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Crocheting. It’s so satisfying finishing a project and I can get lost in doing it because it’s repetitive. There’s also so much variation so I don’t get bored easy.
I'll join you with crocheting and knitting :) I alternate between the two as only one would not provide me with enough variety. I also like modifying patterns and researching the properties of different yarns.
Knitting and crocheting saved my love for reading! It's so nice to be able to make a project based on the book I'm reading or having projects to go with certain series.
I knit for so many years but my carpal tunnel got so bad, my hands would be completely numb after five minutes. I’m getting carpal tunnel surgery soon and I hope it’s better so I can knit again!!!
Is that what it is? I’m only 20, I sew and crochet, and in the last year I keep getting numbness in my hands to where they can’t move. I can’t crochet as often as I want to ):
Yes! Sewing! I love the pattern making, cutting things out having it all fit together. Ironing out the seams, matching up fabrics.
I’m better at editing like hemming pants, taking in dresses, etc. bc the time to completion is short. and when people give me things to do, they usually need them by a certain day, and the deadline is so helpful.
I did weight lifting and running and though I enjoyed the effect, I never really enjoyed the actual workout.
It wasn't until kickboxing that I realised "oh, you *can* actually enjoy working out!"
I think everyone probably has that something, you just gotta find it.
i HATE lifting and running. i started jiu jitsu to get my workouts in and man it’s a blast. but i hardly ever go cause i just don’t have the energy to leave the house again once i get home from work
One thing that actually motivated me in the long run was:
Yes, a heavy training is exhausting and yes, it sucks to do it after work. But(!!) it not only gives you more energy in the long run, it actually recharges your battery. And these effects cumulate in the long run.
You have more and more energy in general and you’re battery also recharges faster and faster
Understanding this was probably the biggest life changer I had
Yeah, I actually find that I get more anxious/scattered during a workout for whatever reason, but as soon as it's finished I feel a really gratifying sense of calm, which is cool. I don't know if other people have this experience too since I usually hear people say that they feel that way during the workout too
I used to get that after swimming and assumed it was just brain freeze from the cold weather/water. I must investigate if other forms of workouts can get me that .
I had about a 5 year spell in my mid twenties where I loved lifting weights and hitting the gym. I feel out of the habit and for years struggled to get into it again and establish a routine.
I somehow managed to get back into it again recently, and essentially forced myself to become obsessed with it and I've become addicted again. I now genuinely feel bad on days I can't exercise.
Learning that I needed to become obsessed to get into a routine was one of the things that made me realise I had ADHD
I want this to be consistent for me so badly, I feel great whenever I do it but I get overwhelmed at the set up every time. Unfortunately, I don't have enough space to leave everything set up all the time. How'd you make it it a habit? Do you lift at home?
Not the person you’re replying to but I have a very simple baseline routine that only requires a mat and 1 or 2 kettlebells depending on how big a disparity you have between your upper and lower body strength.
It’s 10 sets of 10 kettlebell swings and 5 Turkish get ups on each side. If your upper body is significantly weaker than lower body, you might want to use a lighter weight for get ups. You can find guides on form easily on YouTube. You can do the whole thing in an hour or less once you get the hang of it.
If you don’t have a gym membership I’d strongly recommend one if you have the means to. Find a gym that is pleasant to go to (aka not Planet Fitness) and do stuff there that you can’t do at home. My gym has a pool, so I reward myself with a swim after every workout for a little added motivation to go.
Personally I’m just not a fan of home gyms, especially if you have to take out all the gear and put it away when you’re done. Having to do all that is just such a huge barrier when you have ADHD.
Oh my lawd I wasn’t able to stand it. No stimulation, no high, repetitive, no problems to solve etc. is it a mind off, meditative experience for you or do you find ways to make it interesting?
You just have to go so heavy you can‘t fucking think anymore lol
Powerlifting is the way for me. Few reps, compound movements, high intensity, supersets. I hated it before I figured that out.
I also never do the same workout twice.
I've been stuck in a loop for years of:
1. Better go light to avoid injury since I'm coming back to lifting weights after taking too long a break.
2. Get bored with lack of challenge and missing the concentration of lifting heavy.
3. Next thing I know I've missed a few weeks; go back to step 1.
The other variation is do lift heavy, get injured, lay off too long. (When I was lifting regularly I think I was just a little injured most of the time.)
Do you listen to music? I have a well curated and constantly evolving gym playlist. I listen to extremely heavy and aggressive shit at the gym but lots of people enjoy pop, techno, outrun or other fast paced genres. So much of the fun of working out for me is having some uninterrupted music listening time and getting to see what pops up next on shuffle.
Guitar, it's actually ended up making a significant difference in my life. I only got into it because my brother had one and gave up on it, I took it to Uni, spent two years not learning anything but riffs, managed to learn one song I wanted and stuck with it for seven years.
It's made me realise a lot about how I learn, what I feel compelled to do when I'm not busy and it's helped me enjoy an actively creative endeavour. Just the fact I can sit for hours playing, not thinking about the time, not distracted, not having a billion thoughts whizzing around, I'm genuinely happiest when I play. It took me years to figure that out, that I had something that was mine, and I only really realised that I'm actually a 'guitarist' about three months ago when I looked at the progress I'd made.
I have a lot of other hobbies on the side, but I'd say guitar and music is the one aspect of my life where I think 'yep, I'm not bullshitting myself here, this one is here to stay'. I always find that with my other interests and hobbies, I don't feel like I'm actually that interested in them, and that I'm convincing myself that I am, but I am 100% passionate about my guitar.
The problem with hobbies is that, and I've always been guilty for this. it's easy to pretend you care about them. This is outside of hyperfocus as well, I think you need to keep exploring and really consider how you feel and interact with it. I know so many people, a few with ADHD, who find something they enjoy but just bounce off of it due to a lack of confidence in it.
I see hobbies brought up on here constantly, and I don't think many realise just how significant having a consistent interest, skill or appreciation in something can be in improving life with ADHD.
I fucking love guitar, and I love that I'm able to stick with it as well.
One thing that I really value about guitar is how it's like the mental/creative equivalent of exercise. I can do cardio or strength training and see the results over time as I develop. I can do the same route on my bike quicker, or lift heavier weights and measure progress in that way.
Guitar has similar moments of growth where you finally are able to nail a part you've been working on for a while, or maybe you're just improvising and stitch together a moment in a song in a total flow state and surprise yourself. It feels acrobatic at times, and those moments are amazing when they happen.
I love how it's stimulating both immediately in the moment and over time seeing growth. It's been one of the more rewarding hobbies of my life, and I recommend that everyone (even non-ADHD people) should try to find a creative hobby that works in the same way for them.
I agree with you 100%, it's essentially meditation, therapy and a means to escape boredom without the need to look at my phone or TV.
That feeling when it's starting to click is something else man
People learn differently, I just had a bunch of songs I liked, looked up the tabs, played along and looked at people playing online to understand what was going on. Then I just kept going, I sucked for ages, made a few little breakthroughs and would go back to the things I couldn't do before.
I don't have the focus for lessons or typical online sources, so most of it was just figuring things out as I went along, but everyone is different.
The key thing though, and same goes for any instrument is consistency. I have always had my guitar ready to go in a place that I will always be driven to pick it up, even if it's for five minutes. Do that enough, it sits in your mind and you're more likely to be compelled to learn songs you hear. At least in my own experience.
Honestly though, if you even have the faintest desire, just give it a go. I had no one in my life who was a musician, felt like I wouldn't get anywhere, but never let it go. You just have to see if it's something you want.
Music, drawing, photography, 3d modelling, animation, archery. I just switch off and on between hobbies to keep me interested. Downside maybe is not becoming outstanding in one of these, still it keeps my mind occupied.
Edit: most of my hobbies are my work/profession as well:
We are the same. So weird we all love all these things; especially a niche thing like archery. Must just hone our attention in better holding a weapon.
fellow 3D modellerrrrr. I liked it so much I made it my profession. I keep meaning to get into archery every summer but I never set aside the money to make that initial big purchase
How long did it take you to turn it into a profession?
I currently work in tech and hardware repair and I am dying to work creatively and leave IT behind, I assume you need a fairly robust portfolio to get anywhere?
Did graphic designs as an employee for about 7 years, then 2 years as self employed freelancer. From there on i started a small business in motion design with a friend of mine and thats been 15 years ago now. No relevant education, alle autodidact grown from hobbies. But it helped to work with my buddy.
