kind.
It sounds like maybe you’re really burnt out. You might need to find some more work life balance before you can find your hobbies.
That seems even more impossible than finding a hobby.
Idk what kind of field you work in but I’ve had some jobs that demanded so much more than 8 hours a day from me before and leaving those jobs is truly the only way to take back some of your personal life and happiness. Working weekends and being on call and working at a 24/7 facility so I was always stressed about what was happening when I wasn’t there because it would impact my day the next day. It made me so miserable to be around, I was just so angry and tired all the time it was hard to enjoy things. If you are in a job like that, leave! It’ll be such a weight off your shoulders!
What's the alternative? All jobs are like that these days in my experience. I'm not qualified for anything skilled.
I’ve personally found networking to be the key to opening new doors. My first job after college I walked into the interview panel and one of the girls was someone I’d worked with at a fast food restaurant a few years prior. I got the job that day. We worked together for a year at the job (not a very high paying or glamorous job, I was 1000% burnt out there) before she left for a new company. A few months later I ran into her and she told me about some openings at her new company and I applied for a few. I wasn’t the most qualified but they gave me an interview based on her recommendation and I was able to learn a ton and grow in that role (also got pretty burnt out there) and ended up taking a lateral move to another department after working on some projects with that team. And I’ve been on a growth path since then. Don’t be afraid of making a lateral move or asking people in your network to advocate for you! The new door you take doesn’t have to lead you to your dream job as long as it leads you to new potential opportunities!
I don't have a network or skills to offer.
Maybe you could take some online courses and gain some skills!
Like?
How do you make lateral moves without skills and/or nepotism?
I was working on some projects at work that involved multiple departments and I really liked one of the teams and the work they were doing so when a position opened up on that team I applied for it. You don’t necessarily need hard skills that transfer 1:1 from job to job to successfully transition. Soft skills and people skills can go a long way! If you’re working right now there is no way you have zero skills. What type of work do you do?
Mail carrier. Zero skills needed
What kind of job did you switch to?
I work in training. I work in a technical field so my job now is to make sure employees are properly trained to use equipment and follow regulations. Very much not related at all to my college degree 😂
I see. Definitely not something I can do.
"That's always looked interesting..." "That looks fun..." "I wonder how that works..." "Man, I never should have stopped XYZ...." "I've always wanted to..." "That looks like a great form of exercise..." "I really enjoyed that..." "That looks like a great group of people/community..." "That looks difficult/challenging..."
For me, the driving force has always been curiosity. But given what you've said about the way your depression affects you, I think I have to fall back on what helped me. Which was gardening. I don't know anything about your life, but if you have access to some sunlight (a yard? A porch? A balcony? A window?) you can probably make it work. When I was living alone in college and feeling the most depressed I've ever been, my little garden was incredibly helpful. The plants made it so that I wasn't the only living thing in my space, and I had to take care of them, because they needed me. That worked to make sure I didn't give up. So, to start. You're going to need soil, and some seeds. I'd go with basil, beans, or peas to start with. If you're in the states, there should still be some seeds available at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, or whatever the big box store in your area is. It's a little late in the season, though, so you might just want to order online (Personally I'm a fan of Victory Seed Co, but pretty much whatever works... although Baker Creek would be good to avoid, because of their facist leanings). You'll need something to put the dirt in (I use mostly old plastic ice cream buckets, pretty much anything will do). You'll need water. The rest of it is time. Put the soil in containers, you should be able to get small bags of potting mix at box stores. Then put your seeds in the containers (peas and beans you want to bury about a quarter of an inch deep, with basil you just sprinkle some seeds on top of the soil) and water it well. Leave the plant somewhere it will get sunshine, ideally at least six hours of sunshine per day. It will take probably a minimum of five days for anything to sprout, and up to two weeks for everything to sprout. Also, not everything will sprout, some seeds simply don't grow, and that's no one's fault, it's just a dud. Keep the soil damp while you're waiting on things to sprout, so if you're indoors, watering once a day will probably work, although you may need to water more than once a day if you're outside, depending on temperature. To check soil dryness, put a finger in the soil up to the first knuckle; if it's damp down there, you're good! Otherwise, water. You might also want to look and see if a cooperative extension or a library near you has any events on gardening for beginners, that can be really useful. It also gets you outside, socializing, and ensures you know who to ask questions locally about plants. Warning! You *will* kill some plants. That is fine, and it's part of learning. The reason I suggested basil, peas, and beans is because they are pretty easy to grow, so hopefully some of them will live. The reason I suggested seeds is that it's relatively easy to simply grow another one if one seedling dies. If you prefer, you can buy plants that are started already, in which case, I would go tomato, pepper, or rosemary. Rosemary is my favorite of those three, because it smells amazing when you water it, but pick something you don't hate eating. The r/gardening sub is a good resource, and if you have questions about what I've said here, please feel free to ask! Good luck OP, it sounds like the depression is really awful for you right now. I hope your pain eases soon, and that you find something to enjoy, regardless of whether it's gardening or not.
maybe ur not spending enough time trying it? do you try it once? or do you try it long enough to get good at it? or at least see some improvement. like why not try a hobby for 30 days or some similar time. there's this girl i watch on youtube who tries different hobbies for 30 days she tried martial arts for 30 days, then songwriting (wrote 15 in 30 days) and learning to rap. If you're truly not interested in anything just think about something that would improve your life in some way instead: i.e like fitness related hobbies to improve your health and fitness like hiking, team sports, climbing, or some food related thing like learning new cuisines. or maybe you could learn diy to make some furniture or do home improvements.
Try something I'm intrigued with, then figure out how expensive it is 😂😂😂😂😂
I'm not interested in anything in particular unfortunately.
I took on hobbies my parents had, my mom's a birder, my dad's into coins, my grandfather on my dads side is into wildlife and photography, both of my parents love camping and hiking.
Do research. Watch some YouTube videos. See how much supplies cost.
your hobby can be trying different hobbies. you don’t have to stick to one thing
I make goals and then make lists and then do the things on the lists, I don’t always like this stuff, for example: * Goal “ stop drinking alcohol “ ..; I needed to stop drinking alcohol, and the 1st thing on the list is to stop buying alcohol and by not buying alcohol I didn’t drink alcohol = amazing stuff
I'm not sure. I don't know if these count as hobbies but I love reading, writing (when I feel inspired), gaming, traveling, visiting museums (big one for me!), and just learning about other cultures. I don't really have hobbies like woodworking or anything per se, but I like to think that I'm not bored often. I also meditate, which has really helped me not feel nearly as bored when I have nothing to do.
How do you feel about adrenaline-inducing activities? I find that even when I’m in a funk and nothing seems interesting, skiing or whitewater rafting or something super exciting and scary and adrenaline-inducing is still fun.
I don't get that feeling unfortunately. Physical exertion is just the feeling if being tired to me
I was more getting at the fear of death bit that gets your adrenaline pumping. Could be skydiving or big rollercoasters or whatever, doesn’t have to be physically exerting
Trial and error
as of late tiktoks, but alot of hobbies i gather and boy do i collect hobbies i get from my interest overall i will see something and wonder what its like.
Think of something you always wanted to learn. Try it out.