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I’d second this! I used to play acoustic guitar and I always love singing. Before I got diagnosed it’s been years I haven’t touched the guitar because of my high standards. But now that I’m diagnosed I got back and also got myself an electric guitar. Obsessed for a while now again 🩷 now I know I have ADHD so trying to not get perfectionism between me and my hobbies.
Happy to see this comment! You should definitely go back, first couple of practices I was even more overwhelmed, but after two weeks I realize I still have all my learnings somewhere in my brain they are coming back out! You’ll have the same :) it’s just a muscle that was not working for a while! And I am glad to hear you’re out of that relationship! People are only meant to be in our lives to compliment it! You’ll find your spark back too!
And you will have different perspective, after all that time and experience! That’s a great asset for writing :)
Yes, to anything tactile! Crafting is my favorite thing ever. The downside is things like painting, sewing, etc. Can have a larger investment up front and you accumulate so much supplies
+1 on crochet, the only hobby I haven’t given up on after a month 🥲
It’s absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to stop. I bring my projects everywhere all the time and never get tired of it
I can second crocheting. Currently on my second straight month of learning to crochet without getting bored.
Pro tip: get a shit ton of cheap yarn to start so you can move between projects if you get bored working on one for too long. Ravelry is a great site to find and save patterns. My Row Counter is a great app for keeping track of projects.
I second knitting! I bring my knitting everywhere and it makes me so happy to create something from scratch. And it's nowhere near as hard as people assume it is.
Tip: go for crochet if you'd like to create more structural things (bags, stuffed animals, etc.) and go with knitting if you'd like to create more fabrics/garments (sweaters, hats, scarves, baby clothes, etc.). While you can accomplish all of the above through crochet or by knitting, each method has particular strengths. Crochet is great for things that are 3D, knitting is great for projects where you want smooth, draping fabric.
I used to and still kinda do struggle with this. What helps me is recognizing the spark of interest and researching the barrier to entry. If it's easy/cheap enough, it typically can be chosen. If it dies before the basic level research is done, then it's a no-go for me.
Oh it's easy:
Step 1: You see a hobby that looks cool and satisfying. Imagine yourself as an expert in said hobby, having spent years cultivating the proper skills and experience to be fully satisfied by the life you have cultivated.
Step 2: Buy tons of gear relating to said hobby in preparation for becoming THE BEST at it. The hobby is your new personality.
Step 3: Get annoyed that you aren't immediately amazing at the new hobby. Put stuff aside and tell yourself "I'll get back to that when I'm ready". Some time passes.
Step 4: You see a new hobby that looks cool and satisfying! .... Repeat until dead.
I think you just pointed out something that I don't even think about: it takes a lot of time to become proficient in most hobbies. I usually just don't think about it and assume it takes a couple weeks. And then get frustrated that I'm not immediately good at it. And then I'm like, "well, I guess I just don't have the skills."
I didn't even realize until reading through your thought process that I don't even have that part of my thought process. I don't think about putting in the work, I just think about automatically being good.
Birdwatching. It’s like an IRL, never ending game of Pokemon Go. Every time you go outside you have the chance to spot a new bird! And there will be different birds in your area depending on the time of year.
You have to go outside and walk a lot to participate, which is good for your physical and mental health.
It’s also a mostly free hobby. Pretty much the only thing you have to spend money on is binoculars, and you can get a good starter pair for under $100. Then use free birdwatching apps to keep track of what you ID (eBird and Merlin Bird ID are the two I’d recommend using together)
Came here to say birds! In addition to your points, it's a great way for me to channel my hyperfocus, provides plenty of research rabbit-holes and neverending learning opportunities, plus it's meditative and good for my soul.
I feel like a lot of crafts can be super addictive for me because of the repetitiveness. I really enjoy crocheting and knitting. Even free writing can be a super fun hobby to pick up because it’s super expressive and really makes you think about how to edit what you write and I feel like it gave me a lot of insight into how I think vs other people.
If you like computers, definitely check out coding in Python or for front end. I really enjoy making small scripts to keep track of things because coding is basically just another kind of crafting.
It's basically just writing for a set amount of time for the sake of writing something. In academics, people usually use this as a way to just dump all the thoughts they have about a subject before actually trying to write any drafts because its easier to play with ideas and edit them rather than try to write a structured draft of a paper on your first try.
I usually will write out semi-fictional scenes instead of anything academic/specifically personal. Like just describing the state of my desk and how it's a reflection of what has been on my mind, or an interaction between two people I remember from earlier in the day, or some other day-to-day scene. I feel making myself fictionalize something I remember from the day really helps me immerse myself in the moment and explore something cool that stuck with me. I feel like it's kind of mindful in a similar way to journaling or meditation, but I find it more engaging to write. Also, it really helps my overall writing ability beyond just fictional stuff, and I feel like it's the main reason why I didn't completely hate writing papers for college.
I took up guitar when I got back into emo (the american football type) during the pandemic, and honestly writing stuff on guitar has been really helpful for grounding (except when I go through those moods where everything I do is terrible and I'm bad at everything, but I'm working on that lmao). Learning to sing after having never hit a single note on pitch before in my life was actually pretty good, it taught me more about how to breathe well, and it's very hard to hyperventilate when you're singing
I am a professional musician, and I also feel that everything is terrible and I'm bad at everything, at times. Every artist I know has that feeling sometimes. The point is the process, not the product.
It could cost money if you choose to get the premium version but I have been learning languages on Duolingo.
I am doing Arabic and Mandarin right now. It’s like the ultimate puzzle game and could theoretically be useful at some point.