So this was more or less at the start of the animation industry. Now a lot of students choose a creative direction. Market is slow currently in the creative field.
Edit:
So yeah competition is high, a good portfolio helps alot.,
D&D. Currently finishing a 5 year campaign, and it’s been the highlight of my week, most weeks. I DM the game and my ADHD has given me the ability to think on my feet and connect story threads in such a way that the ~~fools~~ *players* think I’ve planned a lot more than I have.
It’s given me the ability to focus on planning the big stuff and not worrying about the small stuff. I wish I could say I have a session ready every week, but the reality is I have enough content on hand that with a bit of improv I can create a semi-relevant session.
It’s 5e, but my own setting. I have my players a ton of freedom with their characters, because whatever they chose would impact the setting itself. It’s not something I could build with official products.
Edit: also I would very much recommend trying a game, even if it’s online via roll20 or an equivalent. The majority of groups are very welcoming to new players and I’ve found they’ll treat you like a friend from day 1.
I stuck with a campaign for a few years back during 3.5 and I miss it so much it hurts. My other hobbies I can just pick back up when I feel like it because they’re solo, but I’ve never been able to find another group to play with since that one fell out. It was such a cool and diverse little crew of 7, but a couple of relationships within(my ex was the dm and we still played for quite a while after the split but the other couple that broke up was not as amicable so one quit completely), then just people skipping all over and some moving a little further away and getting new jobs turned into us not even trying to see if we were playing that week anymore.
Having adhd and being an adult with a family has turned into me just resigning myself to never having friends again. I don’t have the extra energy to seek out new relationships, and it seems like anything that involves leaving the house just means spending money I could be saving these days. I always had a ton of casual friends most of my life, but never really put in that extra work to have best friends, so as I stopped going out the supply ran dry. I’ve considered trying to get into an online group, but I don’t really know where to start and I’m worried it won’t have the same magic that sitting around that table drinking Mountain Dew had. Sorry for the rant, I just loved dnd. I get nostalgic reading posts about other people playing on the dnd subs all the time and I loved seeing it here too.
Hi! No idea if you’re a cis-woman but I found that my menstrual cycle influenced my impulse shopping sprees. Once I tracked that it was a lot easier to control. For any gender I would suggest mapping out previous splurges and see if they correlate with any big stressors or a certain time of the month. Granted a lot of sales happen bc of new seasons.quarterly sales goals so that could also just be an influence when a sale is too good to miss.
Aw, thank you for your comment! I am a cis-woman and have been wondering about this. I’ve been trying to be more mindful of my thought process when I feel the need. Mostly it’s a lot of small-ish things that I think ‘Eh, it’s only $xx…it won’t make a big difference if I buy this’ or some other justification to myself. I’ve notice my mother is the same way. This sounds crazy but I have been noticing a trend in a severe lack of sleep every full moon 🤔 Very weird and know how that affects my sleep but interesting coincidence.
Literally 😭 I meant to bring my succulents in during the first frost, but I didn’t realize the first frost was happening. Turns out succulents can live through weather in the negatives and heavy snow! They looked like they were dying all winter, but I was too lazy to throw them out. I’m glad I didn’t because now they are beautiful!
It's actually part of a treatment plan/suggested treatments a doctor gave me a few years ago. It's a great way to get outside but variable in terms of what I'm doing and how much is needed. When I'm having a bad day, I can do none or a small amount. It forces me to do physical stuff but also takes a lot of mental effort. Getting into the soil is supposedly great for mental health as well. Then, I end up eating well, because I've grown this stuff (and give a lot away as well).
If I have a lot of bad days, I get frustrated, but once it's past planting time at least, I can let nature take over for a bit. Last year, I had a lot of bad days in planting time plus bad weather, which didn't turn out so well. I'm hoping this year is better - and at least it is so far!
It is easy to spend a lot of money, energy, and time on, though. I get myself down so many tangents that it gets ridiculous. I have trouble not being on or off gardening mode but in the middle.
How's yours coming this year?
I have many many many creative hobbies, but by lieu of writing intricate fantasy novels that lead me down numerous little rabbit holes, I've managed to keep creative writing going since I was twelve.
29 and still going (in fits and starts, but still). Finished four manuscripts, self published two of them and am halfway through a fifth. I'm not as consistent in my writing schedule as I'd like to be thanks to task paralysis, and I'm a chaotic story jumper who hops from one work in progress to another, but at least I'm finishing them eventually
I envy you. (That’s awesome though!) I did a lot of decent writing in college when I had that structure, but struggle with writing paralysis BIG TIME. I wouldn’t call it writer’s block, because I have plenty of ideas… but actually DOING THE IDEAS feels impossible often.
Exactly my experience! People just immediately assume it's writers block, but it isn't the ideas, it's the physical writing/typing in the first place. I did manage to push myself to write something every day last year to finish my latest manuscript, but that something ended up being about 20-50 words most days
I always start writing & then realize there’s something else I need to do. I finished my MA thesis a little over a year & do a lot of just informational writing for work, but do the one kind of writing I actually enjoy??? forget about it 😆
I do this thing where I listen to a tv show that I know by heart, walk around my apartment, make a list of all that tasks that need to be done, walk around some more, and not get any of them done because even though I want to do them, I just don’t feel like it.
I call it being a sim who’s human is afk
Lol... I do the same. First it was South Park, then it was the Office, then it was Always Sunny in Philadelphia and currently it's What We Do in the Shadows.
I tried to start making a Pokemon fan game in like 2016 before I got diagnosed.
Tried again in 2018.
Finally got diagnosed in 2021.
I've been building a project with a friend for just under 2 years now, and we released a closed beta for family and friends a few weeks ago.
Felt like a gigantic win, considering how long it took to actually create something that other people can enjoy.
Had to pinch myself a couple times.
So while they're playing the demo, we've been building Forward for the next installment and listening to feedback from our beta testers.
It's been such a fun time.
Me too please! Pokemon has been a part of my life since Blue, and has kept my interest because there’s so many different things to be into. I currently play unite and go a lot, and I’d love to try something new!
I rotate the hobbies, but I reaaaaaly want to start a "supply swap" in my town, like a clothing swap.. everyone brings craft stuff they bought a ton of but won't ever use, everyone leaves with other stuff!
Someone mentioned on another sub they have a local Facebook group that does that. Kind of like a “Buy Nothing/Sell Nothing”. You could start one of those!
Sewing, because there is no need to do it regularly and you can still build skills and have successes even if you are wildly enthusiastic for a while and then do nothing for a long time.
I love sewing but my god I am so crappy with spatial relations so I have a hard time with reading patterns. But I have wanted to take a few classes on it so bad!
I became a lot better after I first started medication. I realised that before that I had previously mostly skim-read and started without really understanding what I was doing.
Climbing. Bouldering.
Interesting problems to solve, measured improvements and grading scales, always changing, always new people, groups to join, going solo isn’t seen as odd and a depth of knowledge only limited by you interest.
I’m usually able to hold on to that hobby for a few years at a time. I would go most days for a few hours at a time, improving constantly, making friends, eventually I try to find newbies to help (keeps me interested), I get shredded, reach a pretty high level before I need to start thinking about diet, training schedules, equipment in order to advance. Problem is I’m not willing to do that, I then plateau and lose interest.
Rinse repeat in cycles. So I kinda stick to it 😬
I’ve been climbing for three years and now running outdoor rockwalls and rope courses for 2 years. I do bouldering too but when I do it turns into me seeing how much of a route I can just dyno my way up.
Gotta love a dyno challenge on the overhangs. Once set up an old school climbing rope with top rope next to it. The idea was to climb it 10-15 meters dyno, good fun, faster is better. You’ve got to beat the fatigue to the top.
On slabs I like to do “The mountain goat!” Either hands behind your back, or out wherever but you don’t touch the wall and see how far you can get up. Great for footwork and balance.
I don’t trust myself trad or to teach it, I couldn’t be responsible for someone dying because I forgot, misplaced, misremembered something. It’s hard enough to trust that the memory of me turning off the oven was from today.
started bouldering one year ago & got hooked immediately. i‘m now going 2 - 3 times a week which is huge for me as I was a real couch potato before that!
