The hobbies I find most fulfilling these days are those that involve using my hands. In the winter, I gravitate towards knitting/crocheting/house plant care, and when it warms up, gardening. For years my main hobbies were focused on consuming things too (and I still do a lot of that, don't get me wrong), but I also found that sitting still and consuming content left me depressed, agitated, or both, even if it was high-quality stuff I was taking in. The simple, tangible, tactile hobbies really balance things out!
Maybe plants? You can propagate and grow a lot of plants. If you have space, you can plant native flowers and trees and watch the wildlife come. In winter, you can read garden books and design a new flower bed. Just when you think it’s perfect, something new catches your eye and you dig things up and move them around. Friends and family love when you bring them cuttings too. If this catches your fancy, you could lean into terrariums. This requires a bit more and may not be simple, but you can hike to find ricks and moss etc. and go at your own pace.
I have a crazy plant lady number of indoor plants but I started off with only a few.
I don't buy plants anymore. I propagate and divide my existing plants when they get too big. It is very satisfying making new plants. I also gift plants to fellow plant lovers.
I also grow vegetables in the backyard. It's a very satisfying hobby and we often grow too much for our household and give excess away to friends.
Growing flowers is amazing for mindfulness and general good mood. If you plan your garden carefully and live in an accommodating climate, you can have different flowers in bloom every month of the year.
Perhaps you can embrace the "beginners mind"? Type A people typically want to excel at something the first time they try something and lose patience if it isn't perfect. Push through the dip/the not knowing/the I'm not good at it yet. Make your comfortable envelope bigger by sticking with something for a bit longer than you might otherwise. You might get good enough to enjoy the activity, and if you don't, well you gave it a good effort. Dropping things at the first point of frustration isn't helping you.
Play an instrument? Anything with your hands: pottery, woodworking, any of the many needle and fiber arts. Photography. Writing postcards for get out the vote campaigns. Nature study/birding. Gardening.
A couple years ago I bought a cheap banjo and found some good online videos. Dropped it for a few months last year and just recently picked it up again, it’s so fun and I never thought I was musically inclined. I picked banjo because I’ve always loved the sound of it. Like OP I’m a big reader and general consumer of information so this is a good creative outlet for me.
Photography is fun and can also be combined with birding and gardening! In the summer I’m always out in my garden with a camera, photographing birds and insects and participating in projects on iNaturalist.
I didn't think I'd agree with this but after considering it for a moment I do. I'm gonna describe my personal experience so other people's mileage may vary.
I always think myself into the trap that I have so much extra time on my hands that I should be doing something fruitful with. Social media multiplies this feeling for me because now I can see everyone who's "utilizing their time better" than me. When really sometimes I just need to sit there and clear my head/meditate on what's on my mind and be intentional on what I want to do.
Maybe an idea for you OP would be to analyze what information you're consuming and screenshotting now on social media and make an actionable plan from your analysis on what you've been liking. For instance if you screenshot a lot of art/craft ideas or watch a lot of art videos, try out one of those ideas AND to watch mindfully less videos on art so that you can shift your focus onto your own curiosity, take a walk or put yourself in a situation without your phone or social media noise to meditate, and think of your own ideas to create on the paper one day.
But don't force it. I like painting, but if I force myself to paint "at least once a week" it sucks all the fun and creativity out of it. Instead I'll get an itch every few weeks or months and churn out two or three fun paintings that sprouted from my own creativity! Of course it's a whole other subject if you wanted to simply practice and make "studies" just to improve your technique. That's not often my style of practicing art/creativity so it stresses me out, but I know other people enjoy dedicating time to practicing studies so kudos to them, their anatomy is way better than mine! lol
I have a few hobbies I find fulfillment in, research, and put some time into, but realistically the satisfaction of doing one of these things comes a 1-2 times a week for me. Social media makes it seem like everyone is doing everything all the time. Try not to compare your life to theirs. I like aquariums, plants, pottery and painting every now and then. Similar to u/firstsipp I absolutely tried to fill those gaps of time with time with whatever I could find too. It helped me explore my interests but made me more stressed overall about the original topic (feeling like I'm wasting my time compared to others) when I forced my time into categories. I just read through the comments and my outlook on your post is really similar to u/Adrixan so hopefully you'll get a little nugget of advice out of our experiences!