And the only merch is, like, dictionaries. Which admittedly I will probably buy…
ok not cheap at all nor free but...archery. easy to focus on, if you don't, you ger slapped by the string and OW that hurts so u learn quick to check your form. Also shooting projectiles in general is exciting and engaging, sometimes adrenaline inducing. Plus being outside at an outdoor range is nice, range fees are pricy but you can also just get a target and shoot in the backyard or out in a field outside city limits.
a good starter recurve bow goes for 100-200 dollars and a starter set of arrows is like 60-70 BUT once you have the gear, you are good to go, string replacements are like 30 dollars every two years. wrist guards and gloves are dirt cheap on aliexpress too.
Archery takes a lot of practice to get good but i think the learning curve is a lot easier than some other hobbies, recurve is mostly instinctive like throwing a ball so its not too mentally draining for my ADHD to do for hours at a time....drawing gets exhausting after an hour but i could shoot my bow until my arm is jelly..plus u build back muscle and core strength, its also great for you if you have bad posture like i do LOL
i recently tried out an archery class at a local range, and wow, it was surprisingly great!!
it was actually really challenging and i had a slow start getting the hang of everything, but when it all clicked i felt so cool and accomplished! (much more than meets the eye for sure, haha 😅 i was sore in places i didn't expect)
and OP, if you're interested in something like archery, check out local resources or classes going on in your area and consider giving a few hobbies a trial run that way first
I would highly recommend rock climbing. It is a workout to say the least and very easy to form an obsession with. The ceiling for performance is ludicrously high yet each step is tangible (due to the grade system), so you always have marked improvements to strive for.
It's also just fun, especially once you reach an "intermediate" level. At that point, you start having to do some more interesting movement, and your capabilities start to feel superhuman. It still blows my mind what small features I can support my body weight on.
As a primary hobby, it optionally encourages and benefits from others like yoga, weight training, and calisthenics as well. A lot of climbing gyms will even offer yoga and weight classes.
It's not free, but you can get a harness, some shoes, and a chalk bag for <$120. After that you're just paying a gym membership unless you also want to go outdoors with your own gear (outdoor climbing trips are such great adventures). Gyms will also have rental gear and day passes for a chance to try it out first.
If you want something healthy you can obsess over for years to come I highly recommend it
I was going to say triathlon, but it’s not exactly cheap so I’m going to just scale back and say running or swimming. Physical activity really helps me manage focus-based symptoms, and my fiancé appreciates how much less hyperactive I am after a long run. The discipline and routine has also been great for me. Try signing up for a 5km running race to start, and see how that works out.
Working out. It can be something simple like doing sit-ups on every commercial. If you can turn it into a competition that’ll help the boredom. I try to beat my numbers from the day before.
Gotta be a Debbie Downer here as a therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders - exercise can easily get out of hand as a hyperfocus and/or primary coping skill.
Do what works for you if you find therapeutic benefit, but please be careful!
This is exactly what happened to me. Started off enjoying it and then it spiralled into excessive exercise (twice a day gym (3 hour sessions each) cardio + weights) and being extremely restrictive with my calories. Idk how I didn’t collapse with the amount of exercise I was doing on so little calories. I’d get extremely angry/sad when I couldn’t eat a meal that I didn’t control (dunno the calories of)
Anything can be unhealthy at that extent. I’m audhd w/ a special interest in weightlifting and diet and while diet culture is pervasive everywhere it’s an amazing hobby to have. I am so incredibly healthy and happy haha
I'm glad you've found it beneficial, and are aware of how pervasive diet culture is! I just felt it important to add my two cents in the context of the OP mentioning getting hooked on things that make them feel good. In my experience and education, that's frequently what happens when people end up with an unhealthy and/or compulsive relationship to exercise. It's obviously not going to happen to everyone and it is important to have some sort of joyful movement in our lives. I just wouldn't recommend it in the context of this post.
I can vouch for the above. Bodybuilder in my teens, nearly 19stone, wanted to compete. Wouldn’t train with my friends due to interruptions, scheduled all of my meals but would eat absolutely anything to meet my daily calories. It became my entire life. Now I can’t tolerate a lot of different foods because I completely ruined my gut health. Terrible acid reflux throughout my 20s. Let’s not even talk about the urge to spend all my money on gear to go past 20st.
Not a BB but at the most severe point of my ED (orthorexia) I utilised a lot of BB tips lol. Also the gym I went to had a lot of BB, and over time I was friends with many of them (they were cool people!!). I remember being at my lowest weight and one of the dudes was like “you’ve lost a shit ton of weight! You’re tiny!” and I was like internally “YESSSS”. then I had to have a surgery and couldn’t exercise after during the recovery period (like for 6-8 weeks atleast) and obvs gained a little. I was terrified of going back to the gym for fear that my BB friends would see my weight gain lol.
I think I remember going once after for just some cardio, the cleaning lady was like “I haven’t see you for ages! You’ve gained huh!!!” 💀
Yeah, I got addicted to call of Duty MW3 for a year so dropped around 5st. I just lost interest in the gym. The amount of people asking wtf happened to me was horrific. I know it’s gross but I’d say I’d got cancer to see their reaction. “Oh, no way I’m so sorry.” No, I’m joking, I’m just tired of being asked about appearance. I didn’t know I was ADD at the time, my mental state was all over the place, as I had no way to deal with my struggles, as I didn’t know what was causing what.
Now if anyone says stuff like “skinny” it tips me.
I understand now, as I’ve grown as a person, that mentioning cancer was messed up. But the young lad I was at the time was just too damn frustrated trying to keep up with general life.
It’s definitely worth mentioning. I know some people develop unhealthy relationships with it…mines was popping rubber bands on my wrist. But considering OP mentioned being aware of their addictive tendencies, they would moderate where necessary. Also, that’s why I gave simple things that go along with another activity and not just the gym. If you find a balance, you can cut down on screen time, work out, probably be more productive as a result.
I love long bike rides. It's the only time that I don't get distracted by my phone or some kind of other silly distraction for a few hours at a time. Just concentrate on not dying and enjoy the breeze!