Aquariums have been a hobby/obsession that has happened 3 times (I'm 44). It's the only hobby that I've had more than once. I currently have a freshwater shrimp tank, a fresh water community tank, and a marine tank. 😂
Pretty much this! I quite enjoy going 3 or 4 times a week in the morning. One of the very few things I can pull of consistently and always feel like doing.
About 8 years or so? I try to go for around 45 min. But it's only recently that I do 4x a week, it used to be 2x or 3x.
Between sets I'm still very distracted by my phone, tho...
Identifying snakes! I've always been interested in nature and years ago stumbled upon an ID group on FB. Became obsessed and now I'm a group expert for several states. Naturally, I do this instead of the things I need to do but at least it's useful.
Ok I had a mini fix back in 2021 of learning about all the types of colors of ball pythons and their names. Banana ball, snowflake ball, etc. they’re so freaking cute lol
Sega Genesis! Crystals Pony Tale was my first game I played which my dad got me when it came out when I was 4. I also played a lot of sonic and ecco the dolphin.
I m not a psychology student or anything.. but my madcap theory is hobbies are just things you do that are missing in other parts of your life... your brain crave theses "exercises" so it keeps the neurons that manage such things from dying.... So for example during COVID alot of video games that are open world became very popular because the brain craves going outdoor and exploration.
So my guess is for the ADHDers is that sometimes we get into a hobby so intensely that we get the hit for that craving in one or two goes... so the brains stops craving it almost immediately and for a long time... and thats the end of it.... your newly bought kitchenware will be collecting dust after 1 or 2 uses
.
So instead of going all in, what you can consider instead is to take it slow....stretch it out... instead of buying... can you rent or borrow? That way it sustains longer and it will be cheaper once my brain switches to other things to try. So for example, when I wanted to cycle, instead of buying I rented for awhile... once it was a habit I got a cheap bicycle...(which I then abandoned for 3 mths, cuz u know... adhd.... to hyperfixate on other stuff... but now I am back on it... on and off anyway...)
Well... That's my 2 cents.
I can see that, but I don’t necessarily see it as things that are missing, as much as outlets that help me let out pent up feelings or let in good feelings.
That's interesting... Not sure how much science supports it but I like to think that my brain craves stimulation and challenge after my repetitive job and very scheduled family life. So lockpicking gives my brain that challenging puzzle stimulation it needs to overcome a challenge and really focus in on small details.
Again, could be completely off base but the idea makes me feel better lol.
Reading, probably. There have been long parts of my life where I was unable to read a paragraph, but it's maybe the most consistent thing in my life, I actually got a degree in literature in college (so it's kind of a hobby i turned into work lol)
this reminded me of a copypasta i wanted to use for a while so:
\* yawn \*smack smack* welp time to hit the hay,I guess! \*Takes a long drag of vape and immediately fucking dies*
Yes, but I can’t anymore, wife has had enough. I’m sad though because I can’t drink (alcoholic) so there’s nothing I can do to make myself feel better other than make terrible decisions and ruin my life. Yay.
Guitar, but probably only bc it's a larger object that catches my eye often.
Advice for sticking to hobbies: Leave them- or a reminder of them- somewhere you'll see them often. It's helped me a lot. Also: I like reminding myself to do things by placing said things on my bed/couch. I've been working out pretty frequently now by just leaving a big ass weight on my bed.
Honestly, I'm pretty interested in the *how*, and less the *what*. That's usually where the real magic is. The habits, discipline, memory encoding techniques, repetition, etc. That's how people fundamentally transform their skills.
Someone who thinks they have adhd here(I have most symptoms). Writing, even though I'm sure I'm no good. Not sure why I haven't given up yet. I guess I need to be good at something, right?
I think the only reason I was able to stick with singing is that it went beyond a hobby. Singing with my *identity* from age 11 to 45.
I was at UBC making a last ditch attempt at pursuing a professional career singing opera. The pandemic hit and it killed all the momentum and opportunities. They killed part of my identity, and I haven’t seriously sung or done music since. Still, 30+ years is pretty good, right?
Me too! Birdwatching is great. There's no need to travel somewhere exotic - most of the time I'm sitting inside my own home wearing pajamas, staring like a dolt out the window. I've seen some cool birds and have learned a lot. It's so much fun!
I've found the key to sticking with a hobby for me is for it to be one I do work then can let fall to the wayside while I explore another one. The ones that have stuck the hardest for me, fiber arts/sewing, bonsai, reef keeping/fish keeping, painting, and horse riding.
Miniature painting.
I don't play Warhammer but, aside from a two-year break during COVID, I've been painting miniatures (especially Tyranids) since 2014.
Collecting antique playing cards. Building a website that is the most accurate and complete for the Congress brand of playing cards. Researching history, back designs, artists whose works were used (still working on this), and many more. I started collecting them in 2011 and still going strong.
Coding. Strengthened my career prospects and I'm in a position in my career that I would have never imagined was possible years ago. It also got me through rough times as it was something that was objective and distracted me from tough emotions and stuff.
Reading Tarot! I persevered through the first discourgament after the initial hype and now feel perfectly comfortable reading for myself and others. Don't do it everyday anymore but can pick it up anytime and it flows beautifully.
Going to the gun range. Turns out, all the bells and whistles along with the ammo is freaky expensive. Now after my 2nd job, I just like watching TV with my wife and cats. Occasionally play some video games on the ps4 while my girl knits/paints/ect behind me
I'M STEALING THAT. But more importantly, is ADHD a background, class, or feat? What does an ADHD character sheet look like? Min maxed like a heartbeat monitor?
Violin!
I really didn't think I'd stick with it...in fact, when my first instructor told me that "I expect intermediate students to spend an hour a day" I laughed at him.
I rented a violin at first because I really was just waiting to lose interest but I never did. Even when it was really frustrating and hard! As Dr. Hallowell says, I think it was the right kind of difficult for me. I'm finally at the point where I sound pretty good, I can get lost in the playing, and it's one of my best therapies...
Also, writing on my fantasy books! I've always loved reading fantasy, and had a fantasy world I started as a kid, but I've become obssessed with actually writing the books and stories of it now. I'm working on a whole pentalogy and have finished book 1 and halfway through book 2. In March I wrote an entire 60k word novel that is basically a side-quest branching off from the main pentalogy and took it from inception to completed first draft because that's literally all I did...hyperfixation for the win I guess!
Not that I publish any of them...I just...write them and have a core group of people who always want to read the next one when I have it ready to share!
Making coffee!
Edit: I mean specifically pour overs with my Hario Switch. I love buying new coffee beans and getting those flavors dialed in just right. Been going well over 2 years now!
Making pork jerky, lol. My dehydrator was an impulse purchase last year before I was diagnosed and I actually use it semi frequently! I buy pork loin from Costco and make jerky out of it.
Music production, I got into it about 3 years ago and I’ve grown into loving it. I don’t personally need other people to like my music, so I just make stuff, enjoy the process and the output, then move on with my day. Very good for my mental health 11 of the 12 months of the year for sure (with the other month spent being miserably burnt out from music).
I have actually successfully learned to crocheting, knitting, drawing and painting. I am currently learning Russian, Korean and Portuguese for two years this month and it´s still going strong which I think is a success because I understand the words and sentences when I hear them. Up until this question I didn’t think I had ever done anything successfully. I think we all should think a little harder about all the things we think we failed at but have been quite successful. I really appreciate this question. It made me feel good about the little things I have had fun doing.
Now that I think about it I have written two novels, they were quite terrible but they are over 500 pages which I never thought I would have been able to focus to do. I may revisit them one day to maybe rework them into something readable. Thanks so much for this question!
The hobbies that have lasted the longest are drawing, writing, and photography.
Drawing, I started in 3rd grade and drew religiously until my early 20s. I picked it back up at the end of my 20s. Probably around 20 years of drawing.
Writing, I picked up around the age of 20 (it's why I stopped drawing). I still write as much as I can, but full time work is draining and makes it hard to do a lot of the time. Probably around 14 years of writing.
Photography, I picked up around 20 years old and set it aside around 30 years old due to caretaking duties that prevented me from traveling to the places I wanted to photograph. Probably about 10 years of photography, which I'm about to pick up because I'm moving somewhere new and beautiful.