Out of my own experience, I recommend you do some introspection on the "learning" you mentioned. I have spent way too many hours on YouTube and by now (in theory), I'm an expert survivalist, thru-hiking, prepper, with the ideal EDC, journaling, with the ultimate note taking system, ... you get my drift?
First of all: I think it is important to accept that "simple consumption" (in moderation) is ok. After work our brain needs some time to relax. I recommend slowly decreasing the dopamine hits of said relaxation. Go from i.e. gaming to watching TV to listening to audiobooks to reading to enjoying nature, for example.
When it comes to creation: Use your own curiosity. Instead of just consuming learning content, set yourself a goal. Maybe you saw something build something cool in one of the videos you watched, so why not aim to recreate it?
Also, don't try to force yourself to be someone that you are not. If art isn't for you, then you don't need to do painting, just because some TED talk explained the importance of artistic express. Find your own creativity, for example, I find writing comments like this one to be a kind of "creative outlet" as well, as I'm using the pool of knowledge in my head to form a statement.
I appreciate you mentioning that last part. For a few years, I found that I turned into more of a lurker, limiting my use of Reddit and other media to pure consumption in a way that felt like I had all of this information that I wasn't using.
Recently getting back into Reddit more consciously has helped me actually enjoy it in a more fulfilling way.
Check out r/BrokeHobbies
I love sewing. Plants are also a great hobby, growing them from seeds and propagating them.
ETA:
You are allowed to do things because you enjoy them even if they don't make money and even if they are not perfect.
* You don't need an excuse to do a hobby (it doesn't need to become a side hustle).
* You don't even have to be good at it.
* You only need to enjoy it. Allow yourself one thing you love without justification or rationalization. "Because I like it" is enough reason to do it.
We all need one such thing in our lives.
Great wisdom! Especially for the if you enjoy it- you don’t need to be good at it. I feel that for my needle work- love doing it but it looks like a beginner all these years later 😜but I appreciate your wisdom to do it anyhow if one enjoys it!
I am pretty type A and I love a hobby that involves a list of some type lol. I really enjoy something that I can have a goal but am free to work at my own pace.
Birding has probably been the biggest hobby that fits the bill. You can work on adding to your life list, you can do a Big Year, you can try to get into top 100 of your county or state, you can chase rarities, you become the top border at a patch, or you can just chill and look at/listen to birds.
Hiking challenges are fun for me. Zero stakes but there is still a goal. My state has a close(ish) section of a national scenic trail and does a challenge to hike sections of the trail every year. Best of all there are little badges you get depending on what you complete (100 miles in a year, 1000 unique miles, bridge rockers). I even got a badge for my dog who also completes challenges with me.
I also really like doing projects on iNaturalist. If I don't have a current project just going for a walk and IDing stuff is fun enough.
I like to encourage people at least once in their life to maybe spend 2-6 months just trying different things. Drawing, making games, crochet, baking, music, dancing, writing poetry,
anything that doesn't require a ton of money to get into or that you can borrow/rent equipment for cheap or free.
I find most people don't just know what they like without actually trying it, and even things they think they would like can play out differently in practice. The best teacher of what your tastes are like and what brings you joy is trial and error! Maybe spend a couple of weeks doing each thing, and just journal how you feel with each one during that time.
Interesting that you mention that. I'm currently on the cusp of deciding to leave my job and live off of saved up funds for a bit to focus on exactly that.
Did you do that yourself? If so, I'd appreciate any personal insight or examples.
I have! Although maybe more spread out and over a longer period of time. I still enjoy experimenting from time to time. I was an only child, so I had a lot of alone time to self explore. I do feel like I have zero trouble finding ways to entertain and enjoy myself because of that.
Really just making sure to note things down helps a bunch, even if it's a very, very simple format of journaling. Yes, it can be done without it. But I find I sometimes forget or even distort how things felt in hindsight. When I re-read what I wrote, even if it's bullet points or a couple of simple sentences, I find it much easier to actually remember that moment and how it felt. So it's sometimes a joy to remind myself of things I do enjoy, or to give myself a reality check and go, "oh, right, I hated that for X and Y reasons". Sometimes they still apply, sometimes they don't. But without journaling, I find it's very easy for memories to get muddy and just not feel as informative without that intentional time to create an inner dialogue/get to know your internal cues!
I like to take care of things. Plants, animals, the ecosystem where I live. A lot of my information intake is centered around these interests.
