How to find a hobby?

A hobby or a favorite activity reflects the internal world of a person. But it does not mean that if you don’t have a hobby this implies that your internal world is not rich. Of course not. However, it very well may mean that something important was suppressed during childhood because when you are engaged in a hobby, you are not doing something that you need or must, but something that you want and like.

You must do your school homework but building model ships is “this nonsense can wait”. Tidying up your room is important, but “folding origami – what a waste of time!”. No wonder that many adults somehow lost the desire to do something of their own, something that may not be “useful” but is very enjoyable. 

But to find this “something” when you are grown up is quite difficult since the childhood skill of listening to your desires disappears. It is time to bring it back! And for this, we are going to use different approaches.

1. Go to the source.

Remember what you enjoyed doing in childhood. Collecting stamps? Building model ships? Making clothing for dolls? Drawing? Making jewelry from seashells? Write down in all detail everything that comes to mind. It does not mean that now you will do exactly the same thing, but it will show you the direction where to look. Did you enjoy making necklaces from buttons? Perhaps, today you will like making jewelry from polymer clay. Or drawing pictures? Today, you can find amazing “paint by numbers” kits.

2. Try something new.

You do not have to follow in your old footsteps. If you were interested in building something by hand (Legos or models) it doesn’t mean that you should limit yourself only to this area! There are so many things in this world that you may have never heard about before! Experiment! To understand if you like something, you need to try it – there is no other way! Therefore, if you are looking for a hobby – try things that you have not even considered before. It may be anything – from snowboarding to knitting. What if you find unexpected talents?

3. Create a list.

It helps a lot to create a specific list of things you can do. It is best to do it not at once but to put it in a conspicuous place and add to it when new ideas come to mind. You can include very unexpected activities – from carving and scrapbooking to cooking home-made jams.

4. Start from the opposite.

This is also a good approach. For example, assume that at work your activity is mostly mental, and in general your brain is your strong suit. But in the evening, you would like some distraction. In this case, puzzles, crosswords, etc. would be a bad choice, even if you are good at them. Try something that is totally “not yours”. For example, go dancing – here your body will start working. And it would be very good to turn it on since during the day, your head has been working while your body suffered in the office chair. Or try folding origami – your head is resting while your hands are busy.

5. Try to find like-minded people.

There are many sites and forums where people who are interested in something communicate and share knowledge. You can get “infected” with their passion by reading how someone is perfecting the ancient art of Bonsai and experience a burning desire to try as well! And then you can share your successes (or failures) on the same site. Or you can get fascinated with calligraphy – somehow, we are thinking about East today. And you can immediately buy a starter kit for practicing this art or perhaps, sign up for a class. It is also useful to look around – what are people around you (friends, colleagues) interested in? Perhaps, you would enjoy it too?

6. Listen to yourself.

Your feelings will tell you whether this is “yours” or not. What feelings do you experience when you are engaged in a certain activity? If you want to return to it again and again, if you forget time while you are painting/building/sculpting/collecting/practicing, if you feel like your energy is being restored, if you are gladly spending time and money on this activity, if you enjoy both the process and the result – that is it, you have found it!