Hobbies, good medicine for my soul

arabianhorselover · Sep 30, 2015

Poster0 said:
You accidentally wrote your response inside the quoted area. All i saw at first was the quote. I have also seen other posters quote a post but not write any words of their own, and i wondered why, but perhaps they did write something and i just didn't see it. I myself have had a lot of problems with quoting posts on this website. For some reason the cursor goes inside the quote instead of outside it as it should, and i end up writing my response inside the quote itself. There are other problems too that i have experienced.

They say exercise is good for our mental health as well as our physical. So bicycling would be a good hobby. I also have problems getting motivated some days and i understand that situation brother. Wood and metalworking is enjoyable but im no master craftsman. I tried to cut dovetails by hand using a handsaw and wood chisel, and it didn't turn out too well. Those take a lot of practice to master though, i guess. I think i'll try using my band saw to cut them, and see how that works, one day soon. I make a lot of mistakes but thats ok. Im into metal working right now, im trying to get a few things done before winter comes.

Exercise is something I know I have to do for my depression and anxiety, as well as my arthritis. I only wish i had more energy to do it. I have to force myself.

Press On · Sep 30, 2015

arabianhorselover said:
Exercise is something I know I have to do for my depression and anxiety, as well as my arthritis. I only wish i had more energy to do it. I have to force myself.

It might be helpful to explore and choose an exercise that you like; something that suits you. And take small steps. My exercise time began at 10 minutes and worked up to an hour or more.

Arthritis might limit you in some types of exercise, depending on your discomfort level.

I've stayed with it almost 2 years now. Of course, if I'm not feeling well or in pain I don't do it. If it's just laziness I don't cut myself any slack & I make myself go.

Poster0 · Sep 30, 2015

arabianhorselover said:
Exercise is something I know I have to do for my depression and anxiety, as well as my arthritis. I only wish i had more energy to do it. I have to force myself.

You could try a hobby that requires manual labor, and that would give you exercise. That might make the exercise more fun.

arabianhorselover · Oct 1, 2015

I wonder what that might be..............?

Poster0 · Oct 1, 2015

arabianhorselover said:
I wonder what that might be..............?

I don't know. It was just an idea. I just figured it would be nice to find exercise that was fun. I use to exercise and i hated it, i always thought it would be good if i could make it fun somehow. I use to workout on a heavy bag, and that was not boring, but for me personally i needed to get away from that sort of thing, for personal reasons, so i gave it up.

arabianhorselover · Oct 1, 2015

I didn't really expect you to tell me. I'm just really struggling right now with how to fit in all the exercise I'm supposed to be doing between all the exercises I've got from the physical therapist for my back and my neck, all the stuff I try to do at the gym, and all the walking I try to do.

Poster0 · Oct 1, 2015

One of my hobbies is forging steel. That requires manual labor, although i try to keep that to a minimum i still get plenty of exercise that way. This is what gave me the idea finding a hobby that requires manual labor, because it makes that exercise fun and i dont mind it at all, but that's because i really love blacksmithing. Im only starting out with this hobby, although i have studied it for over a year now, but i hope to make it a more frequent part of my life. It takes a little money to get started and im very poor, but im almost there. I have forged some steel but i'm experimenting with different forges, trying to find the best and most economical way of heating metal which works with what i have.

Poster0 · Oct 1, 2015

arabianhorselover said:
I didn't really expect you to tell me. I'm just really struggling right now with how to fit in all the exercise I'm supposed to be doing between all the exercises I've got from the physical therapist for my back and my neck, all the stuff I try to do at the gym, and all the walking I try to do.

Maybe you could find an exercise routine that works your cardiovascular system and muscles all at the same time. That would be a total body workout, even exercising the heart and lungs, and would not take up as much time as you seem to be using now. Maybe try a self defense course, those can be fun. Jujitsu is an excellent self defense art which is designed to help you escape from an attacker, and control them in a more gentle way than things like boxing or karate. It would give you a lot of exercise as well. Perhaps that's not a good choice for you though, im not sure. I only like to offer suggestions.

Poster0 · Oct 6, 2015

I love watching a woodworker creating things with hand tools. There is something about this kind of woodworking that i delight in. Its like meditation to both watch and do. I have tried hand tools a little but i'm no master, that's for sure. Yet every time i watch someone create something i find myself drawn into it. The paring and chiseling of wood, watching it split along the grain, its something really special to me. I think i enjoy the actual shaping of the wood more than the end result itself. I could enjoy just whittling a piece of wood into fire kindling and tinder i think.

Krissy Cakes · Oct 16, 2015

Hobbies are very good for depression and other disorders. They keep your mind off them. I need to get back into my old hobbies. Coloring and cooking/baking where my favorite and when I get depressed I don't want to do it.

Poster0 · Oct 17, 2015

Army Wife said:
Hobbies are very good for depression and other disorders. They keep your mind off them. I need to get back into my old hobbies. Coloring and cooking/baking where my favorite and when I get depressed I don't want to do it.

Yes, i know what you mean, i have often experienced that as well. Depression can rob our motivation and our enthusiasm. I think watching others do the things i love keeps my passion going. Just like in that last video i posted above, i love to watch it as much as i love doing it myself. I am learning how to forge steel and when we learn new things we can get discouraged by our failures. I recently tried to make a certain tool as my first project, and i tried twice now but both times i failed. I think my project is too ambitious for a beginner. However, eventually, i will succeed if i don't give up. ITs hard for a middle aged guy to learn new things, especially when my mind is so clouded, but i press forward. God willing, i'll get there.

arabianhorselover · Nov 16, 2015

Lately I haven't been feeling like doing much of anything. Lucky to get all the things done that I have to do without anything extra. Hoping to feel better soon.

Tempura · Nov 16, 2015

arabianhorselover said:
Lately I haven't been feeling like doing much of anything. Lucky to get all the things done that I have to do without anything extra. Hoping to feel better soon.

Yep, often we have to force ourselves when we're depressed. Even the thought of doing anything "extra" can immediately cause a negative reaction. Sometimes when you start to do something though, it can be fun. Many times it's just a case of getting over the threshold.

Music is a great example for me. I love music, I love listening to it, playing it and writing it. Lately even the thought of listening to a record feels like a chore, like there's an obstacle. It's weird. But if I hear said music by accident, I love it.

arabianhorselover · Nov 16, 2015

Unfortunately I have had to take care of a lot of "extra" things recently.

C. Cole-Chakotay · Nov 18, 2015

I suffer from depression and hobbies help me. I read a lot and have a (mostly) Barbie doll collection. I really enjoy dressing my dolls and displaying them around my home. I love seeing their happy, smiling faces.

arabianhorselover · Nov 18, 2015

I've never really been into dolls, but that is a neat idea. Something I have is pound puppies. I should maybe put them out and about where I can see them.

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