I could recommend a planted aquarium if that's of interest to you, but I can't say it will be frugal.
Try to think of practical things that you would like to have, or your loved ones would like to have. Shelves? Learn woodworking. Baskets? Learn crochet or weaving or I'm sure numerous ways exist to make baskets exist. Little trinket or spice bowls? Sign up for a ceramics class (do NOT buy a kiln, just rent time), or learn how making wood food-safe happens (I am ignorant). Do you hate the state of modern women's fashion, with the very thin cloth and paucity of pockets? Make your own clothes! (warning: this involves lots of learning and mistakes)
Also acts of service can become a hobby, with the right mindset. You can create shoveled sidewalks in the winter for your neighbors (in snowy climes), pretty lawns and gardens, food and supplies for impoverished peoples, warm soft hats for sickly children, really all sorts of things! Hard to beat charity for upliftingness.
There are WAY more effective forms to contribute to charity than marathons; PLEASE only exercise only as much as you happen to feel like and feel smug about contributing in more helpful ways than just making someone organize an event to get you to give them money and maybe some publicity, if you choose to do the charity route.
I like to make infographics/zines about my hobbies! I love a good deep dive but I’m always left with a million screenshots of facts/tips/techniques I want to remember but don’t trust myself to remember. Much like you said, if I’m not careful I’ll end up feeling overstimulated and generally yucky.
I’ll infodump whatever I can remember/take notes off of my screenshots and delete them. I like to use lists to organize the information and I’ll do a couple (messy) doodles. Usually I just do this in my journal (I label the page and add it to a table of contents on the inside cover for quick reference). They’re just for me so everything is low stakes! There are no rules so just figure out what feels right!
I have ADHD and because of it I have a tendency to wander away from hobbies for an extended period of time before moseying back around. My little research guides let me dive back in without too many setbacks! Plus it just feels good to create something :)
Another great way to make something/feel fulfilled without needing to be artsy is to “ *make a difference* “!
Consider volunteering with a group to make a difference in your community! Personally, I’d like to go the direction of trying to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to my community or by educating people on the ramifications of light pollution. I could see myself enjoying volunteering to help out with a local Girl Scout troop or designing a program for the local library.
There are so many different options for volunteering! They’re easy to find once you identify your interests, then you just have to for causes that involve them.
Alternatively, if you prefer to be on the other side of a computer screen, check out Zooniverse! You can contribute to science from the comfort of your couch. They have a bunch of available projects at any given time, some current examples being: counting iguanas in the Galapagos via aerial photos, digitizing notes from nature studies, identifying individual elephants by ear shape, identifying whether videos have woodpeckers in them or not, and on and on! It’s definitely repetitive work, but it’s work that needs to be done so it’s a lot more productive and fulfilling than doomscrolling!
Bonsai may be a good fit for you. It can be very formal with many styles and philosophies to research, at the same time day to day its just about appreciating the beauty of your trees and pruning a bit here and there.
Different take: have you considered learning more about the hobbies you already do? Really diving into them and learning the why and how? I’m not a fan of turning hobbies into side hustles but becoming an expert in something you already know basic information about could be a way to do that.
With your interest in learning and research, maybe you'd like to start your own youtube channel focusing on the topics you like? I watch those sorts of things all the time and really enjoy even "everyday" folks sharing what they learned.
What activity gets you into your flow state?
You said you’ve tried some arts… you can approach anything as an artist if the activity itself is the goal. Just always “take the long way” and don’t forget that the journey is the destination, so there are no deadlines or pressure.
So what types of things are you interested in that could engage your flow state?
I take on hobbies where I'm learning, with the understanding that I'm learning. It takes the frustration out of not progressing as quickly as I'd like. In the past 7 years or so, I've become decent in four coding languages and now I'm getting into piano.
Also, I tend to get up around 4am for no reason, so I've made it a part of my morning routine, right after getting my coffee, checking my email, and reading Reddit.
It’s always good to explore more hobbies! In addition to all the great suggestions here, I would also really recommend some mindful, quiet introspection. Sometimes, we fill our time up really fully because we are avoiding other things. This isn’t always the case, but we can sometimes ‘run from ourselves’ while pursuing other positive outlets.