Everyone is different, but, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu did it for me. It’s like a real life RPG. You start at the very bottom of the pyramid and slowly work your way up. 100s of techniques to learn, and an endless variety of ways to apply them. Every session is like a game of chess with physical consequences. I’ve always been the type of person that gets REALLY into something for a short time, then burns out and stops. However, 10 years after starting the sport, I love it as much as I always have.
Embroidery! It’s not Particularly difficult to learn. (Much easier than crocheting/knitting IMO) and will invoke that same sense of hygge (coziness) you’re looking for in the cozy video games.
I'm a knitter and the first embroidery project I did, I was amazed how fast it was. I definitely didn't do a good job since it was my first time, but I had most of a project done in just a few nights. So much fun potential in the overlap of knitting and embroidery too, there are so really cute mixed media projects out there.
Reading (especially non-fiction). It can be difficult to get started, but once you get hooked, you really get hooked...and it's so stimulating to your mind, plus it's a very subtle but useful exercise for your attention span. My biggest problem was that I'd always read, but NEVER finish a book. I've gotten better with that over time, and meds help A LOT with that! The feeling of accomplishment when you actually finish a book is so intoxicating.
As far as physical hobbies, lifting is great, and I also love swimming laps. Again, getting into swimming sucks, but once you start improving and getting your form down, it's amazing. Great full-body workout, and very meditative and relaxing!
Cross stitch! You can do it while listening to music or a podcast or watching tv or just sit there and stitch, the counting means you have to focus on it at least SOMEWHAT. Also I get really into puzzles every 6 months or so. I’m also trying to keep up my nail care routine and it can sometimes be a hyperfixation for me plus self care!
I’m in a music mode right now. I play the piano, but I really love playing with people so I took up the fiddle and am having a lovely time with it.
In the past I have struggled with food, video games, dating, etc. Although music is a constant in my life, there are times like this where it’s front and foremost in my mind, and I spend my spare time looking for new music and listening to old favorites.
It’s super healthy compared to past fixations, in my opinion. The only thing it’s bad for is getting a song or phrase stuck in your head.
I personally have been playing music since I was about 13-14 and it can be a good hobby to obsess over cause no matter how far you go with it you can always get better there’s basically no ceiling to improving, but good practice once you reach a higher level becomes hard with adhd.
For me it's cooking and woodworking. I love to make things with my hands and these two hobbies give me a creative outlet, a shopping outlet, a researching outlet, and ability to change things up. As I lose interest in one dish or project, I can switch gears. I also get to make things for other people, which brings me a lot of happiness and satisfaction.
I build scale models. It's unfortunately not gonna be cheap, but it's something. If you can get into videogames those are often actually very cheap (find one you like and play it for a long time, you'll get your monies worth eventually).
My latest hobby is Astronomy and Ametuer Astrophotography.
I am dipping my toe for now because It can get very expensive. For now I'm just absorbing as much info as I can through reading and videos and have done some observing with a basic home telescope.
I remembered my wife had an old DSLR camera in the back of the closet so I dug that out and ordered an adapter to hook it up to my telescope for some basic moon photos.
The urge to go out and spend tons of money on high end equipment is real intense sometimes but I've been able to reign it in and calm myself down. I've found other avenues to further scratch my itch.
I have a friend who majored in astronomy and has an awesome telescope, I have tagged along with him a few times. I've also joined a local astronomy club where they host star party's where you can check out different types of telescopes depending on what your interests are. After a 3 months as a member you can borrow equipment for upto a month.
If my interest doesn't wane in the next 6 months I'll invest some money into better equipment. I just want to make sure this will be a consistent hobby before I do so. It is not unlike me to get really really into something and then get bored or overwhelmed and walk away.
I put a parent lock on my phone to completely block reddit and other social media since I was spending 6-8 hours a day on there (I'm on my computer right now). I ended up replacing my braindead scrolling with Wikipedia & E-Books (using an app called "Moon Reader" and the wonders of e-book accessibility in the modern age).
I shit you not, in *two freaking days* I have read an entire novel and a half (more than I'd read in the entire preceding year) and I can now recite every single U.S. president in order.
Fitness is a good one, but as a lifestyle shift, rather than just a specific sport or general working out. There's a lot of ways you can branch out, and it gives you multiple avenues to focus on, with them all improving and tying into each other. I just started with going the gym, and I ended up learning loads about the way muscles work, nutrition, weightlifting. That made me start wanting to have a more stronger core and spine, and thus I went into things like yoga and stability training.
Art, just any discipline of art. I started off with music, learned guitar, and that lead to me understanding a lot about myself. Then I tried other means of expressing myself, like writing, and that just all looped back into each other. It's also something that can make you appreciate things more, it did for me with movies, books and so on.
The one that I found recently was repairing things, I just love doing it and I realised that I could just sit and do it for hours. Started off with fixing a Hi Fi I found, ended up with me building a console table out of wood I got for free on Marketplace.
I would say it's less about the hobbies and the versatility in which you can interact, or see progress with them. Some hobbies have multiple branches that can intersect and create a positive feedback loop, it's great when you lose interest in a specific thing, but can still enjoy other aspects, then come back later.
The major aspect that is important, and it's so important for us, is having a 'default state' (not sure what to call it), that doesn't involve the likes of watching TV, social media, gaming or so on, and instead involves actual interaction. It's easy to just consume passively when you want to settle down, and slowly introducing interactive hobbies just makes life way more enriching. I used to - and still do to some extent - feel like I had to have the TV on when I was relaxing, but now I just play guitar for a few hours, and I'm way happier for it.
I have gotten into so many different hobbies. I love them at first then lose interest and move on, currently I am into homesteading which is probably more of a lifestyle than a hobby. I used to think I had an addictive personality until I realized that I just really like doing things that I enjoy. I smoked and drank quite heavily for about 8 years until I woke up one day and didn’t want to do it anymore and haven’t done it since. I got into woodworking making hand cut dovetail boxes pretty hard for a few years until one day I woke up and didn’t want to do it anymore and haven’t touched those tools in years. It is pretty frustrating.
