Get a hobby!

Firstly, apologies for the absence.  I've recently moved from Surrey to Kent and am trying to get to grips with my work transfer, commuting and other annoyances involved in a move that I've been quite knackered, to say the least.

Secondly, I hope you take my blog title in good humour, as it's intended.


I find myself often giving the same advice to those who are plagued by negative and other distressing thoughts associated with anxiety and depression, and that is to get a hobby.  It is a fantastic way of keeping your mind focused on learning or on a project whilst increasing your self esteem, self worth and confidence.  It's also a good opportunity to relax and unwind from a tough day and it can reduce your stress.  But giving the advice is easier said than done, since people are often left lost, not knowing what hobby to pursue and the self doubts that follow.

To help narrow down what hobby you may want to pursue in ask yourself these questions:
What am I good at?  Do you find enjoyment when helping the kids with arts and crafts or fancy yourself a chef in the kitchen, these are worth pursuing further.  Half the battle is already done.
What was I good at when I was a child?  Reliving childhood hobbies could be quite revitilising.  Whether you were a keen netball player, convincing mooter or hot on topic journalist you may find that old spark again.  If you're not sure what you were good at then read through old school reports or speak to friends and family who knew you as a child.
What do I want to learn?  This is probably the best approach when gaining a new hobby, because learning a new skill is a massive boost to your self confidence and self esteem.  There's a wide range of hobbies to try, see the non exhaustive list below.

Some people that I speak to regarding this subject often come back and say 'but I'm not good at anything'.  Unfortunately, we are not born with the skills and abilities to be super fantastic awesome at hobbies at the first instance, everything takes time, patience and practise.  Even olympian athletes have to train extensively for years, during most hours god gives them, to get to the level that they compete at.  It's also been said that creative writers need ten to fifteen years of writing before they reach their peak, but don't let that put you off!  By all means don't pursue something you don't enjoy, but don't give up when you've only just begun.

With hundreds of ideas I'll give you some examples below for inspiration:
Academic - local history, sciences, non-fiction writing
Art - painting, home decorating, sculpting
Collecting - stamps, movie merchandise, art
Computing - app design, software developing, computer building
Crafts - knitting, crocheting, jewelry making
Creative writing - poems, short stories, novels
Culinary - baking, cake decorating, food tasting
DIY - masonary, carpentry
Extreme sports - mountain climbing, paragliding, surfing
Languages - french, mandarin, latin
Literature - reading, book clubs, review writing
Media - journalism, blog writing
Music - instrument playing, singing, song writing
Nature - hiking, bird watching, ecology
Spirituality - meditation, yoga
Sports - running, tennis, martial arts
And many, many more....

Once you have some ideas or decided on a hobby you may find that you need a help in hand.  You can find DVDs online and videos on YouTube.  You could ask a friend or relative for a hand or join in a local hobby group.  You can also find websites and internet forums on any hobby you could possibly imagine so you won't be without some form of guidance.

I wish you the best of luck in what ever you decide to pursue in :)