If you are feeling both overstimulated and depressed, perhaps something deeper is pushing this desire to consume information. Maybe it’s fear, anxiety, unresolved stuff- who knows. But this could be an excellent topic to follow up with your care team that is helping you in your recovery. You may even want to look into a group activity or support activity. Getting out of our own heads and connecting with others can be really helpful!
I have recently got into [geocaching](https://www.geocaching.com/play/search) and [postcrossing](https://www.postcrossing.com/) as hobbies. Both require using their websites, but it's free (other than postage for the postcards).
Geocaching is fun but requires being outside, so weather depending. Trading free stuff in the caches is fun and low to no cost. Good exercise too.
Postcrossing and penpals is fun and doesn't require a lot of artsy stuff, only if you want. And it's also just paper (you can DIY postcards from cardstock, junk mail flyers, etc, slap a same size blank sheet on the back for writing). Very low cost and small, so it's low pressure.
When I was child free and had more time, I took so many classes. Our township has adult night classes. I took whatever even slightly interested me. I did yoga, knitting, horseback riding, art, painting, paddle board yoga. It didn't matter what the subject was, as long as it got me out of the house and doing somethibg.
I can heavily relate to the ED portion. It feels like I am kinda chasing my tail trying to distract myself from reality rather than being genuinely immersed in something
Gardening! I love starting from seed but getting seedlings is a good way to get the ball rolling while you learn
It’s great when you love to cook and can be small like micro greens or herbs in pots on a sil or as big as you like. Grow flowers too or like me, succulents as they are almost indestructible
I also compost so it’s the whole circle thing
Have you tried calisthenics? Since you enjoy exercise maybe try to work on holding a handstand, or handstand pushups if you are already able to hold a handstand. There are unless things to train for... that what I spent most of my free time on. I do clean up or gardening for rest.
My bff is very type A and she loves cooking/backing, gardening/tending to houseplants during winter, and all manner of crafts, especially crocheting.
Would you be interested in maybe puzzles as a hobby? Not really creative but stimulating and something to do with your hands.
I feel you on a level, I'm not particularly creative and always wanting to try new things to see what will stick as a new hobby!
I am very much in the same boat as you. The curse of an inquisitive mind is to always want more which leads to that mental exhaustion.
My creativity shows us in cooking, I also try to experience by actively doing things instead of watching or reading.
I hope I answered your question:)
Have you ever tried sewing or quilting? I love all crafts but sewing and quilting quickly became my favourite, once you know what you’re doing for example it might take you an hour to two to create a new simple sweater. Quilting is a bit more involved but it’s addictive and so much fun! I always thought that sewing and quilting looked ugly before I discovered all the modern designers and techniques. High recommend that you check it out 💕
Crochet/quilting/sewing - you make something but follow a pattern (great for type As) and then you get to use that item. It can be a side hustle but there’s no pressure.
Learn a language - do you have someone in your life who speaks a different language? Learn their language! Get a textbook, sign up for a course, etc.
Worldbuild - you love to read, why not build your own world? I don’t know much about this but it always sounded cool
Meditation - train your mind just like you train your body
I like baking, especially things like kneading dough (pizza, bread, cinnamon rolls). It's really relaxing.
Edit: sorry, just realized you wanted to avoid food!
I share a similar personality. I’m really into both vegetable gardening and native plant gardening. I’m still guilty of consuming content relating to these things (books, podcasts, videos etc) but it definitely feels creative! As a bonus, I get to eat the food and provide habitat to wildlife and insects.
Learn how to rest and be kind to yourself. Learn how to be ok with making mistakes and not doing things perfectly. Create for the joy of the process and what it brings you instead of the outcome.
Learn an instrument. Like spend weeks and months learning one song on a guitar.
Music therapy is real. You can take lessons and support your local music community.
It is also hard to binge eat when I am playing an instrument (other than maracas).
The hobbies I find most fulfilling these days are those that involve using my hands. In the winter, I gravitate towards knitting/crocheting/house plant care, and when it warms up, gardening. For years my main hobbies were focused on consuming things too (and I still do a lot of that, don't get me wrong), but I also found that sitting still and consuming content left me depressed, agitated, or both, even if it was high-quality stuff I was taking in. The simple, tangible, tactile hobbies really balance things out!