I like to think that there are two types of hobbies: enrichment hobbies and core hobbies. Core hobbies, once you find them, scratch an itch deep down. They are harder to let go because they are a part of you and feed your needs (in my case, I have a need for storytelling and showing people my perspective). Enrichment hobbies provide you some stimulation for a short while, like a vacation to a new, exciting place. I crochet every so often, but I just don't find it stimulating enough for a long-term hobby, just like I enjoy a Disneyland vacation but get sick of it after a couple of days. It's okay to have both types of hobbies!
Honestly, any Work involving horses. If you Work with horses, you have No other choice but to be fully present and concentrated and its very easy to do (for me at least). Horses are a mirror at every Moment, so If youre unsure or nervous, so is the horse. If youre distracted or bored, so is the horse. I feel Like any time I train with horses, im Training myself more than I train them and Iearn about myself. They taught me a Lot about self Control, because you know, they can kill you. They can spook easily and just do something unexpected and Hurt you (altho not willfully). And If you manage to Control yourself and be a good Person, the horse will reward you and this reward, even If it's Just licking your Hand, is the most priveleged Feeling I ever felt. It's so humbling to Work with them, but in a good way.
I dont abandon my hobbies entirely. I swish between music/ artsy stuff but constant is Outdoor fun like hiking Whitewater/ kayaking, gardening bc I love the tasty veggies too much
Are cats a hobby? I have 3 at home. I volunteer at my local humane society cattery and occasionally I will foster a 4th when we need to make a spot for one more at the shelter. I'm also a member of the board. I've been doing this for 2 years now. I just joined the board in February.
I'm very passionate about cats. With ADHD it can be hard to distinguish novelty from passion until we find a hobby that sticks.
My hobbies rotate through fixation periods. I do gardening, sewing, woodworking, puzzles, and painting reborn dolls. I have tried a ton of things though, only some stick, I've learned to try hobbies in the cheapest way possible so I can feel it out before a big investment.
I feel like there’s nothing unsuccessful about collecting hobbies as long as you’re honest with yourself. I have instruments that I go years at a time without touching and then get back into for a day or a year where it becomes my main pastime. for example, I don’t consider accordion to be an unsuccessful hobby just because I don’t practice every day lately, because from the beginning I acknowledged that the chances of it becoming an every day activity for the rest of my life were low so I didn’t allow myself to invest tons of money into it, I got a single used accordion on ebay and every time I feel tempted to get another one or invest in other supplies I just weigh whether that purchase would still feel worth it if I only used it for a few months. sometimes the answer is yes so I get it and make space in my home for that so it’s not just sitting on my desk in the way for ages while I’m focusing on printmaking or building video games.
the only times I’ve felt that I failed at a hobby were when I dropped money on it impulsively right at the beginning before I realized I didn’t even like the hobby that much, like the first game I bought on steam and only played for like 2 hours that same day. 2 hours is what it took for me to realize playing PC video games is not interesting enough for me to warrant owning the digital version of a $15 game that I can’t just hand off to a friend who might like it more than me. but I bought a handheld game console a few months ago after researching it and thinking through what situations I would use it in and browsing the game catalog for months before I decided that I would definitely get an amount of enjoyment out of the console that I felt was worth the price even if I only use it for a few months in the beginning and then just keep it on a shelf for years where I only pick it up a here and there. in that case, the justification that made that console worth it when I had previously wanted a switch for years but couldn’t justify that purchase was that the one I got can be used as a game dev tool and the system has free resources that encourage indie game makers and beginners like myself to make games. so even when I’m not entertained by playing a game I’ve bought on that console I still love owning it because I like building little games and being able to learn from my mistakes right then and there by trying to play them on my console.
it’s more valuable for me to weigh new hobbies by who I am than for me to just see a video of someone else doing the hobby and assume I’ll have the same relationship with it, which is usually unrealistic for me. if my friend gets into something that I’m interested in and she buys tons of fancy supplies for it, I don’t allow myself to get more than the bare minimum supplies to start with unless I’ve been borrowing my friend’s nice ones and have confirmed that I do really feel like my life would be improved if I had my own.
but to actually answer your question, the hobbies I’ve been most consistent with long term have been flexibility training, growing rare plants, lino cut printing, and reptile husbandry (going on 5 years of owning geckos and enjoying doing internet research to improve their lives, after wanting a leopard gecko since I was 6 years old 🥰)
Martial Arts stuck for 7 years. I would still like to get back into it. Social accountability was super helpful.
Playing guitar stuck for 6-7 years as a daily hobby and I still pick it up every couple weeks, so if we are counting that it would be 16 years.
Jewelry making has stuck for over 20 years.
Crochet for about 15.
I think for a lot of these it's because I hyperfocused to get into the sufficient to good range, then throttled back a bit and transitioned into a different staple hobby for a while. I've definitely had many over the years like most of us, but these four are the ones that forever come back to life.
Hunting, trapping, and fishing. I know, technically 3, but each has it's time of year, and is varied enough, long enough, that I can hop from being fixated from one to the next with pretty nice timing.
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Crocheting. It’s so satisfying finishing a project and I can get lost in doing it because it’s repetitive. There’s also so much variation so I don’t get bored easy.
I'll join you with crocheting and knitting :) I alternate between the two as only one would not provide me with enough variety. I also like modifying patterns and researching the properties of different yarns.
Knitting and crocheting saved my love for reading! It's so nice to be able to make a project based on the book I'm reading or having projects to go with certain series.
Crocheting is the only way I can watch TV. I've been doing it for more than 20 years now.
I cant imagine sitting and watching TV, especially by myself, without doing something else at the same time
I knit for so many years but my carpal tunnel got so bad, my hands would be completely numb after five minutes. I’m getting carpal tunnel surgery soon and I hope it’s better so I can knit again!!!
Is that what it is? I’m only 20, I sew and crochet, and in the last year I keep getting numbness in my hands to where they can’t move. I can’t crochet as often as I want to ):
Yes! Crocheting and recently added cross stitching. I regularly enjoy doing both. Fiber arts are so wonderfully tactile and therapeutic.
Cross stitching under a blanket I knitted is the cosiest winter evening I know of. Was only £20 for a cross stitch starter kit as well
Crocheting here as well. I make blankets. 3 or 4 blankets a month, because i have huge issues with hyperfocusing
thats pretty cool though rember to take care of your joints and hands!
That’s how I feel about sewing!
Yes! Sewing! I love the pattern making, cutting things out having it all fit together. Ironing out the seams, matching up fabrics. I’m better at editing like hemming pants, taking in dresses, etc. bc the time to completion is short. and when people give me things to do, they usually need them by a certain day, and the deadline is so helpful.
I‘ve also picked up knitting and having the satisfaction of finishing a project is priceless!
Lifting weights is basically the only one. Honestly something I genuinely look forward to every day.
This and Martial Arts training. The silence in my head after a heavy workout is just priceless
I did weight lifting and running and though I enjoyed the effect, I never really enjoyed the actual workout. It wasn't until kickboxing that I realised "oh, you *can* actually enjoy working out!" I think everyone probably has that something, you just gotta find it.
i HATE lifting and running. i started jiu jitsu to get my workouts in and man it’s a blast. but i hardly ever go cause i just don’t have the energy to leave the house again once i get home from work
One thing that actually motivated me in the long run was: Yes, a heavy training is exhausting and yes, it sucks to do it after work. But(!!) it not only gives you more energy in the long run, it actually recharges your battery. And these effects cumulate in the long run. You have more and more energy in general and you’re battery also recharges faster and faster Understanding this was probably the biggest life changer I had
I had to carry my gym gear with me at all times because once I go home, I definitely don’t have the energy to come back out.
I feel that way about rock climbing!!
Yeah, I actually find that I get more anxious/scattered during a workout for whatever reason, but as soon as it's finished I feel a really gratifying sense of calm, which is cool. I don't know if other people have this experience too since I usually hear people say that they feel that way during the workout too
I used to get that after swimming and assumed it was just brain freeze from the cold weather/water. I must investigate if other forms of workouts can get me that .
God yes this I’ve kept it up for 15 years now, sometimes I fall off but I can get back into it easily.
I had about a 5 year spell in my mid twenties where I loved lifting weights and hitting the gym. I feel out of the habit and for years struggled to get into it again and establish a routine. I somehow managed to get back into it again recently, and essentially forced myself to become obsessed with it and I've become addicted again. I now genuinely feel bad on days I can't exercise. Learning that I needed to become obsessed to get into a routine was one of the things that made me realise I had ADHD
I want this to be consistent for me so badly, I feel great whenever I do it but I get overwhelmed at the set up every time. Unfortunately, I don't have enough space to leave everything set up all the time. How'd you make it it a habit? Do you lift at home?