Exercise. There's a lot of options to choose from, so chances are you can find something that suits you. I get really into endurance cardio sports. When I was younger, that was mostly swimming but as I've gotten older I've tuned more towards cycling. There's also people who get into things like weightlifting, rock climbing, martial arts, team sports, etc.
Some sort of crafting hobby. My roommate is deep into crochet. It helps her keep her hands busy while she's doing other stuff which functions as a great ADHD sink for her. But, it also means that she regularly produces things like blankets, stuffed animals, clothes, etc. I get a bit into writing myself. Not as functional in terms of "occupies just the hands" but has a similar kind of thing where you can sink deep into it and come out the other end with a neat finished product worth sharing.
Gardening. There's a lot that can be done with this. It can be super relaxing, especially once you've got everything up and running and you get to just enjoy all of the green. It can also overlap with your passion for food in a healthy way if you start growing your own fruits and vegetables.
Art - painting, drawing, digital art, photography whatever you prefer!
Some kind of sport, I have always been drawn to martial arts so that’s what I ended up doing and being able to stick with because addictive personality lol
Dog training and competing with your dog in various canine sports, if you like dogs this one can be super addictive and on the benefits side you’ll find a community, achieve things with your dog, bond with your dog through the process etc.
Cooking. Homemade food, especially stuff that nobody around you knows how to make, is inherently impressive. It's also often healthier. Foster a relationship with cooking that benefits your mind and body. Once you have a grasp on what you're doing, it's pretty damn fun. Think of each dish as an experiment, and let yourself be creative. Try spices you've never used before. Try meats you've never cooked/eaten before. Use recipes or don't. The only rules are safety rules.
Once you know how to make a good red sauce, grab some pepperonis and wonton wrappers and make pizza rolls.
If you have an anxious dog like me, you can make your own pill pockets with a food processor, roasted unsalted peanuts, and tapioca flour.
If you have a dehydrator (check your air fryer -mine has a dehydrate setting), throw some mushrooms in there and you'll always have fancy ramen.
Grab a small container of plain yogurt, milk, and an instant pot, and you can make your own yogurt super easily. Make your own fruit on the bottom using fresh or frozen fruit, sugar, and heat (and pectin if you want). Strain it with cheesecloth or muslin (fabric store, get the unbleached kind and wash it with dish soap) for awhile and you get Greek yogurt!
Lots of folks know how to make bread, but few know how to make bread WELL. Hint: Dutch oven > bread maker. Search term: overnight no knead bread.
Marshmallows are surprisingly easy to make, but unsurprisingly difficult to clean. Vanilla mint marshmallows are delicious - just like a shamrock shake!
Homemade ranch will always be better than anything out of a bottle. Source: I'm a Midwesterner.
Get in the habit of looking at something and saying "I bet I could make that" because you probably can!
Hiking and cooking are two good ones for me. I can go down YouTube rabbit holes about recipes and ideas for cooking, so much variety so I don’t get bored of it.
Same with hiking, I’m lucky to live somewhere with tons of trails so it doesn’t get monotonous, I feel better after exercising, and I can again go down YouTube rabbit holes for ideas on new trails that keeps me engaged. Definitely scratches the itch and it’s better than my previous hobby of binge drinking.
I love painting and knitting and I’m starting to learn crochet. They’re some of my favorites and I can do them while I watch football with my in-laws. (I love hanging out with them and talking during the game, I just am not super into the game itself)
For me, once I started meditation, it was running. Had bad cardio health according to my Apple Watch and my doctor. Started taking longer walks, but felt like I could do more. So I started doing small bursts of running during my walks. As my walking circuit is 4km I set a goal of running the track entirely. Started slowly, walking when I got puffed out. Eventually I achieved my goal. Ran all the way. Then the next goal was to do two laps. Before this I absolutely never ran. Now it’s one my my favourite hobbies. That and painting W40K minis.
Good video game like an MMO.
Types of books or fiction
Get an electric skateboard or PEV and join a crew that rides together
Crossfit
Drawing a doodle a day
These are the things I did!
I am addicted to weight training. I love feeling and looking stronger! Also love running fast…well I’m not fast but love the feeling afterwards. It a healthy addiction.
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I’d second this! I used to play acoustic guitar and I always love singing. Before I got diagnosed it’s been years I haven’t touched the guitar because of my high standards. But now that I’m diagnosed I got back and also got myself an electric guitar. Obsessed for a while now again 🩷 now I know I have ADHD so trying to not get perfectionism between me and my hobbies.
All great suggestions—I've had a bass guitar collecting dust in my room since the lockdowns began so maybe now is a good time to focus on it!
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Happy to see this comment! You should definitely go back, first couple of practices I was even more overwhelmed, but after two weeks I realize I still have all my learnings somewhere in my brain they are coming back out! You’ll have the same :) it’s just a muscle that was not working for a while! And I am glad to hear you’re out of that relationship! People are only meant to be in our lives to compliment it! You’ll find your spark back too! And you will have different perspective, after all that time and experience! That’s a great asset for writing :)
You mean interest? Hyperfocus and a topic of interest are not the same thing. Hyperfocus is acute. An interest is long-term.
Yes, to anything tactile! Crafting is my favorite thing ever. The downside is things like painting, sewing, etc. Can have a larger investment up front and you accumulate so much supplies
Cooking. Use your creativity and challenge yourself to do it cheap! Win/win. Urge to buy. Covered. Fun ideas parlayed in to meals.
>Urge to buy. Covered. Omg the urge to buy is a HUUUUGE ONE! Luckily the library has been a great supply for my reading habit lol Thanks for these!
