Whats Your Hobby?

[anthony]

I was thinking about this just now, and thought I would do a search on hobbies and nothing much has been posted beyond, [DLMURL]http://www.ptsdforum.org/thread4491.html[/DLMURL], which is slightly different to what I am talking about here.

Hobbies have been proven to stimulate the brain and even keep a person alive, being they have a purpose, something to look forward too. What is it for you and please feel free to talk about it all, tell everything or just a little, whatever makes you comfortable.

Me, I have had so many hobbies, lots of interesting things during my life to date, but nothing has ever had such an impact upon me as renovating has. Just doing handyman things, learning building skills, doing things with my hands and haviing to research how to achieve the result I want. It is something I can do whilst also being able to rest, as I often find I quickly burn out if doing much mentally.

I believe as a hobby it has certainly helped me even further with my own PTSD management. I already know that if I tried to do it as a job I would fall over, as I do get sick under any stress... even Nicolette putting a deadline on something makes me ill, so she just doesn't do that anymore.

What is your hobby and how does it affect your day to day life?

 

[becvan]

Funny I was thinking about the same topic about a week ago.

I have quite a few hobbies now. Firstly I box. It's great fun. It keeps me in shape and helps me to reduce stress. I try to box about 3 times a week.

I also crochet (it's like knitting for anyone who doesn't know what it is.) I make all sorts of items which usually end up as gifts. I also am a crochet instructor and I volunteer at our local drug & alcohol rehab to teach anyone who wants to learn. I also design some of my own patterns and have a few submissions in for publication! I think it's awesome. And it's very soothing so it also helps to manage stress.

I read. And I read and I read. I love reading. I share my reading with my son and we compare books and discuss plots quite often.

I had to work really hard last year to get interested in hobbies again. But once I started getting back into it, it became easier. I find I'm a lot calmer and a lot less bored with hobbies again!

Great subject Anthony.

bec

 

[Lisa]

For me it is motorbike riding... and everything in the biker culture!

Riding a motorbike has helped me to learn practical anxiety management, as I suffered a lot of anxiety in getting on the bike and would have to make extra time so I could work on that. Over 3 months I went from needing 2 hours free before riding, to just 20 minutes pre-anxiety management time. I really look forward to riding... I like the technicalities of riding, the technicalities of balance, physics, and the roads. I also found that when I ride in nice scenery, with fields and the sun coming up early morning - I have never had a contented feeling like that anywhere else.

I have learned a hell of a lot while learning to ride and continuing to learn advanced riding... it has enabled me to get involved in a biker community, learn about motorbikes, which ones are good for what, some basic mechanics (still learning that, very very basic lol!) etc. Also learning about safety, riding gear and what's good what's not and why, etc. I've had to learn roads and routes for the first time in my life, as I don't drive a car, and am regularly known for getting lost and enjoying it... because it meant I got to ride for longer! Haha...

I am a member of a motorcycle club, and this also has a forum, and it is like another community. This has helped me to learn to meet new people and overcome anxieties over that. At the moment, I have stuck to one friend in particular, and a few others who meet up as a regional group and have social events and ride outs, and have a riding holiday booked in September! Lately I've been too unwell to be involved, but also it's been a really bad riding winter - snow from november with only a few days break at a time! I actually noticed that when I couldn't ride, I felt it affected my mood.

So... for me... riding is my hobby :smile:

When I ride, I feel free, independent and it boosts my confidence so much. I really look forward to everything about it, and it feels like it's added another aspect to my identity...

Learning to ride was also something I did for me, against many's wishes! Decided to ride because I wanted to took some assertion with family and friends, all who decided I should not ride because it is too dangerous. I told them it is my life and I was going to ride - and I did! Now they've accepted it, and it's great! I can't wait for the weather to get better so it is possible to get back on!

For anybody who fancies the thought of it... I recommend!! :) just thought I would share what's it done for me, and how it's changed my life in many ways.

 

[Marlene]

I don't know if I would consider it a hobby or a necessity (because it really has become a wonderful way for me to help with symptom maintenance), but yoga has become a big part of my life in the past four years. Learning to focus in the moment and breathe and be still is such a big help.