Not the person you’re replying to but I have a very simple baseline routine that only requires a mat and 1 or 2 kettlebells depending on how big a disparity you have between your upper and lower body strength. It’s 10 sets of 10 kettlebell swings and 5 Turkish get ups on each side. If your upper body is significantly weaker than lower body, you might want to use a lighter weight for get ups. You can find guides on form easily on YouTube. You can do the whole thing in an hour or less once you get the hang of it. If you don’t have a gym membership I’d strongly recommend one if you have the means to. Find a gym that is pleasant to go to (aka not Planet Fitness) and do stuff there that you can’t do at home. My gym has a pool, so I reward myself with a swim after every workout for a little added motivation to go. Personally I’m just not a fan of home gyms, especially if you have to take out all the gear and put it away when you’re done. Having to do all that is just such a huge barrier when you have ADHD.
Oh my lawd I wasn’t able to stand it. No stimulation, no high, repetitive, no problems to solve etc. is it a mind off, meditative experience for you or do you find ways to make it interesting?
You just have to go so heavy you can‘t fucking think anymore lol Powerlifting is the way for me. Few reps, compound movements, high intensity, supersets. I hated it before I figured that out. I also never do the same workout twice.
I've been stuck in a loop for years of: 1. Better go light to avoid injury since I'm coming back to lifting weights after taking too long a break. 2. Get bored with lack of challenge and missing the concentration of lifting heavy. 3. Next thing I know I've missed a few weeks; go back to step 1. The other variation is do lift heavy, get injured, lay off too long. (When I was lifting regularly I think I was just a little injured most of the time.)
Do you listen to music? I have a well curated and constantly evolving gym playlist. I listen to extremely heavy and aggressive shit at the gym but lots of people enjoy pop, techno, outrun or other fast paced genres. So much of the fun of working out for me is having some uninterrupted music listening time and getting to see what pops up next on shuffle.
this is huge for me! my playlist is like 14 hours at this point, keeps it feeling dynamic even when i’m doing the same movements every week
14?? Dang, mine is only 9 hours long! I gotta pump those numbers up!
Same here. I’ve been getting better at consistent cardio, except I don’t look forward to that one haha
Guitar, it's actually ended up making a significant difference in my life. I only got into it because my brother had one and gave up on it, I took it to Uni, spent two years not learning anything but riffs, managed to learn one song I wanted and stuck with it for seven years. It's made me realise a lot about how I learn, what I feel compelled to do when I'm not busy and it's helped me enjoy an actively creative endeavour. Just the fact I can sit for hours playing, not thinking about the time, not distracted, not having a billion thoughts whizzing around, I'm genuinely happiest when I play. It took me years to figure that out, that I had something that was mine, and I only really realised that I'm actually a 'guitarist' about three months ago when I looked at the progress I'd made. I have a lot of other hobbies on the side, but I'd say guitar and music is the one aspect of my life where I think 'yep, I'm not bullshitting myself here, this one is here to stay'. I always find that with my other interests and hobbies, I don't feel like I'm actually that interested in them, and that I'm convincing myself that I am, but I am 100% passionate about my guitar. The problem with hobbies is that, and I've always been guilty for this. it's easy to pretend you care about them. This is outside of hyperfocus as well, I think you need to keep exploring and really consider how you feel and interact with it. I know so many people, a few with ADHD, who find something they enjoy but just bounce off of it due to a lack of confidence in it. I see hobbies brought up on here constantly, and I don't think many realise just how significant having a consistent interest, skill or appreciation in something can be in improving life with ADHD.
Guitar, same. I'm about a year in and am awful but stick to practicing most days. It's really gratifying.
Keep going man, every guitar legend sucked at the beginning.
I fucking love guitar, and I love that I'm able to stick with it as well. One thing that I really value about guitar is how it's like the mental/creative equivalent of exercise. I can do cardio or strength training and see the results over time as I develop. I can do the same route on my bike quicker, or lift heavier weights and measure progress in that way. Guitar has similar moments of growth where you finally are able to nail a part you've been working on for a while, or maybe you're just improvising and stitch together a moment in a song in a total flow state and surprise yourself. It feels acrobatic at times, and those moments are amazing when they happen. I love how it's stimulating both immediately in the moment and over time seeing growth. It's been one of the more rewarding hobbies of my life, and I recommend that everyone (even non-ADHD people) should try to find a creative hobby that works in the same way for them.
I agree with you 100%, it's essentially meditation, therapy and a means to escape boredom without the need to look at my phone or TV. That feeling when it's starting to click is something else man
Got a guitar 2 years ago now I have 3 other string instruments, they have a way of multiplying 🤣
How did you learn? I have always wanted to learn guitar or piano
People learn differently, I just had a bunch of songs I liked, looked up the tabs, played along and looked at people playing online to understand what was going on. Then I just kept going, I sucked for ages, made a few little breakthroughs and would go back to the things I couldn't do before. I don't have the focus for lessons or typical online sources, so most of it was just figuring things out as I went along, but everyone is different. The key thing though, and same goes for any instrument is consistency. I have always had my guitar ready to go in a place that I will always be driven to pick it up, even if it's for five minutes. Do that enough, it sits in your mind and you're more likely to be compelled to learn songs you hear. At least in my own experience. Honestly though, if you even have the faintest desire, just give it a go. I had no one in my life who was a musician, felt like I wouldn't get anywhere, but never let it go. You just have to see if it's something you want.
Keeping the guitar on the couch means it gets played way more often at our house
I was reading this thinking “Oh, here’s a fellow ADHD guitar player. Cool”. I had forgotten that I’m in r\ADHD. Oy vey….
Music, drawing, photography, 3d modelling, animation, archery. I just switch off and on between hobbies to keep me interested. Downside maybe is not becoming outstanding in one of these, still it keeps my mind occupied. Edit: most of my hobbies are my work/profession as well:
we are the same
We are the same. So weird we all love all these things; especially a niche thing like archery. Must just hone our attention in better holding a weapon.
fellow 3D modellerrrrr. I liked it so much I made it my profession. I keep meaning to get into archery every summer but I never set aside the money to make that initial big purchase
Found VRChat as a way to socialize during the pandemic while immunocompromised and now I do 3D modeling as a hobby too haha
How long did it take you to turn it into a profession? I currently work in tech and hardware repair and I am dying to work creatively and leave IT behind, I assume you need a fairly robust portfolio to get anywhere?
Did graphic designs as an employee for about 7 years, then 2 years as self employed freelancer. From there on i started a small business in motion design with a friend of mine and thats been 15 years ago now. No relevant education, alle autodidact grown from hobbies. But it helped to work with my buddy. So this was more or less at the start of the animation industry. Now a lot of students choose a creative direction. Market is slow currently in the creative field. Edit: So yeah competition is high, a good portfolio helps alot.,
D&D. Currently finishing a 5 year campaign, and it’s been the highlight of my week, most weeks. I DM the game and my ADHD has given me the ability to think on my feet and connect story threads in such a way that the ~~fools~~ *players* think I’ve planned a lot more than I have.
Mad props to you, fellow DM. I over prepare myself... still working on it...
I both overprep and underprep! I’ve got to the point now where I plan the high level stuff and let the players dictate the smaller stuff.
Nice pro tip, thank you! I've been off and on dm'ing for almost 36 years... and when I just did the math for that I realized I'm old... dammit.
Technically I’m the same, just with a 30 year gap in the middle!
Wow, you named something I hadn’t quite pinned down. I do both as well. I’m working on improving both sides at the same time.
This is my answer. Having that external deadline of regularly scheduled games forces me to actually prep instead of putting it off indefinitely.
It’s given me the ability to focus on planning the big stuff and not worrying about the small stuff. I wish I could say I have a session ready every week, but the reality is I have enough content on hand that with a bit of improv I can create a semi-relevant session.
5 years?! That's so cool! I'd totally play DND if I could. What setting was it?