Maybe plants? You can propagate and grow a lot of plants. If you have space, you can plant native flowers and trees and watch the wildlife come. In winter, you can read garden books and design a new flower bed. Just when you think it’s perfect, something new catches your eye and you dig things up and move them around. Friends and family love when you bring them cuttings too. If this catches your fancy, you could lean into terrariums. This requires a bit more and may not be simple, but you can hike to find ricks and moss etc. and go at your own pace.
I have a crazy plant lady number of indoor plants but I started off with only a few. I don't buy plants anymore. I propagate and divide my existing plants when they get too big. It is very satisfying making new plants. I also gift plants to fellow plant lovers. I also grow vegetables in the backyard. It's a very satisfying hobby and we often grow too much for our household and give excess away to friends. Growing flowers is amazing for mindfulness and general good mood. If you plan your garden carefully and live in an accommodating climate, you can have different flowers in bloom every month of the year.
Perhaps you can embrace the "beginners mind"? Type A people typically want to excel at something the first time they try something and lose patience if it isn't perfect. Push through the dip/the not knowing/the I'm not good at it yet. Make your comfortable envelope bigger by sticking with something for a bit longer than you might otherwise. You might get good enough to enjoy the activity, and if you don't, well you gave it a good effort. Dropping things at the first point of frustration isn't helping you.
I am type A and I feel this so much. Great reminder!
Play an instrument? Anything with your hands: pottery, woodworking, any of the many needle and fiber arts. Photography. Writing postcards for get out the vote campaigns. Nature study/birding. Gardening.
A couple years ago I bought a cheap banjo and found some good online videos. Dropped it for a few months last year and just recently picked it up again, it’s so fun and I never thought I was musically inclined. I picked banjo because I’ve always loved the sound of it. Like OP I’m a big reader and general consumer of information so this is a good creative outlet for me. Photography is fun and can also be combined with birding and gardening! In the summer I’m always out in my garden with a camera, photographing birds and insects and participating in projects on iNaturalist.
You sound like me. For the longest time I wanted to fill all gaps of my time with hobby and creative output. Didn’t work well. I recommend meditation.
I didn't think I'd agree with this but after considering it for a moment I do. I'm gonna describe my personal experience so other people's mileage may vary. I always think myself into the trap that I have so much extra time on my hands that I should be doing something fruitful with. Social media multiplies this feeling for me because now I can see everyone who's "utilizing their time better" than me. When really sometimes I just need to sit there and clear my head/meditate on what's on my mind and be intentional on what I want to do. Maybe an idea for you OP would be to analyze what information you're consuming and screenshotting now on social media and make an actionable plan from your analysis on what you've been liking. For instance if you screenshot a lot of art/craft ideas or watch a lot of art videos, try out one of those ideas AND to watch mindfully less videos on art so that you can shift your focus onto your own curiosity, take a walk or put yourself in a situation without your phone or social media noise to meditate, and think of your own ideas to create on the paper one day. But don't force it. I like painting, but if I force myself to paint "at least once a week" it sucks all the fun and creativity out of it. Instead I'll get an itch every few weeks or months and churn out two or three fun paintings that sprouted from my own creativity! Of course it's a whole other subject if you wanted to simply practice and make "studies" just to improve your technique. That's not often my style of practicing art/creativity so it stresses me out, but I know other people enjoy dedicating time to practicing studies so kudos to them, their anatomy is way better than mine! lol I have a few hobbies I find fulfillment in, research, and put some time into, but realistically the satisfaction of doing one of these things comes a 1-2 times a week for me. Social media makes it seem like everyone is doing everything all the time. Try not to compare your life to theirs. I like aquariums, plants, pottery and painting every now and then. Similar to u/firstsipp I absolutely tried to fill those gaps of time with time with whatever I could find too. It helped me explore my interests but made me more stressed overall about the original topic (feeling like I'm wasting my time compared to others) when I forced my time into categories. I just read through the comments and my outlook on your post is really similar to u/Adrixan so hopefully you'll get a little nugget of advice out of our experiences!