I also fence because there's really nothing like it. I get to learn and ancient martial art and have a blast with it. There's one person I fence with whenever I need a good release of aggression. Fencing with him is like being in a bar-room brawl. You come out a little worse for wear, but it's so worth it because it was fun.

Like Bec, I also crochet. I do just the straight line crochet. Nothing fancy. I've never been able to wrap my mind around the patterns. I'm in the middle of making this huge blanket. It keeps growing and growing. But it's one of those 'mind shut down' activities for me. I think of nothing else but what's in my hands with the yarn and the hook.

Funny...looking at all of these, they all have one thing in common. They require me staying in the moment and focusing my attention on them. So far that's one of the best ways to keep the demons that come out and play in my head quiet.

Lisa

 

[fin]

Field archery at one point,- long bow, but never on live prey. In beautiful woodland all over the country.

 

[Grama-Herc]

I "HAD" a hobby but I just can't do it any more and I miss it Very Much!

I was a shelter mom/foster mom for newborn orphan kittens. I have literally saved thousands of them over the years. But, sadly< I just can't do it anymore.

I built a large, wooden, customized cage for them in our spare bathroom with storage above and the ability to convert from 2 cages to 4 cages.

I tryed to continue caring for the newborns, but I just can't. I was fine when I only had the kittens to care for. I could foucs on them 24/7 if and when it was necessary.

Bottle babies, as they are called, need feeding every 2 hours around the clock. They were usually are very very young when I got them. Some of the even younger ones need hourly feedings. I've had bottle babies as young as 24 hours old. In order to do this, you have to nap in between feeding with an alarm clock set to wake you. Now that I have mom and her world to care for, it is just to much to do both.

I am heart broken and miss the babies so very much. They were very theraputic for me. Plus I enjoyed it so much. Having little tiny kittens to play with and raise and enjoy---well there is nothing like it. To watch them learn to walk and use their litter boxes and all the things them need to learn, well it is watching mother nature at her best!

I must agree with Anthony that hobbies are very good for us. It takes us out of our selves and allows us to focus on something else. Also keeps our brains from turning into mush.

I can only speak for myself but it helped me feel like I was still alive.

 

[Cindy]

Making time for ourselves.

I am very impressed with these posts and what hobbies have done to both change your lives and impacted others lives. Lisa, I know what you mean about the freedom when you ride. It's you, the road, and the horizon.

As for me personally, I guess I would say almost any hand craft. As evident in all the unfinished projects through out the house. I love exploring the creative side. When I take the time to bead, write, paint, crochet. ... etc. I feel emotionally more satisfied with life.

Recently I have recognized the need to make the time in order to maintain my balance. So the time is here, to replenish and play once again. I always seem to put this at the bottom of the list where I never get to realistically.

So, a shift in priorities to focus on just that - HOBBIES :clap: !

Cindy

 

[tardis]

I don't reckon I have a hobby to be honest. I have my work, and I do things with family and friends, but no hobby. Perhaps I should get one... thanks for the thread, it gives me something to ponder.

 

[midi]

Collecting rocks.

 

[jeapea]

My hobby was what I turned into the business I now own. I know I can't maintain a job for someone else, but with this, I set my own hours and each day that I am able to follow through with it, I feel a bit more confident. Another hurdle is overcome. And it becomes the most positive thing I can do for myself. I can share that part of me in whatever portions as I feel able to. And when I feel like a failure, there are more and more people who tell me to step back and take another look at what I've done... and see myself as they do. I've actually done a lot. So I can pat myself on the back. Strange feeling... patting myself on the back.

 

[fin]

I was a biker-chick for six years, I miss it, not so much in the rain but I used to love it. Such freedom, and that early morning thing....with the sun coming up just beautiful.

I commune with nature more now....in that I... (well until last year) I would sit out and "be" with the morning- with a coffee. Watch the sun come up, and generally just listern to the world start to wake up. I love the early morning sounds. And this robin would always come down and sit with me, it was really lovely.

I used to live near wooded area also so it was fantastic.
I should maybe start to do that again.

 

[fin]

Until now, reading this thread, I hadn't really thought about anything like this in a long time. I just wanted to get well and this feels to me what I have been trying to do. Maybe I stoppped being alive. I just don't really know who I am in regards to anything like this now.