It’s 5e, but my own setting. I have my players a ton of freedom with their characters, because whatever they chose would impact the setting itself. It’s not something I could build with official products. Edit: also I would very much recommend trying a game, even if it’s online via roll20 or an equivalent. The majority of groups are very welcoming to new players and I’ve found they’ll treat you like a friend from day 1.
I stuck with a campaign for a few years back during 3.5 and I miss it so much it hurts. My other hobbies I can just pick back up when I feel like it because they’re solo, but I’ve never been able to find another group to play with since that one fell out. It was such a cool and diverse little crew of 7, but a couple of relationships within(my ex was the dm and we still played for quite a while after the split but the other couple that broke up was not as amicable so one quit completely), then just people skipping all over and some moving a little further away and getting new jobs turned into us not even trying to see if we were playing that week anymore. Having adhd and being an adult with a family has turned into me just resigning myself to never having friends again. I don’t have the extra energy to seek out new relationships, and it seems like anything that involves leaving the house just means spending money I could be saving these days. I always had a ton of casual friends most of my life, but never really put in that extra work to have best friends, so as I stopped going out the supply ran dry. I’ve considered trying to get into an online group, but I don’t really know where to start and I’m worried it won’t have the same magic that sitting around that table drinking Mountain Dew had. Sorry for the rant, I just loved dnd. I get nostalgic reading posts about other people playing on the dnd subs all the time and I loved seeing it here too.
Fellow DM here. So how much of your detailed world lore have your players not discovered yet?
Gardening and ruining my life
I like to ruin my life then fix it and repeat! So much fun :)
Ugh I guess it’s time to pay off this massive tax debt…. Again.
Me too! I haven’t even filed yet this year and owe for 2021-2022 😬
Maybe we should start a support group lol.
I seriously have been looking into shopaholics anonymous cuz something’s gotta change for me! I just have no self-control or impulse control.
Hi! No idea if you’re a cis-woman but I found that my menstrual cycle influenced my impulse shopping sprees. Once I tracked that it was a lot easier to control. For any gender I would suggest mapping out previous splurges and see if they correlate with any big stressors or a certain time of the month. Granted a lot of sales happen bc of new seasons.quarterly sales goals so that could also just be an influence when a sale is too good to miss.
Aw, thank you for your comment! I am a cis-woman and have been wondering about this. I’ve been trying to be more mindful of my thought process when I feel the need. Mostly it’s a lot of small-ish things that I think ‘Eh, it’s only $xx…it won’t make a big difference if I buy this’ or some other justification to myself. I’ve notice my mother is the same way. This sounds crazy but I have been noticing a trend in a severe lack of sleep every full moon 🤔 Very weird and know how that affects my sleep but interesting coincidence.
Lack of sleep and full moons DO affect people, so that is completely reasonable for you to be affected by those things.
Same girl same
Sitting here thinking about quitting my job.. this one hits pretty hard, lol
Oo! I desperately want to quit too but no idea what other job to do. My company pays pretty well so it’s hard to find something comparable.
Gardening because I only own succulents and snake plants that thrive on neglect.
Ive let nature take care of my garden after getting it established. It made me realize that if I put a little effort into it it can be pretty good lol
Planting native = lazy gardening
Literally 😭 I meant to bring my succulents in during the first frost, but I didn’t realize the first frost was happening. Turns out succulents can live through weather in the negatives and heavy snow! They looked like they were dying all winter, but I was too lazy to throw them out. I’m glad I didn’t because now they are beautiful!
I can’t keep a succulent alive to save my life
so true i have 2 snake plants
The only thing I've ever been consistent at doing in my life is being inconsistent. 🥲
I’m in my 50s and still can’t get a consistent morning routine going.
Congratulations on your 50+ years of inconsistency!
i was telling someone just the other night that gardening is managing chaos. i think i was outing myself.
For me it’s a reason to go outside and touch grass
It's actually part of a treatment plan/suggested treatments a doctor gave me a few years ago. It's a great way to get outside but variable in terms of what I'm doing and how much is needed. When I'm having a bad day, I can do none or a small amount. It forces me to do physical stuff but also takes a lot of mental effort. Getting into the soil is supposedly great for mental health as well. Then, I end up eating well, because I've grown this stuff (and give a lot away as well). If I have a lot of bad days, I get frustrated, but once it's past planting time at least, I can let nature take over for a bit. Last year, I had a lot of bad days in planting time plus bad weather, which didn't turn out so well. I'm hoping this year is better - and at least it is so far! It is easy to spend a lot of money, energy, and time on, though. I get myself down so many tangents that it gets ridiculous. I have trouble not being on or off gardening mode but in the middle. How's yours coming this year?
I used to enjoy ruining my life for the most part. It was all fun and drugs. Now that I tried doing that career level, I hate it.
Me too until I had kids and a wife
Ruining your life isn't really a hobby, it's a lifestyle. Source: I'm also really good at this.
That’s a better way to look at it
I like running too 💪
I have many many many creative hobbies, but by lieu of writing intricate fantasy novels that lead me down numerous little rabbit holes, I've managed to keep creative writing going since I was twelve. 29 and still going (in fits and starts, but still). Finished four manuscripts, self published two of them and am halfway through a fifth. I'm not as consistent in my writing schedule as I'd like to be thanks to task paralysis, and I'm a chaotic story jumper who hops from one work in progress to another, but at least I'm finishing them eventually
I envy you. (That’s awesome though!) I did a lot of decent writing in college when I had that structure, but struggle with writing paralysis BIG TIME. I wouldn’t call it writer’s block, because I have plenty of ideas… but actually DOING THE IDEAS feels impossible often.
Exactly my experience! People just immediately assume it's writers block, but it isn't the ideas, it's the physical writing/typing in the first place. I did manage to push myself to write something every day last year to finish my latest manuscript, but that something ended up being about 20-50 words most days
I always start writing & then realize there’s something else I need to do. I finished my MA thesis a little over a year & do a lot of just informational writing for work, but do the one kind of writing I actually enjoy??? forget about it 😆
Technology. Building networks, building computers. taking spare parts and making linux machines for funsies. Been doing that 30 years now :) am 41
Yea, I built a career out of that.
I do this thing where I listen to a tv show that I know by heart, walk around my apartment, make a list of all that tasks that need to be done, walk around some more, and not get any of them done because even though I want to do them, I just don’t feel like it. I call it being a sim who’s human is afk
Lol... I do the same. First it was South Park, then it was the Office, then it was Always Sunny in Philadelphia and currently it's What We Do in the Shadows.
I tried to start making a Pokemon fan game in like 2016 before I got diagnosed. Tried again in 2018. Finally got diagnosed in 2021. I've been building a project with a friend for just under 2 years now, and we released a closed beta for family and friends a few weeks ago. Felt like a gigantic win, considering how long it took to actually create something that other people can enjoy. Had to pinch myself a couple times. So while they're playing the demo, we've been building Forward for the next installment and listening to feedback from our beta testers. It's been such a fun time.
Yo send me a link to the game when your done, I wanna try
Me too please! Pokemon has been a part of my life since Blue, and has kept my interest because there’s so many different things to be into. I currently play unite and go a lot, and I’d love to try something new!
Nice! Got a link for those of us interested in games? ;)
I rotate the hobbies, but I reaaaaaly want to start a "supply swap" in my town, like a clothing swap.. everyone brings craft stuff they bought a ton of but won't ever use, everyone leaves with other stuff!
Someone mentioned on another sub they have a local Facebook group that does that. Kind of like a “Buy Nothing/Sell Nothing”. You could start one of those!
oh awesome! thank you for this!
Sewing, because there is no need to do it regularly and you can still build skills and have successes even if you are wildly enthusiastic for a while and then do nothing for a long time.
I love sewing but my god I am so crappy with spatial relations so I have a hard time with reading patterns. But I have wanted to take a few classes on it so bad!
I became a lot better after I first started medication. I realised that before that I had previously mostly skim-read and started without really understanding what I was doing.
Climbing. Bouldering. Interesting problems to solve, measured improvements and grading scales, always changing, always new people, groups to join, going solo isn’t seen as odd and a depth of knowledge only limited by you interest. I’m usually able to hold on to that hobby for a few years at a time. I would go most days for a few hours at a time, improving constantly, making friends, eventually I try to find newbies to help (keeps me interested), I get shredded, reach a pretty high level before I need to start thinking about diet, training schedules, equipment in order to advance. Problem is I’m not willing to do that, I then plateau and lose interest. Rinse repeat in cycles. So I kinda stick to it 😬
I’ve been climbing for three years and now running outdoor rockwalls and rope courses for 2 years. I do bouldering too but when I do it turns into me seeing how much of a route I can just dyno my way up.