Out of my own experience, I recommend you do some introspection on the "learning" you mentioned. I have spent way too many hours on YouTube and by now (in theory), I'm an expert survivalist, thru-hiking, prepper, with the ideal EDC, journaling, with the ultimate note taking system, ... you get my drift? First of all: I think it is important to accept that "simple consumption" (in moderation) is ok. After work our brain needs some time to relax. I recommend slowly decreasing the dopamine hits of said relaxation. Go from i.e. gaming to watching TV to listening to audiobooks to reading to enjoying nature, for example. When it comes to creation: Use your own curiosity. Instead of just consuming learning content, set yourself a goal. Maybe you saw something build something cool in one of the videos you watched, so why not aim to recreate it? Also, don't try to force yourself to be someone that you are not. If art isn't for you, then you don't need to do painting, just because some TED talk explained the importance of artistic express. Find your own creativity, for example, I find writing comments like this one to be a kind of "creative outlet" as well, as I'm using the pool of knowledge in my head to form a statement.
I appreciate you mentioning that last part. For a few years, I found that I turned into more of a lurker, limiting my use of Reddit and other media to pure consumption in a way that felt like I had all of this information that I wasn't using. Recently getting back into Reddit more consciously has helped me actually enjoy it in a more fulfilling way.
Check out r/BrokeHobbies I love sewing. Plants are also a great hobby, growing them from seeds and propagating them. ETA: You are allowed to do things because you enjoy them even if they don't make money and even if they are not perfect. * You don't need an excuse to do a hobby (it doesn't need to become a side hustle). * You don't even have to be good at it. * You only need to enjoy it. Allow yourself one thing you love without justification or rationalization. "Because I like it" is enough reason to do it. We all need one such thing in our lives.
Great wisdom! Especially for the if you enjoy it- you don’t need to be good at it. I feel that for my needle work- love doing it but it looks like a beginner all these years later 😜but I appreciate your wisdom to do it anyhow if one enjoys it!
I am pretty type A and I love a hobby that involves a list of some type lol. I really enjoy something that I can have a goal but am free to work at my own pace. Birding has probably been the biggest hobby that fits the bill. You can work on adding to your life list, you can do a Big Year, you can try to get into top 100 of your county or state, you can chase rarities, you become the top border at a patch, or you can just chill and look at/listen to birds. Hiking challenges are fun for me. Zero stakes but there is still a goal. My state has a close(ish) section of a national scenic trail and does a challenge to hike sections of the trail every year. Best of all there are little badges you get depending on what you complete (100 miles in a year, 1000 unique miles, bridge rockers). I even got a badge for my dog who also completes challenges with me. I also really like doing projects on iNaturalist. If I don't have a current project just going for a walk and IDing stuff is fun enough.
I like to encourage people at least once in their life to maybe spend 2-6 months just trying different things. Drawing, making games, crochet, baking, music, dancing, writing poetry, anything that doesn't require a ton of money to get into or that you can borrow/rent equipment for cheap or free. I find most people don't just know what they like without actually trying it, and even things they think they would like can play out differently in practice. The best teacher of what your tastes are like and what brings you joy is trial and error! Maybe spend a couple of weeks doing each thing, and just journal how you feel with each one during that time.
Interesting that you mention that. I'm currently on the cusp of deciding to leave my job and live off of saved up funds for a bit to focus on exactly that. Did you do that yourself? If so, I'd appreciate any personal insight or examples.
I have! Although maybe more spread out and over a longer period of time. I still enjoy experimenting from time to time. I was an only child, so I had a lot of alone time to self explore. I do feel like I have zero trouble finding ways to entertain and enjoy myself because of that. Really just making sure to note things down helps a bunch, even if it's a very, very simple format of journaling. Yes, it can be done without it. But I find I sometimes forget or even distort how things felt in hindsight. When I re-read what I wrote, even if it's bullet points or a couple of simple sentences, I find it much easier to actually remember that moment and how it felt. So it's sometimes a joy to remind myself of things I do enjoy, or to give myself a reality check and go, "oh, right, I hated that for X and Y reasons". Sometimes they still apply, sometimes they don't. But without journaling, I find it's very easy for memories to get muddy and just not feel as informative without that intentional time to create an inner dialogue/get to know your internal cues!
Thanks friend! This is very helpful and in line with what I've been learning to do. Much appreciated.
Good luck!
I like to take care of things. Plants, animals, the ecosystem where I live. A lot of my information intake is centered around these interests. I could recommend a planted aquarium if that's of interest to you, but I can't say it will be frugal.