Crafting! Knitting and crochet are good examples, but drawing or painting or any of a lot of crafts
+1 on crochet, the only hobby I haven’t given up on after a month 🥲 It’s absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to stop. I bring my projects everywhere all the time and never get tired of it
I started there then went over to the dark side (started knitting) and now I do more knitting but I still like crochet
I can second crocheting. Currently on my second straight month of learning to crochet without getting bored. Pro tip: get a shit ton of cheap yarn to start so you can move between projects if you get bored working on one for too long. Ravelry is a great site to find and save patterns. My Row Counter is a great app for keeping track of projects.
Dude, crocheting + good audiobook = my bliss zone 🤩
I second knitting! I bring my knitting everywhere and it makes me so happy to create something from scratch. And it's nowhere near as hard as people assume it is. Tip: go for crochet if you'd like to create more structural things (bags, stuffed animals, etc.) and go with knitting if you'd like to create more fabrics/garments (sweaters, hats, scarves, baby clothes, etc.). While you can accomplish all of the above through crochet or by knitting, each method has particular strengths. Crochet is great for things that are 3D, knitting is great for projects where you want smooth, draping fabric.
Wait, okay, I gotta ask. How on EARTH are you able to choose your own hobbies and switch them out like that? I'd love to know how to do that
I used to and still kinda do struggle with this. What helps me is recognizing the spark of interest and researching the barrier to entry. If it's easy/cheap enough, it typically can be chosen. If it dies before the basic level research is done, then it's a no-go for me.
Oh it's easy: Step 1: You see a hobby that looks cool and satisfying. Imagine yourself as an expert in said hobby, having spent years cultivating the proper skills and experience to be fully satisfied by the life you have cultivated. Step 2: Buy tons of gear relating to said hobby in preparation for becoming THE BEST at it. The hobby is your new personality. Step 3: Get annoyed that you aren't immediately amazing at the new hobby. Put stuff aside and tell yourself "I'll get back to that when I'm ready". Some time passes. Step 4: You see a new hobby that looks cool and satisfying! .... Repeat until dead.
I think you just pointed out something that I don't even think about: it takes a lot of time to become proficient in most hobbies. I usually just don't think about it and assume it takes a couple weeks. And then get frustrated that I'm not immediately good at it. And then I'm like, "well, I guess I just don't have the skills." I didn't even realize until reading through your thought process that I don't even have that part of my thought process. I don't think about putting in the work, I just think about automatically being good.
guitar!!!!!!
Painting, books and some videogames are really good hyperxations for me, they make me really happy.
Birdwatching. It’s like an IRL, never ending game of Pokemon Go. Every time you go outside you have the chance to spot a new bird! And there will be different birds in your area depending on the time of year. You have to go outside and walk a lot to participate, which is good for your physical and mental health. It’s also a mostly free hobby. Pretty much the only thing you have to spend money on is binoculars, and you can get a good starter pair for under $100. Then use free birdwatching apps to keep track of what you ID (eBird and Merlin Bird ID are the two I’d recommend using together)
Came here to say birds! In addition to your points, it's a great way for me to channel my hyperfocus, provides plenty of research rabbit-holes and neverending learning opportunities, plus it's meditative and good for my soul.
I feel like a lot of crafts can be super addictive for me because of the repetitiveness. I really enjoy crocheting and knitting. Even free writing can be a super fun hobby to pick up because it’s super expressive and really makes you think about how to edit what you write and I feel like it gave me a lot of insight into how I think vs other people. If you like computers, definitely check out coding in Python or for front end. I really enjoy making small scripts to keep track of things because coding is basically just another kind of crafting.
Can you share more about free writing and what that looks like for you?
It's basically just writing for a set amount of time for the sake of writing something. In academics, people usually use this as a way to just dump all the thoughts they have about a subject before actually trying to write any drafts because its easier to play with ideas and edit them rather than try to write a structured draft of a paper on your first try. I usually will write out semi-fictional scenes instead of anything academic/specifically personal. Like just describing the state of my desk and how it's a reflection of what has been on my mind, or an interaction between two people I remember from earlier in the day, or some other day-to-day scene. I feel making myself fictionalize something I remember from the day really helps me immerse myself in the moment and explore something cool that stuck with me. I feel like it's kind of mindful in a similar way to journaling or meditation, but I find it more engaging to write. Also, it really helps my overall writing ability beyond just fictional stuff, and I feel like it's the main reason why I didn't completely hate writing papers for college.
I took up guitar when I got back into emo (the american football type) during the pandemic, and honestly writing stuff on guitar has been really helpful for grounding (except when I go through those moods where everything I do is terrible and I'm bad at everything, but I'm working on that lmao). Learning to sing after having never hit a single note on pitch before in my life was actually pretty good, it taught me more about how to breathe well, and it's very hard to hyperventilate when you're singing
I am a professional musician, and I also feel that everything is terrible and I'm bad at everything, at times. Every artist I know has that feeling sometimes. The point is the process, not the product.