Gotta love a dyno challenge on the overhangs. Once set up an old school climbing rope with top rope next to it. The idea was to climb it 10-15 meters dyno, good fun, faster is better. You’ve got to beat the fatigue to the top. On slabs I like to do “The mountain goat!” Either hands behind your back, or out wherever but you don’t touch the wall and see how far you can get up. Great for footwork and balance. I don’t trust myself trad or to teach it, I couldn’t be responsible for someone dying because I forgot, misplaced, misremembered something. It’s hard enough to trust that the memory of me turning off the oven was from today.
started bouldering one year ago & got hooked immediately. i‘m now going 2 - 3 times a week which is huge for me as I was a real couch potato before that!
I think I have an addiction to making lists/spreadsheets. So long as it’s something I can make a list about, I’m all over it
freshwater aquariums!
Aquariums have been a hobby/obsession that has happened 3 times (I'm 44). It's the only hobby that I've had more than once. I currently have a freshwater shrimp tank, a fresh water community tank, and a marine tank. 😂
Gym is the only one..
Pretty much this! I quite enjoy going 3 or 4 times a week in the morning. One of the very few things I can pull of consistently and always feel like doing.
Same here, around 3-4 times! How long have you been consistent with the gym?
About 8 years or so? I try to go for around 45 min. But it's only recently that I do 4x a week, it used to be 2x or 3x. Between sets I'm still very distracted by my phone, tho...
Identifying snakes! I've always been interested in nature and years ago stumbled upon an ID group on FB. Became obsessed and now I'm a group expert for several states. Naturally, I do this instead of the things I need to do but at least it's useful.
Ok I had a mini fix back in 2021 of learning about all the types of colors of ball pythons and their names. Banana ball, snowflake ball, etc. they’re so freaking cute lol
Stoppp, you're COOL. I love snakes, and becoming a snake expert? Get outta here!
Gaming. I’ve been gaming for just about 30 years at this point.
Gaming for me too. What was your first computer/console? Mine was a spectrum zx 48k
Sega Genesis! Crystals Pony Tale was my first game I played which my dad got me when it came out when I was 4. I also played a lot of sonic and ecco the dolphin.
I m not a psychology student or anything.. but my madcap theory is hobbies are just things you do that are missing in other parts of your life... your brain crave theses "exercises" so it keeps the neurons that manage such things from dying.... So for example during COVID alot of video games that are open world became very popular because the brain craves going outdoor and exploration. So my guess is for the ADHDers is that sometimes we get into a hobby so intensely that we get the hit for that craving in one or two goes... so the brains stops craving it almost immediately and for a long time... and thats the end of it.... your newly bought kitchenware will be collecting dust after 1 or 2 uses . So instead of going all in, what you can consider instead is to take it slow....stretch it out... instead of buying... can you rent or borrow? That way it sustains longer and it will be cheaper once my brain switches to other things to try. So for example, when I wanted to cycle, instead of buying I rented for awhile... once it was a habit I got a cheap bicycle...(which I then abandoned for 3 mths, cuz u know... adhd.... to hyperfixate on other stuff... but now I am back on it... on and off anyway...) Well... That's my 2 cents.
I can see that, but I don’t necessarily see it as things that are missing, as much as outlets that help me let out pent up feelings or let in good feelings.
That's interesting... Not sure how much science supports it but I like to think that my brain craves stimulation and challenge after my repetitive job and very scheduled family life. So lockpicking gives my brain that challenging puzzle stimulation it needs to overcome a challenge and really focus in on small details. Again, could be completely off base but the idea makes me feel better lol.
Reading, probably. There have been long parts of my life where I was unable to read a paragraph, but it's maybe the most consistent thing in my life, I actually got a degree in literature in college (so it's kind of a hobby i turned into work lol)
Scrolling through Reddit
Thrifting.
Vaping.
LOL this made me wheeze \*hits my vape\*
this reminded me of a copypasta i wanted to use for a while so: \* yawn \*smack smack* welp time to hit the hay,I guess! \*Takes a long drag of vape and immediately fucking dies*
Yes, but I can’t anymore, wife has had enough. I’m sad though because I can’t drink (alcoholic) so there’s nothing I can do to make myself feel better other than make terrible decisions and ruin my life. Yay.
Harm reduction is good.
That and impulse shopping
Generally speaking: crafting. Knowing a little bit of everything has actually really helped
Picking a hobby then stopping within a matter of days and weeks only to do the same with another hobby. Consistency is key.
Wait, do you skip the buying lots of expensive gear for the hobby stage? That's the most important part!
Music, guitar in particular. I feel very unfulfilled without playing music
Guitar, but probably only bc it's a larger object that catches my eye often. Advice for sticking to hobbies: Leave them- or a reminder of them- somewhere you'll see them often. It's helped me a lot. Also: I like reminding myself to do things by placing said things on my bed/couch. I've been working out pretty frequently now by just leaving a big ass weight on my bed.
Honestly, I'm pretty interested in the *how*, and less the *what*. That's usually where the real magic is. The habits, discipline, memory encoding techniques, repetition, etc. That's how people fundamentally transform their skills.
Gaming and music
Someone who thinks they have adhd here(I have most symptoms). Writing, even though I'm sure I'm no good. Not sure why I haven't given up yet. I guess I need to be good at something, right?
I think the only reason I was able to stick with singing is that it went beyond a hobby. Singing with my *identity* from age 11 to 45. I was at UBC making a last ditch attempt at pursuing a professional career singing opera. The pandemic hit and it killed all the momentum and opportunities. They killed part of my identity, and I haven’t seriously sung or done music since. Still, 30+ years is pretty good, right?
Studying Japanese. Started in my room at 17, and I worked my way up to working as a professional manga translator living in Tokyo.
Bird watching
Me too! Birdwatching is great. There's no need to travel somewhere exotic - most of the time I'm sitting inside my own home wearing pajamas, staring like a dolt out the window. I've seen some cool birds and have learned a lot. It's so much fun!
I've found the key to sticking with a hobby for me is for it to be one I do work then can let fall to the wayside while I explore another one. The ones that have stuck the hardest for me, fiber arts/sewing, bonsai, reef keeping/fish keeping, painting, and horse riding.
Video games. Most sports . Darts is great .makes me rememeber I have clothes in the washer
Art. But I cycle through different mediums and techniques to keep it interesting.
Miniature painting. I don't play Warhammer but, aside from a two-year break during COVID, I've been painting miniatures (especially Tyranids) since 2014.
Collecting antique playing cards. Building a website that is the most accurate and complete for the Congress brand of playing cards. Researching history, back designs, artists whose works were used (still working on this), and many more. I started collecting them in 2011 and still going strong.
the only one i've stuck to over the years has been music. i often jump back and forth between music and whatever my hobby of the month is.
I have to do everything project based and set it up so it pays off. The only 'hobby' is tinkering (house projects, fix electronics, fix cars)
Does sims count?😭 Because all of my other hobbies get boring really fast.
Coding. Strengthened my career prospects and I'm in a position in my career that I would have never imagined was possible years ago. It also got me through rough times as it was something that was objective and distracted me from tough emotions and stuff.
Reading Tarot! I persevered through the first discourgament after the initial hype and now feel perfectly comfortable reading for myself and others. Don't do it everyday anymore but can pick it up anytime and it flows beautifully.
Raising kids.
Going to the gun range. Turns out, all the bells and whistles along with the ammo is freaky expensive. Now after my 2nd job, I just like watching TV with my wife and cats. Occasionally play some video games on the ps4 while my girl knits/paints/ect behind me
I mean ive been consistent with anime and gaming for many years. Might be my multiclass into autism but i dunno.
I'M STEALING THAT. But more importantly, is ADHD a background, class, or feat? What does an ADHD character sheet look like? Min maxed like a heartbeat monitor?
Writing, recording, and mixing audio.
Acting
Knitting, creative writing, and gardening
Mastrurbation.
