Ideas for a project/hobby

30andnofriends

Happy new year to you all

As per the title, I suffer from depression and I'm finding things a bit tough at the moment. I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas for something that might make me feel productive/enterprising? I feel if I had something to focus on, and get some sense of achievement, it might help things

Purple Mountain

It all depends on what YOU are interested in.

There's no point in launching into something just because it's popular or someone else says so because unless it makes your heart sing, it's a waste of time.

Take out a pen and page and write down the things you like, the things you are good at and the things you think you might be good at.

Set a goal that by a certain date, you will have made an attempt to sample these new things at least once.

Furze99

And a Happy New Year to you: two suggestions

Outdoors - get outside for some physical exercise every day. Each day - even just walking and preferably where's there's a bit of green space/ countryside.

Indoors - take up a musical instrument. Can be slow going at first, but stick at it and you'll have a skill for a long time that will help. I like a bit of trad myself but anything goes. Learn to play by ear if you can at all, try out jingles and nursery rhymes, carols etc any old bit of music you like and can whistle or hum.

pgj2015

Running, the buzz I get after a run is really nice and its great for your mental health.

Packrat

If you are of a mind to do it, there's literally LOADS of culture and history rapidly disappearing in this country at the moment.

Research and documentation of some of this badly needs to be done but everyone is too busy.

It's a bit of a rabbit hole in that you find out other stuff as you go which might interest you more and you go off in a different direction but if you could pick a smallish area of interest to you and mine it out, produce some sort of document and archive it somewhere it's permanent and accessible, somebody you'll never probably meet would later be kissing your feet for having done that.

Just one idea.

tom1ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058277637/ideas-for-a-project-hobby

Op can ya swim?

gameoverdude

Something to flake out on and engage the mind, a lego set. I know it sounds silly, but I find it calming.

Or as above, outdoors stuff.

Sephiroth_dude

Learn a programming language maybe? or take up weight lifting.

fun loving criminal

Colouring can be good and you can get adult colouring books. I also have an adult dot to dot book. It's dot to dot but with 1000 numbers, so it gives you something to focus on.

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120050928#Comment_120050928

Good one. Crosswords, sudoko, word jumbles.

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120050934#Comment_120050934

Jigsaws can be fun as well.

sniperman

TAKE UP FISHING AND FLY TYING,NOTHING LIKE CATCHING A FISH ON A DIY FLY

dmc17

Might be a bit random but woodturning is something I've been meaning to get into myself. There's a Woodcraft Forum on here and some of the pieces they create are amazing. Some places run classes to get you started.

Oscar Madison

Photography is an option!

You don't have to start on the expensive side of it but work your way in to it

if you develop an interest or love for it.

There are so many genre's you can try or read up on with something

bound to develop an interest!

cute geoge

It is hard to beat the pub really but i dont go anymore .Even if you only went for 2 red lemonades at the weekend always someone there to chat to I really miss the pub to watch a match ,play pool or darts .Look out for book clubs ,movie clubs ,chess clubs,playing cards in your locality.A lot of sugestions by others above are solitary aint much use to someone with depression .You really need to snap out of depression with a wife and baby ,the last thing she needs is to be is minding you as well,sorry to be so blunt

Graces7

Many of us old folk have gardens we need help with and this is the right season to do some useful clearing.

A huge sense of achievement in this. I used to do it for old folk and now need some help too!

Seeing a garden emerge....

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120051012#Comment_120051012

Book clubs is a great one.

But exercise is a great also. How about indoor climbing? Different, but generally a great community.

Also as grace7 said above, volunteering?

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120051012#Comment_120051012

what wife and baby? 🤔

StupidLikeAFox

Do yoga op - good for the mind and the body. There is a 30 days program (yoga with adrienne) on YouTube for free

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120050941#Comment_120050941

Busy with one myself right now. Tip: as you will likely need the kitchen table for space to do them is to buy a board to do them on you can move it then when you need the table . I just bought a white board in Mr. Price and it does the job nicely and I can hide my jigsaw under the couch away from the kids grubby little hands.

It's good as it's something you can pick away at over the week.

I enjoy cycling myself but really anything that gets you outside and moving is good for the headspace.

cute geoge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120051014#Comment_120051014

I am a farmer and definitely any type of gardening is uplifting .To be intune with the cycle of life from spring through summer into the autumn .Training a greyhound if track is near you is another one need not be costly once you dont expect to win

Feisar

Running/weightlifting are great shouts as others have said. Volunteering is also a good one, food bank/meals on wheels/whatever.

magicbastarder

your question is actually well timed in the sense that if you've any places holding adult education classes near you, they'll be enrolling for them soon; usually 10 week courses for not much money at all.

i did a woodturning course and a woodworking course years ago, and they're now full blown hobbies.

cute geoge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120051035#Comment_120051035

I crossed treads with an other op tread

Bicyclette

Genealogy will suck you in completely. And there is a nice online community associated with it. There are lots of Irish related Genealogy facebook pages. www.irishgenealogy.ie is a good place to start.

rolling boh

Any form of exercise might be a good place for you to start .I love cycling but even a good walk is a good thing .

Jellybaby_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058277637/ideas-for-a-project-hobby

I don't think you are alone as I've come across the 'suggest a hobby' type of post a few times before. I agree with another poster for tracing your family tree. A lot can be done from home before you enrol on a course, i.e. chat to your oldest relatives, record them (with their permission of course) or write everything down. Grow your tree. You'll be amazed at what you might find out. Check out the Genealogy forum on Boards. Best of luck, hope you find something to suit.

Strumms

don’t have to put all your eggs in one basket…two good ones in my view…

Fitness : invest in equipment… bike and or treadmill would be great but get weights, resistance bands, bosu ball, suspension trainer and more stuff which more experienced and expert on the subject might advise.

Netflix : have a film night twice a week, do research and make lists of stuff you’d like to see so you don’t spend 20 minutes arseing around with the remote. Invest time in a series too.

bobbyD1978

Art classes

Martial arts

Camping

gym

Languages

Travel

Just to name a few. Think of all the activities in the world, there's thousands... Now write any that interest you and see what's in your area and can be done. Who gives a **** if you are good at it or not, add long as it entertains you and / or there's a nice group to do it with.

I got back into camping a few years ago. Every single time I go now theres people looking to tag along and try it out which in turn keeps me entertained showing them how it's done and just sitting at the fire talking

Deja Boo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058277637/ideas-for-a-project-hobby

something productive/enterprising to focus on, with a sense of achievement that might help things

...and something constructive, pleasurable, somewhat stress-distracting, and to fit into a busy new fathers life?

Have you considered taking up Cooking? Even learning good basics has many advantages. Cooking fits all the ^ requirements (and more), provides instant gratification, offers lots of flexible possibilities; can be as challenging, specialized or as simple as you like, and Chef-fing provides long term opportunities (as a natural form of socializing). Just think, by this time next year, you could change your username to 31andFeedingFriends :D

Graces7

My woolcraft keeps me happy and has a useful end product..

I call my knitting a well channelled and productive nervous twitch.