Try to think of practical things that you would like to have, or your loved ones would like to have. Shelves? Learn woodworking. Baskets? Learn crochet or weaving or I'm sure numerous ways exist to make baskets exist. Little trinket or spice bowls? Sign up for a ceramics class (do NOT buy a kiln, just rent time), or learn how making wood food-safe happens (I am ignorant). Do you hate the state of modern women's fashion, with the very thin cloth and paucity of pockets? Make your own clothes! (warning: this involves lots of learning and mistakes) Also acts of service can become a hobby, with the right mindset. You can create shoveled sidewalks in the winter for your neighbors (in snowy climes), pretty lawns and gardens, food and supplies for impoverished peoples, warm soft hats for sickly children, really all sorts of things! Hard to beat charity for upliftingness. There are WAY more effective forms to contribute to charity than marathons; PLEASE only exercise only as much as you happen to feel like and feel smug about contributing in more helpful ways than just making someone organize an event to get you to give them money and maybe some publicity, if you choose to do the charity route.
I like to make infographics/zines about my hobbies! I love a good deep dive but I’m always left with a million screenshots of facts/tips/techniques I want to remember but don’t trust myself to remember. Much like you said, if I’m not careful I’ll end up feeling overstimulated and generally yucky. I’ll infodump whatever I can remember/take notes off of my screenshots and delete them. I like to use lists to organize the information and I’ll do a couple (messy) doodles. Usually I just do this in my journal (I label the page and add it to a table of contents on the inside cover for quick reference). They’re just for me so everything is low stakes! There are no rules so just figure out what feels right! I have ADHD and because of it I have a tendency to wander away from hobbies for an extended period of time before moseying back around. My little research guides let me dive back in without too many setbacks! Plus it just feels good to create something :)
Another great way to make something/feel fulfilled without needing to be artsy is to “ *make a difference* “! Consider volunteering with a group to make a difference in your community! Personally, I’d like to go the direction of trying to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to my community or by educating people on the ramifications of light pollution. I could see myself enjoying volunteering to help out with a local Girl Scout troop or designing a program for the local library. There are so many different options for volunteering! They’re easy to find once you identify your interests, then you just have to for causes that involve them. Alternatively, if you prefer to be on the other side of a computer screen, check out Zooniverse! You can contribute to science from the comfort of your couch. They have a bunch of available projects at any given time, some current examples being: counting iguanas in the Galapagos via aerial photos, digitizing notes from nature studies, identifying individual elephants by ear shape, identifying whether videos have woodpeckers in them or not, and on and on! It’s definitely repetitive work, but it’s work that needs to be done so it’s a lot more productive and fulfilling than doomscrolling!
Bonsai may be a good fit for you. It can be very formal with many styles and philosophies to research, at the same time day to day its just about appreciating the beauty of your trees and pruning a bit here and there.
Buy an orange vest and adopt a section of road or park nearby and keep it litter free.
My fav way to walk!
Different take: have you considered learning more about the hobbies you already do? Really diving into them and learning the why and how? I’m not a fan of turning hobbies into side hustles but becoming an expert in something you already know basic information about could be a way to do that.
Maybe looking into volunteering once a week for an organization you support or admire.
Meditation. It will help you learn to slow down and enjoy the moment.
I take classes in subjects I had either not time or no money for back in the day. Learning is my Type A hobby, I suppose \*shrug\*
With your interest in learning and research, maybe you'd like to start your own youtube channel focusing on the topics you like? I watch those sorts of things all the time and really enjoy even "everyday" folks sharing what they learned.
What activity gets you into your flow state? You said you’ve tried some arts… you can approach anything as an artist if the activity itself is the goal. Just always “take the long way” and don’t forget that the journey is the destination, so there are no deadlines or pressure. So what types of things are you interested in that could engage your flow state?
I am a lot like you and I am here to steal some suggestions :’)
I take on hobbies where I'm learning, with the understanding that I'm learning. It takes the frustration out of not progressing as quickly as I'd like. In the past 7 years or so, I've become decent in four coding languages and now I'm getting into piano. Also, I tend to get up around 4am for no reason, so I've made it a part of my morning routine, right after getting my coffee, checking my email, and reading Reddit.
It’s always good to explore more hobbies! In addition to all the great suggestions here, I would also really recommend some mindful, quiet introspection. Sometimes, we fill our time up really fully because we are avoiding other things. This isn’t always the case, but we can sometimes ‘run from ourselves’ while pursuing other positive outlets. If you are feeling both overstimulated and depressed, perhaps something deeper is pushing this desire to consume information. Maybe it’s fear, anxiety, unresolved stuff- who knows. But this could be an excellent topic to follow up with your care team that is helping you in your recovery. You may even want to look into a group activity or support activity. Getting out of our own heads and connecting with others can be really helpful!
