Hey, guys! Today, I'll be sharing ten hobbies for you to try out - whenever you have the time or want to. One of the most difficult things about struggling with mental health is finding other, healthy, things to do instead of focusing on difficult things/thoughts. I have tried to pick up so many different hobbies and the problem I always have is sticking to them. After I list off my top ten hobbies to try out, I will go into a little detail on how I give myself time to stick to my hobbies and make sure that I look forward to them. Here we go!
Color By Number (or Any Coloring)
I personally really enjoy "Color by Numbers," particularly because my OCD likes for me to color in a certain order, and having a number system to go by is very helpful. However, any type of coloring is a great hobby to pick up and is a very good stress reliever! You can find just about any type of coloring page online that you can download and print. If you cannot print, pretty much any store has coloring books that you can buy for cheap, or you can order one on Amazon.
Geocaching
This one is my favorite, especially during warmer months. Geocaching is basically a huge outdoor scavenger hunt. To keep it short and simple, you'll need a device with GPS access (any smartphone will do), the Geocaching app, a writing utensil, good walking shoes, a vehicle (depending on how far you're wanting to go), and little miscellaneous items (if you'd like to leave something in a found geocache). You will then, on the app, click on any geocache and it will give you directions on how to get to it. You'll then have to search that area for the physical cache. These can be in pill containers, food containers, etc. And they can be hidden among tree branches, rocks, bushes, etc. You will then open the geocache and sign the log inside. If it is big enough, you can leave something behind for others to find, and you can take something out of it as a souvenir! This activity is so great for getting some fresh air, exercise, and fun into your days! For more detailed information, feel free to contact me!
Playing Boardgames
My stepfather owns thousands of board games - literally. He had to rent a storage unit for the majority of them. Playing board games is an awesome hobby. There are so many different types of games. There are really short games, really long games, fun games, strategy games, more difficult games, etc. There are games based on video games and popular entertainment. Playing board games is a great time-killer and can also be great for bonding with friends and family. I would list off some of my favorites, but there are too many! This is another hobby that I probably know too much about, so if you're looking for suggestions, please, reach out!
Volunteering
I really haven't volunteered in a while, but I needed to add this one in here. If it wasn't for volunteering, I may not be in my dream job right now. I started doing volunteer work because I had so much free time. My first volunteer job was actually with my hometown's police department. I was a police explorer and I helped with security and parking for events, as well as going on ride-a-longs with officers. I also volunteered for a business that worked with special needs children - this is the one that got me to where I'm at today. To find local volunteer opportunities, you can do a simple Google search! You can search by your age, location, and what you may be interested in.
Writing
Writing can often be seen as a difficult or daunting task. It absolutely does not have to be. I understand that lots of people may think they cannot write, but that is not true! Writing has so many forms. I'll go over a couple. Just journaling is a form of writing. You can journal about your day, any struggles you're having, literally anything at all. Another form of writing is creative writing. This is so much fun! You can use a topic generator on Google, or search for writing prompts. Then you type anything and everything that comes to your mind. When you're done, you might just be pleasantly surprised with what you've done! I absolutely adore writing. It is a way to transport yourself into a completely new world, or even just one where your problems aren't present. If you want to try this out, but are lost on where to start, feel free to reach out!
Learn a New Language
For me, this started because I was going to Ireland, but it continued because I had so much fun with it. The app Duolingo is absolutely great for this, I highly recommend it. Even if you choose not to use an app, you can find books or other websites that will help you learn a language. Even if you never need to use a language in your life, the experience of learning something completely new is something amazing.
Stargazing
There's really nothing like looking up into the sky on a clear night. It's truly breathtaking. For me, it makes my problems seem tiny, even if just for a second. You need nothing but a place with little light and a clear night. If you want to kick up your stargazing game, there are tons of great, free or paid, apps and resources that you can utilize. Lots of those resources can help you locate stars, constellations, planets, etc.
Watch Documentaries About One or Multiple Interests
Nearly everyone watches some sort of streaming or television service often. Why not turn that into a learning experience? There are so many different types of documentaries on different topics. Personally, I love watching documentaries on Ancient Egypt, Space, and True Crime. Lots of these documentaries can be found on Netflix, Hulu, or even YouTube. Do a Google search on a favorite topic of yours, plus the word "documentary." You may be surprised at how much comes up!
Photography
Photography is another great hobby to pick up. It does not require any fancy equipment. As long as you have, at minimum, a camera phone, you will be set! Get outside, walk around new places, or even old favorites, and snap some pictures. Don't worry about lighting, setting, or anything else. Just snap a photo whenever you are drawn to something! After you're done, look through all of your photos and save your favorites! Maybe even share them with your friends and family!
DIY Activities
DIY Activities is a huge, broad, label. So many things can fall into this! For example, crafting, building things around your home, homemade gifts, etc. One of the best parts about DIY is that you can turn it into a small business. Several months ago, I bought all of the materials for candle making, bookmark, and sticker making. Now, I haven't used them yet, but I will! Currently, I really enjoy making DIY learning activities for my student at school and for any other future students I may have. Pinterest is the absolute best for DIY. You can search just about anything and add "DIY" to the end and come up with so many incredible ideas!
Now that I've gone into my top ten hobbies to pick up, let's get real. I have not been able to stick to all of these hobbies. I love them all, absolutely, but it is SO hard to stick to doing them. That being said, it is super beneficial to carve out time in our days and let ourselves do something fun or entertaining that we are interested in. Here are some of my favorite ways to make sure I have time for or am looking forward to hobbies!
Stick to a routine, and make sure you have time set aside for a hobby
Set a timer/reminder for the time you've put aside for a hobby
Remind yourself that it's okay to only do something for a few minutes, or for as long as you can.
When you are engaging in a hobby, take note of your favorite parts of it, so you can have something to look forward to!
Do it with a friend or family member!
Make a scrapbook or journal of your favorite hobbies, pictures of yourself doing them, your favorite parts of them, etc. Look back on this when you're figuring out what you should do! - This, in itself, can be a whole other hobby!
Let your creative juices flow while you're doing something fun. This will help you remember that it is fun and hopefully give you more reason to do it again!
I really hope that this post gives you guys some cool ideas, maybe even of things that I haven't listed! As I noted throughout, please, feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to learn more about anything I've shared! Google will also be extremely helpful!
Stay Strong and Stay Safe!
Love,
Aylin
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1- 800-799-7233
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255); www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Suicide Prevention, Awareness, and Support: www.suicide.org
Lifeline Crisis Chat: https://www.contact-usa.org/chat.html
Crisis Text Line: Text REASON to 741741 (free, confidential and 24/7)
Self-Harm Hotline: 1-800-DONT CUT (1-800-366-8288)
Family Violence Helpline: 1-800-996-6228
Planned Parenthood Hotline: 1-800-230-PLAN (7526)
National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependency: 1-800-622-2255
The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 678678. Standard text messaging rates apply. Available 24/7/365. (Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning—LGBTQ—young people under 25.)
Veterans Crisis Line: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net
(The above resources are obtained from https://www.psycom.net/get-help-mental-health )
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