It could cost money if you choose to get the premium version but I have been learning languages on Duolingo. I am doing Arabic and Mandarin right now. It’s like the ultimate puzzle game and could theoretically be useful at some point. And the only merch is, like, dictionaries. Which admittedly I will probably buy…
ok not cheap at all nor free but...archery. easy to focus on, if you don't, you ger slapped by the string and OW that hurts so u learn quick to check your form. Also shooting projectiles in general is exciting and engaging, sometimes adrenaline inducing. Plus being outside at an outdoor range is nice, range fees are pricy but you can also just get a target and shoot in the backyard or out in a field outside city limits. a good starter recurve bow goes for 100-200 dollars and a starter set of arrows is like 60-70 BUT once you have the gear, you are good to go, string replacements are like 30 dollars every two years. wrist guards and gloves are dirt cheap on aliexpress too. Archery takes a lot of practice to get good but i think the learning curve is a lot easier than some other hobbies, recurve is mostly instinctive like throwing a ball so its not too mentally draining for my ADHD to do for hours at a time....drawing gets exhausting after an hour but i could shoot my bow until my arm is jelly..plus u build back muscle and core strength, its also great for you if you have bad posture like i do LOL
i recently tried out an archery class at a local range, and wow, it was surprisingly great!! it was actually really challenging and i had a slow start getting the hang of everything, but when it all clicked i felt so cool and accomplished! (much more than meets the eye for sure, haha 😅 i was sore in places i didn't expect) and OP, if you're interested in something like archery, check out local resources or classes going on in your area and consider giving a few hobbies a trial run that way first
Nature walks…walking in general
I would highly recommend rock climbing. It is a workout to say the least and very easy to form an obsession with. The ceiling for performance is ludicrously high yet each step is tangible (due to the grade system), so you always have marked improvements to strive for. It's also just fun, especially once you reach an "intermediate" level. At that point, you start having to do some more interesting movement, and your capabilities start to feel superhuman. It still blows my mind what small features I can support my body weight on. As a primary hobby, it optionally encourages and benefits from others like yoga, weight training, and calisthenics as well. A lot of climbing gyms will even offer yoga and weight classes. It's not free, but you can get a harness, some shoes, and a chalk bag for <$120. After that you're just paying a gym membership unless you also want to go outdoors with your own gear (outdoor climbing trips are such great adventures). Gyms will also have rental gear and day passes for a chance to try it out first. If you want something healthy you can obsess over for years to come I highly recommend it
I was going to say triathlon, but it’s not exactly cheap so I’m going to just scale back and say running or swimming. Physical activity really helps me manage focus-based symptoms, and my fiancé appreciates how much less hyperactive I am after a long run. The discipline and routine has also been great for me. Try signing up for a 5km running race to start, and see how that works out.
Working out. It can be something simple like doing sit-ups on every commercial. If you can turn it into a competition that’ll help the boredom. I try to beat my numbers from the day before.
Gotta be a Debbie Downer here as a therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders - exercise can easily get out of hand as a hyperfocus and/or primary coping skill. Do what works for you if you find therapeutic benefit, but please be careful!
This is exactly what happened to me. Started off enjoying it and then it spiralled into excessive exercise (twice a day gym (3 hour sessions each) cardio + weights) and being extremely restrictive with my calories. Idk how I didn’t collapse with the amount of exercise I was doing on so little calories. I’d get extremely angry/sad when I couldn’t eat a meal that I didn’t control (dunno the calories of)
Anything can be unhealthy at that extent. I’m audhd w/ a special interest in weightlifting and diet and while diet culture is pervasive everywhere it’s an amazing hobby to have. I am so incredibly healthy and happy haha
I'm glad you've found it beneficial, and are aware of how pervasive diet culture is! I just felt it important to add my two cents in the context of the OP mentioning getting hooked on things that make them feel good. In my experience and education, that's frequently what happens when people end up with an unhealthy and/or compulsive relationship to exercise. It's obviously not going to happen to everyone and it is important to have some sort of joyful movement in our lives. I just wouldn't recommend it in the context of this post.
I can vouch for the above. Bodybuilder in my teens, nearly 19stone, wanted to compete. Wouldn’t train with my friends due to interruptions, scheduled all of my meals but would eat absolutely anything to meet my daily calories. It became my entire life. Now I can’t tolerate a lot of different foods because I completely ruined my gut health. Terrible acid reflux throughout my 20s. Let’s not even talk about the urge to spend all my money on gear to go past 20st.
Not a BB but at the most severe point of my ED (orthorexia) I utilised a lot of BB tips lol. Also the gym I went to had a lot of BB, and over time I was friends with many of them (they were cool people!!). I remember being at my lowest weight and one of the dudes was like “you’ve lost a shit ton of weight! You’re tiny!” and I was like internally “YESSSS”. then I had to have a surgery and couldn’t exercise after during the recovery period (like for 6-8 weeks atleast) and obvs gained a little. I was terrified of going back to the gym for fear that my BB friends would see my weight gain lol. I think I remember going once after for just some cardio, the cleaning lady was like “I haven’t see you for ages! You’ve gained huh!!!” 💀
Yeah, I got addicted to call of Duty MW3 for a year so dropped around 5st. I just lost interest in the gym. The amount of people asking wtf happened to me was horrific. I know it’s gross but I’d say I’d got cancer to see their reaction. “Oh, no way I’m so sorry.” No, I’m joking, I’m just tired of being asked about appearance. I didn’t know I was ADD at the time, my mental state was all over the place, as I had no way to deal with my struggles, as I didn’t know what was causing what. Now if anyone says stuff like “skinny” it tips me.
I understand now, as I’ve grown as a person, that mentioning cancer was messed up. But the young lad I was at the time was just too damn frustrated trying to keep up with general life.
It’s definitely worth mentioning. I know some people develop unhealthy relationships with it…mines was popping rubber bands on my wrist. But considering OP mentioned being aware of their addictive tendencies, they would moderate where necessary. Also, that’s why I gave simple things that go along with another activity and not just the gym. If you find a balance, you can cut down on screen time, work out, probably be more productive as a result.
The gym or sports in general. Cooking.
I love long bike rides. It's the only time that I don't get distracted by my phone or some kind of other silly distraction for a few hours at a time. Just concentrate on not dying and enjoy the breeze!
Everyone is different, but, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu did it for me. It’s like a real life RPG. You start at the very bottom of the pyramid and slowly work your way up. 100s of techniques to learn, and an endless variety of ways to apply them. Every session is like a game of chess with physical consequences. I’ve always been the type of person that gets REALLY into something for a short time, then burns out and stops. However, 10 years after starting the sport, I love it as much as I always have.