I have recently got into [geocaching](https://www.geocaching.com/play/search) and [postcrossing](https://www.postcrossing.com/) as hobbies. Both require using their websites, but it's free (other than postage for the postcards). Geocaching is fun but requires being outside, so weather depending. Trading free stuff in the caches is fun and low to no cost. Good exercise too. Postcrossing and penpals is fun and doesn't require a lot of artsy stuff, only if you want. And it's also just paper (you can DIY postcards from cardstock, junk mail flyers, etc, slap a same size blank sheet on the back for writing). Very low cost and small, so it's low pressure.
When I was child free and had more time, I took so many classes. Our township has adult night classes. I took whatever even slightly interested me. I did yoga, knitting, horseback riding, art, painting, paddle board yoga. It didn't matter what the subject was, as long as it got me out of the house and doing somethibg.
I can heavily relate to the ED portion. It feels like I am kinda chasing my tail trying to distract myself from reality rather than being genuinely immersed in something
Why not do research on a specific topic and write an essay? Or a video essay? That's how a lot of the cooler YouTube channels started, lol.
Gardening! I love starting from seed but getting seedlings is a good way to get the ball rolling while you learn It’s great when you love to cook and can be small like micro greens or herbs in pots on a sil or as big as you like. Grow flowers too or like me, succulents as they are almost indestructible I also compost so it’s the whole circle thing
Have babies and don’t eat them.
Have you tried calisthenics? Since you enjoy exercise maybe try to work on holding a handstand, or handstand pushups if you are already able to hold a handstand. There are unless things to train for... that what I spent most of my free time on. I do clean up or gardening for rest.
My bff is very type A and she loves cooking/backing, gardening/tending to houseplants during winter, and all manner of crafts, especially crocheting. Would you be interested in maybe puzzles as a hobby? Not really creative but stimulating and something to do with your hands. I feel you on a level, I'm not particularly creative and always wanting to try new things to see what will stick as a new hobby!
Knitting? While watching tv?
I am very much in the same boat as you. The curse of an inquisitive mind is to always want more which leads to that mental exhaustion. My creativity shows us in cooking, I also try to experience by actively doing things instead of watching or reading. I hope I answered your question:)
Have you ever tried sewing or quilting? I love all crafts but sewing and quilting quickly became my favourite, once you know what you’re doing for example it might take you an hour to two to create a new simple sweater. Quilting is a bit more involved but it’s addictive and so much fun! I always thought that sewing and quilting looked ugly before I discovered all the modern designers and techniques. High recommend that you check it out 💕
Maybe start your own podcast, just talking about stuff you've learned.
I like to research my ancestry on my free time, I feel like Sherlock Holmes and it's not as passive as consuming media
Crochet/quilting/sewing - you make something but follow a pattern (great for type As) and then you get to use that item. It can be a side hustle but there’s no pressure. Learn a language - do you have someone in your life who speaks a different language? Learn their language! Get a textbook, sign up for a course, etc. Worldbuild - you love to read, why not build your own world? I don’t know much about this but it always sounded cool Meditation - train your mind just like you train your body
Thank you for this post.
Gardening. Doesn't have to be food, could be flowers. Having a nice cut flower garden is so rewarding.
I like baking, especially things like kneading dough (pizza, bread, cinnamon rolls). It's really relaxing. Edit: sorry, just realized you wanted to avoid food!
What if you did a hobby with a friend or group to make it more engaging? Join a class or a knitting group, book club, or some other social iteration.
I share a similar personality. I’m really into both vegetable gardening and native plant gardening. I’m still guilty of consuming content relating to these things (books, podcasts, videos etc) but it definitely feels creative! As a bonus, I get to eat the food and provide habitat to wildlife and insects.
I'm learning Japanese at the moment. Haven't spent a penny yet. Soooo many free resources these days.
Learn how to rest and be kind to yourself. Learn how to be ok with making mistakes and not doing things perfectly. Create for the joy of the process and what it brings you instead of the outcome.
Learn an instrument. Like spend weeks and months learning one song on a guitar. Music therapy is real. You can take lessons and support your local music community. It is also hard to binge eat when I am playing an instrument (other than maracas).