13 People With Depression Share The One Hobby That Calms Them

“Bird photography. I get in a meditative state that takes my mind off things that are troubling me.” — somastars

“Gardening, growing food is so incredibly satisfying for the body and the soul. It’s a sort of meditation when you are out in nature with your hands in the dirt.” — Daavok

“Reading a good book helps my brain turn ‘off,’ I don’t know how else to describe it.” — ilovefrita

“Crocheting. It’s repetitive, calming, creative and you get the feeling of at least a bit of productivity.” — fkkgoclsbvh9009

“Playing an instrument in general is very therapeutic. People just have to stick with it through the learning curve and then the fun truly starts. I’m still kinda new but it makes me happy when I play guitar and I’m really on it. I play drums here and there but that’s therapeutic because you get to smash shit that hardly breaks.” — nflspwndbgoxpw

“Video games always helped me escape the depressing real world.” — a-village-idiot

“Interacting with animals. Adopt a shelter animal. Or if thats too much of a commitment, foster some babies – puppies or kittens. Try feeding stray cats and birds. Nothing brightens up a dull day than seeing an animal fed and happy and purring on your lap.” — Kadakumar

“I recently started wood carving, it’s calming and pretty fun. So far I’ve made a little duck.” — Octopuswearingahat

“Excercise. I let endorphins decide how my day is until I just go along with it and feel okay. “ — Frostitute_85

“I took all my holiday cards and sorted them, and then (for example) took all my Xmas cards and pinned them to a cork board, then decorated that cork board with fake winter/Christmas flowers and greenery, and painted some Christmas slogans with stencils, and put some pretty Xmas stickers on it. I thought it was a good/artistic way to display all my cards from loved ones without just having them pile up in a box every year.” — known-enemy

“One thing that worsens my depression is routine and monotony, so I do one new thing every month. Going somewhere I’ve never visited (could be anything from a local coffee shop to a day trip), trying a new craft, baking or cooking something I’ve never eaten, etc. This keeps me sane, maintaining a sense of awe and curiosity.” — Orange-Enough

“Working out is so key to easing the depression, but also I know that it’s hard to stay motivated to do that when nothing is fun. I joined a pole dance studio — being around other people, the outfits, and the workout are all adding a bit of sparkle back to my life.” — DollyDeNude

“Weightlifting. If you’ve never felt what your body is capable of I highly recommend finding out. For me, there has been no greater sense of accomplishment or euphoria than what I feel when I do that limit-breaking curl, or press, or push; knowing and feeling with my entire body and mind that I’m giving absolutely everything, and overcoming the challenge. Bonus is you get jacked if you do it for a while.” — AlanZero