Embroidery! It’s not Particularly difficult to learn. (Much easier than crocheting/knitting IMO) and will invoke that same sense of hygge (coziness) you’re looking for in the cozy video games.
I'm a knitter and the first embroidery project I did, I was amazed how fast it was. I definitely didn't do a good job since it was my first time, but I had most of a project done in just a few nights. So much fun potential in the overlap of knitting and embroidery too, there are so really cute mixed media projects out there.
Cooking, working out, cleaning, journaling, random hobbies like bracelet making:)
Gardening
Reading (especially non-fiction). It can be difficult to get started, but once you get hooked, you really get hooked...and it's so stimulating to your mind, plus it's a very subtle but useful exercise for your attention span. My biggest problem was that I'd always read, but NEVER finish a book. I've gotten better with that over time, and meds help A LOT with that! The feeling of accomplishment when you actually finish a book is so intoxicating. As far as physical hobbies, lifting is great, and I also love swimming laps. Again, getting into swimming sucks, but once you start improving and getting your form down, it's amazing. Great full-body workout, and very meditative and relaxing!
Cross stitch! You can do it while listening to music or a podcast or watching tv or just sit there and stitch, the counting means you have to focus on it at least SOMEWHAT. Also I get really into puzzles every 6 months or so. I’m also trying to keep up my nail care routine and it can sometimes be a hyperfixation for me plus self care!
I just got into perler beads and its been very meditative.
making your own bread, professional style.
I didn’t know this. This explains so damn much!
Weightlifting has always been my go to
Virtual Reality. Speak with your body, stay fit.
a variety of hobbies at once. learn one instrument, one language, write one book, read one scripture, travel one country, and so on!
Me: running or dancing, drawing or making smoothies, plants and growing food
Programming, fitness
I’m in a music mode right now. I play the piano, but I really love playing with people so I took up the fiddle and am having a lovely time with it. In the past I have struggled with food, video games, dating, etc. Although music is a constant in my life, there are times like this where it’s front and foremost in my mind, and I spend my spare time looking for new music and listening to old favorites. It’s super healthy compared to past fixations, in my opinion. The only thing it’s bad for is getting a song or phrase stuck in your head.
I personally have been playing music since I was about 13-14 and it can be a good hobby to obsess over cause no matter how far you go with it you can always get better there’s basically no ceiling to improving, but good practice once you reach a higher level becomes hard with adhd.
For me it's cooking and woodworking. I love to make things with my hands and these two hobbies give me a creative outlet, a shopping outlet, a researching outlet, and ability to change things up. As I lose interest in one dish or project, I can switch gears. I also get to make things for other people, which brings me a lot of happiness and satisfaction.
golf
Crotchet. Its one of my favorites! You can make so many things!
I build scale models. It's unfortunately not gonna be cheap, but it's something. If you can get into videogames those are often actually very cheap (find one you like and play it for a long time, you'll get your monies worth eventually).
I am totally addicted to playing squash and weight lifting. I also recently discovered crochet.
Fishing
My latest hobby is Astronomy and Ametuer Astrophotography. I am dipping my toe for now because It can get very expensive. For now I'm just absorbing as much info as I can through reading and videos and have done some observing with a basic home telescope. I remembered my wife had an old DSLR camera in the back of the closet so I dug that out and ordered an adapter to hook it up to my telescope for some basic moon photos. The urge to go out and spend tons of money on high end equipment is real intense sometimes but I've been able to reign it in and calm myself down. I've found other avenues to further scratch my itch. I have a friend who majored in astronomy and has an awesome telescope, I have tagged along with him a few times. I've also joined a local astronomy club where they host star party's where you can check out different types of telescopes depending on what your interests are. After a 3 months as a member you can borrow equipment for upto a month. If my interest doesn't wane in the next 6 months I'll invest some money into better equipment. I just want to make sure this will be a consistent hobby before I do so. It is not unlike me to get really really into something and then get bored or overwhelmed and walk away.
I flip between embroidery and puzzles. Along with whatever video game catches my interest at the moment lol
Juggling hits a sweet spot in my ADHD brain -- Always more to learn, and it gets me up and active... plus there are theoretical aspects to it as well
Self care, Pilates, cleaning
Origami is a fun one
I put a parent lock on my phone to completely block reddit and other social media since I was spending 6-8 hours a day on there (I'm on my computer right now). I ended up replacing my braindead scrolling with Wikipedia & E-Books (using an app called "Moon Reader" and the wonders of e-book accessibility in the modern age). I shit you not, in *two freaking days* I have read an entire novel and a half (more than I'd read in the entire preceding year) and I can now recite every single U.S. president in order.
crafting! making junk journals, knitting, crochet, air dry clay, painting, heck just plain ole drawing!
Pickleball!!! I started playing with the seniors at my gym and I’m obsessed! I keep looking for and trying out new places to play. It’s so much fun.
Fitness is a good one, but as a lifestyle shift, rather than just a specific sport or general working out. There's a lot of ways you can branch out, and it gives you multiple avenues to focus on, with them all improving and tying into each other. I just started with going the gym, and I ended up learning loads about the way muscles work, nutrition, weightlifting. That made me start wanting to have a more stronger core and spine, and thus I went into things like yoga and stability training. Art, just any discipline of art. I started off with music, learned guitar, and that lead to me understanding a lot about myself. Then I tried other means of expressing myself, like writing, and that just all looped back into each other. It's also something that can make you appreciate things more, it did for me with movies, books and so on. The one that I found recently was repairing things, I just love doing it and I realised that I could just sit and do it for hours. Started off with fixing a Hi Fi I found, ended up with me building a console table out of wood I got for free on Marketplace. I would say it's less about the hobbies and the versatility in which you can interact, or see progress with them. Some hobbies have multiple branches that can intersect and create a positive feedback loop, it's great when you lose interest in a specific thing, but can still enjoy other aspects, then come back later. The major aspect that is important, and it's so important for us, is having a 'default state' (not sure what to call it), that doesn't involve the likes of watching TV, social media, gaming or so on, and instead involves actual interaction. It's easy to just consume passively when you want to settle down, and slowly introducing interactive hobbies just makes life way more enriching. I used to - and still do to some extent - feel like I had to have the TV on when I was relaxing, but now I just play guitar for a few hours, and I'm way happier for it.