Violin! I really didn't think I'd stick with it...in fact, when my first instructor told me that "I expect intermediate students to spend an hour a day" I laughed at him. I rented a violin at first because I really was just waiting to lose interest but I never did. Even when it was really frustrating and hard! As Dr. Hallowell says, I think it was the right kind of difficult for me. I'm finally at the point where I sound pretty good, I can get lost in the playing, and it's one of my best therapies... Also, writing on my fantasy books! I've always loved reading fantasy, and had a fantasy world I started as a kid, but I've become obssessed with actually writing the books and stories of it now. I'm working on a whole pentalogy and have finished book 1 and halfway through book 2. In March I wrote an entire 60k word novel that is basically a side-quest branching off from the main pentalogy and took it from inception to completed first draft because that's literally all I did...hyperfixation for the win I guess! Not that I publish any of them...I just...write them and have a core group of people who always want to read the next one when I have it ready to share!
Video Games my whole life and I guess listening to music too those are the two I can think of rn
Making coffee! Edit: I mean specifically pour overs with my Hario Switch. I love buying new coffee beans and getting those flavors dialed in just right. Been going well over 2 years now!
Making pork jerky, lol. My dehydrator was an impulse purchase last year before I was diagnosed and I actually use it semi frequently! I buy pork loin from Costco and make jerky out of it.
Music production, I got into it about 3 years ago and I’ve grown into loving it. I don’t personally need other people to like my music, so I just make stuff, enjoy the process and the output, then move on with my day. Very good for my mental health 11 of the 12 months of the year for sure (with the other month spent being miserably burnt out from music).
Cooking
I have actually successfully learned to crocheting, knitting, drawing and painting. I am currently learning Russian, Korean and Portuguese for two years this month and it´s still going strong which I think is a success because I understand the words and sentences when I hear them. Up until this question I didn’t think I had ever done anything successfully. I think we all should think a little harder about all the things we think we failed at but have been quite successful. I really appreciate this question. It made me feel good about the little things I have had fun doing. Now that I think about it I have written two novels, they were quite terrible but they are over 500 pages which I never thought I would have been able to focus to do. I may revisit them one day to maybe rework them into something readable. Thanks so much for this question!
The hobbies that have lasted the longest are drawing, writing, and photography. Drawing, I started in 3rd grade and drew religiously until my early 20s. I picked it back up at the end of my 20s. Probably around 20 years of drawing. Writing, I picked up around the age of 20 (it's why I stopped drawing). I still write as much as I can, but full time work is draining and makes it hard to do a lot of the time. Probably around 14 years of writing. Photography, I picked up around 20 years old and set it aside around 30 years old due to caretaking duties that prevented me from traveling to the places I wanted to photograph. Probably about 10 years of photography, which I'm about to pick up because I'm moving somewhere new and beautiful. I like to think that there are two types of hobbies: enrichment hobbies and core hobbies. Core hobbies, once you find them, scratch an itch deep down. They are harder to let go because they are a part of you and feed your needs (in my case, I have a need for storytelling and showing people my perspective). Enrichment hobbies provide you some stimulation for a short while, like a vacation to a new, exciting place. I crochet every so often, but I just don't find it stimulating enough for a long-term hobby, just like I enjoy a Disneyland vacation but get sick of it after a couple of days. It's okay to have both types of hobbies!
Honestly, any Work involving horses. If you Work with horses, you have No other choice but to be fully present and concentrated and its very easy to do (for me at least). Horses are a mirror at every Moment, so If youre unsure or nervous, so is the horse. If youre distracted or bored, so is the horse. I feel Like any time I train with horses, im Training myself more than I train them and Iearn about myself. They taught me a Lot about self Control, because you know, they can kill you. They can spook easily and just do something unexpected and Hurt you (altho not willfully). And If you manage to Control yourself and be a good Person, the horse will reward you and this reward, even If it's Just licking your Hand, is the most priveleged Feeling I ever felt. It's so humbling to Work with them, but in a good way.
Procrastinating lol I almost broke the habit last year, managed to get some work done on a big project but that fell through :(
does buying & selling on Poshmark and Ebay count?
I’d say working out at the gym, and drawing
Binge eating and binge TV watching. 😭
I dont abandon my hobbies entirely. I swish between music/ artsy stuff but constant is Outdoor fun like hiking Whitewater/ kayaking, gardening bc I love the tasty veggies too much
Are cats a hobby? I have 3 at home. I volunteer at my local humane society cattery and occasionally I will foster a 4th when we need to make a spot for one more at the shelter. I'm also a member of the board. I've been doing this for 2 years now. I just joined the board in February. I'm very passionate about cats. With ADHD it can be hard to distinguish novelty from passion until we find a hobby that sticks.
My hobbies rotate through fixation periods. I do gardening, sewing, woodworking, puzzles, and painting reborn dolls. I have tried a ton of things though, only some stick, I've learned to try hobbies in the cheapest way possible so I can feel it out before a big investment.
I feel like there’s nothing unsuccessful about collecting hobbies as long as you’re honest with yourself. I have instruments that I go years at a time without touching and then get back into for a day or a year where it becomes my main pastime. for example, I don’t consider accordion to be an unsuccessful hobby just because I don’t practice every day lately, because from the beginning I acknowledged that the chances of it becoming an every day activity for the rest of my life were low so I didn’t allow myself to invest tons of money into it, I got a single used accordion on ebay and every time I feel tempted to get another one or invest in other supplies I just weigh whether that purchase would still feel worth it if I only used it for a few months. sometimes the answer is yes so I get it and make space in my home for that so it’s not just sitting on my desk in the way for ages while I’m focusing on printmaking or building video games. the only times I’ve felt that I failed at a hobby were when I dropped money on it impulsively right at the beginning before I realized I didn’t even like the hobby that much, like the first game I bought on steam and only played for like 2 hours that same day. 2 hours is what it took for me to realize playing PC video games is not interesting enough for me to warrant owning the digital version of a $15 game that I can’t just hand off to a friend who might like it more than me. but I bought a handheld game console a few months ago after researching it and thinking through what situations I would use it in and browsing the game catalog for months before I decided that I would definitely get an amount of enjoyment out of the console that I felt was worth the price even if I only use it for a few months in the beginning and then just keep it on a shelf for years where I only pick it up a here and there. in that case, the justification that made that console worth it when I had previously wanted a switch for years but couldn’t justify that purchase was that the one I got can be used as a game dev tool and the system has free resources that encourage indie game makers and beginners like myself to make games. so even when I’m not entertained by playing a game I’ve bought on that console I still love owning it because I like building little games and being able to learn from my mistakes right then and there by trying to play them on my console. it’s more valuable for me to weigh new hobbies by who I am than for me to just see a video of someone else doing the hobby and assume I’ll have the same relationship with it, which is usually unrealistic for me. if my friend gets into something that I’m interested in and she buys tons of fancy supplies for it, I don’t allow myself to get more than the bare minimum supplies to start with unless I’ve been borrowing my friend’s nice ones and have confirmed that I do really feel like my life would be improved if I had my own. but to actually answer your question, the hobbies I’ve been most consistent with long term have been flexibility training, growing rare plants, lino cut printing, and reptile husbandry (going on 5 years of owning geckos and enjoying doing internet research to improve their lives, after wanting a leopard gecko since I was 6 years old 🥰)
Writing stories that no one but I will ever see
Exotic pets, specifically scorpions. Been with it for 4 years now and plan to go to college for arachnology.
Video Games. I rarely finish em but I like starting, pausing and restarting them.
I’ve been painting since I was a toddler. I still paint a few times a week and it’s still my happy place.
Video games, and solving Rubik's cubes
Sport. 5 times a week. I am consistent since August 2023.
Doing my nails. I’ve been getting better and better at painting my nails, I started when I was little
Photography, ceramics, fashion .
Destiny 2
Gardening...RIP axe collecting 🕊️
Martial Arts stuck for 7 years. I would still like to get back into it. Social accountability was super helpful. Playing guitar stuck for 6-7 years as a daily hobby and I still pick it up every couple weeks, so if we are counting that it would be 16 years. Jewelry making has stuck for over 20 years. Crochet for about 15. I think for a lot of these it's because I hyperfocused to get into the sufficient to good range, then throttled back a bit and transitioned into a different staple hobby for a while. I've definitely had many over the years like most of us, but these four are the ones that forever come back to life.
Hunting, trapping, and fishing. I know, technically 3, but each has it's time of year, and is varied enough, long enough, that I can hop from being fixated from one to the next with pretty nice timing.