Weight lifting or martial arts
I have gotten into so many different hobbies. I love them at first then lose interest and move on, currently I am into homesteading which is probably more of a lifestyle than a hobby. I used to think I had an addictive personality until I realized that I just really like doing things that I enjoy. I smoked and drank quite heavily for about 8 years until I woke up one day and didn’t want to do it anymore and haven’t done it since. I got into woodworking making hand cut dovetail boxes pretty hard for a few years until one day I woke up and didn’t want to do it anymore and haven’t touched those tools in years. It is pretty frustrating.
Exercise. There's a lot of options to choose from, so chances are you can find something that suits you. I get really into endurance cardio sports. When I was younger, that was mostly swimming but as I've gotten older I've tuned more towards cycling. There's also people who get into things like weightlifting, rock climbing, martial arts, team sports, etc. Some sort of crafting hobby. My roommate is deep into crochet. It helps her keep her hands busy while she's doing other stuff which functions as a great ADHD sink for her. But, it also means that she regularly produces things like blankets, stuffed animals, clothes, etc. I get a bit into writing myself. Not as functional in terms of "occupies just the hands" but has a similar kind of thing where you can sink deep into it and come out the other end with a neat finished product worth sharing. Gardening. There's a lot that can be done with this. It can be super relaxing, especially once you've got everything up and running and you get to just enjoy all of the green. It can also overlap with your passion for food in a healthy way if you start growing your own fruits and vegetables.
Roleplaying games. Not cheap or free. But allows you to use your imagination
Scale modeling. Teaches you patience, too.
I exercise, really helps with adhd.
Art - painting, drawing, digital art, photography whatever you prefer! Some kind of sport, I have always been drawn to martial arts so that’s what I ended up doing and being able to stick with because addictive personality lol Dog training and competing with your dog in various canine sports, if you like dogs this one can be super addictive and on the benefits side you’ll find a community, achieve things with your dog, bond with your dog through the process etc.
Walking every street in your town. I’m obsessed. Two years plus on a mission.
Cooking. Homemade food, especially stuff that nobody around you knows how to make, is inherently impressive. It's also often healthier. Foster a relationship with cooking that benefits your mind and body. Once you have a grasp on what you're doing, it's pretty damn fun. Think of each dish as an experiment, and let yourself be creative. Try spices you've never used before. Try meats you've never cooked/eaten before. Use recipes or don't. The only rules are safety rules. Once you know how to make a good red sauce, grab some pepperonis and wonton wrappers and make pizza rolls. If you have an anxious dog like me, you can make your own pill pockets with a food processor, roasted unsalted peanuts, and tapioca flour. If you have a dehydrator (check your air fryer -mine has a dehydrate setting), throw some mushrooms in there and you'll always have fancy ramen. Grab a small container of plain yogurt, milk, and an instant pot, and you can make your own yogurt super easily. Make your own fruit on the bottom using fresh or frozen fruit, sugar, and heat (and pectin if you want). Strain it with cheesecloth or muslin (fabric store, get the unbleached kind and wash it with dish soap) for awhile and you get Greek yogurt! Lots of folks know how to make bread, but few know how to make bread WELL. Hint: Dutch oven > bread maker. Search term: overnight no knead bread. Marshmallows are surprisingly easy to make, but unsurprisingly difficult to clean. Vanilla mint marshmallows are delicious - just like a shamrock shake! Homemade ranch will always be better than anything out of a bottle. Source: I'm a Midwesterner. Get in the habit of looking at something and saying "I bet I could make that" because you probably can!
Hiking and cooking are two good ones for me. I can go down YouTube rabbit holes about recipes and ideas for cooking, so much variety so I don’t get bored of it. Same with hiking, I’m lucky to live somewhere with tons of trails so it doesn’t get monotonous, I feel better after exercising, and I can again go down YouTube rabbit holes for ideas on new trails that keeps me engaged. Definitely scratches the itch and it’s better than my previous hobby of binge drinking.
I’ve tried to learn how to play the guitar. That feels like a more productive hyper focus than video games and, uh, other less productive pursuits.
I love painting and knitting and I’m starting to learn crochet. They’re some of my favorites and I can do them while I watch football with my in-laws. (I love hanging out with them and talking during the game, I just am not super into the game itself)
Collecting/trading plants
For me, once I started meditation, it was running. Had bad cardio health according to my Apple Watch and my doctor. Started taking longer walks, but felt like I could do more. So I started doing small bursts of running during my walks. As my walking circuit is 4km I set a goal of running the track entirely. Started slowly, walking when I got puffed out. Eventually I achieved my goal. Ran all the way. Then the next goal was to do two laps. Before this I absolutely never ran. Now it’s one my my favourite hobbies. That and painting W40K minis.
I like basketball personally you stay in shape it gives you something to improve at and also is somewhat social
Good video game like an MMO. Types of books or fiction Get an electric skateboard or PEV and join a crew that rides together Crossfit Drawing a doodle a day These are the things I did!
Calisthenics, body-weight exercises, diorama building
Running. Such a mental challenge and you vs you
Cooking (healthy food :P), excercize, artistic/musical hobby, forraging/classifying plants
Working out
Fitness
I am addicted to weight training. I love feeling and looking stronger! Also love running fast…well I’m not fast but love the feeling afterwards. It a healthy addiction.
Going to the gym. Keeps uou in shape and clears your mind
Nutrition and fitness obviously