Hobbies/time killers that don't cost money?

Ashes

Ashes

Joined
Aug 2, 2002
Messages
2,490
Okay, so I've been feeling a little depressed lately. No particular reason; it comes and goes. I don't want to mask it with alcohol or drugs. I haven't had much initiative to work on art projects lately. Mainly I read novels, watch TV, play with my animals and look stuff up online. I was wondering if anyone had any better suggestions of how to keep myself busy enough to override the depression when it hits. I'm also flat broke right now (still waiting to hear back from job interviews), so any ideas that might inspire me may be useful. (Please don't post anything that would move this to Whine and Cheese!)

I'm going to my mom's house to have lunch with her and my sister today. I'm hoping that will help me feel better; after all, sometimes just pretending that you are happy seems to make you feel a little happier.

Any thoughts or ideas?

~ashes
 
Play with the knives and stuff you already have. Getting out an old one you haven't used lately is as good as getting a new one. Take an old beat-up knife and polish the blade, or take a knife with a plastic handle and make a new handle for it.... More later. The best things in life are free....
 
Get yourself tired! Buy a pair of running shoes and start running. The exhaustion of running will free endorfines (a natural anti-depressant) in your brain and you will be able to sleep better at night because your body will be tired and your depression will be masked.

Second thing is do volunteer work. Go to the local hospital and ask if you can work as a volunteer. Just walking around with patients, interacting with other people, or changing baby diapers and bottlefeeding the babies will give you the opportunity to stop thinking about your problems for a while. Go to the local school and ask if you can help them with reading or supervising the kids on the playground. Go to the local Red Cross or a shelter for women and ask them if you can volunteer. Keep your body and mind busy.

I would also suggest that you look into meditation. Although it will be hard in the beginning you will get some "peace of mind" from it.

So physical activity to get you tired and developing mental calmness (even if it's only 5 minutes) will get you back on track.
 
What are your interests? What would you like to learn about? The internet is a great tool but it is not a replacement for a good book. You are interested in knives so take a trip to the library. Get some books on knifemaking or whittiling. Get a book on oragami or paper airplanes or maybe soap making (for the girl in you :D). I know you talk about your dog...so maybe get a book on the local birds or animals or trees even. Start learning them and then go out on a walk or bike ride and start trying to identify them. I know people are normally fascinated when you can be walking along and tell them the names of different things around them. To me, nothing makes me feel better than exercise. Start running. Not only does it make you healthier, but it will wear you out and its easier to get a good nights sleep. If exercise does not appeal to you then you could start playing poker online (partypoker.net is free). Who knows maybe you'll become a pro and go win a million dollar tournament. Just some thoughts....

Ryan
 
Whittling, you already have a bunch of knives, find wood scraps wherever. You can get a serious as you like with that. Just shaving down sticks or making chains out of old shipping pallets. Very neat hobby, something very relaxing about it. Go fishing, somebody has an old pole you can borrow or have I'm sure. Everyone seems to have one or two laying around the basement or garage. Just being outside in nature does a lot. If you get into the casting and retrieving aspect of it, that is almost meditative for me. If you catch fish, added bonus. You might get "hooked", I did.
 
Just another vote for some sort of exercise. Also, it might be a good time to do various chores/fix-its(fixing creaking doors, etc....) .
 
I'm with Mongo - Since you are in "wonderland" why not give back to some "munchkins" -- schools are always looking for volunteers. If you aren't good with kids, ask if they need any help with projects. Teachers' Aides are in short supply almost everywhere. I don't know any Kindergarten teacher who would turn down help getting templates made for her kids to cut out, or any middle school teachers who wouldn't welcome help grading papers or making bulletin boards. Maybe Alice would like to visit a class and you could give a talk on pet ownership to younger kids.

You may even find that there is a part time position open that you could fill while between jobs -- the pay sucks, but the rewards are many.

Good Luck!
 
Jogging and other type of daily physical activity is good.

Here's one that I liked to do and it's free and its on the net. Do searches and research how to make webpages on free hosts. Then do searches and research webmaster affiliate programs. They're free to join. And you can make money. If you don't make money, it's a cool way to spend time. If you make money, that solves a bunch of other problems. If you make a lot of money (not that you'll count on it but believe me, it happens), that solves even more problems.

Approach it as a hobby and you won't be disappointed if it doesn't make money.
 
1. Listen to music (if you like music that is) if I'm in the right mood I really enjoy listening to CDs

2. Make something/ draw something if youre that way inclined

3. Another vote for exercise

4. Fix something up. I was amazed how much better I felt the other week after painting the bedroom, all it cost was a can of paint and a couple of days of time. Of course it helps if you dont like the old color :)

5. Dont sit around on your own, theres nothing worse than that for making yourself feel down! Go see some friends or something
 
Hey Ashes.......You say your flat broke, so I was wondering if you collect unemployment insurance from your last job. They don't pay a lot but it's better than nothing.
 
Birdwatching! Crocheting! Knitting! Chatrooms! Gardening! KungFu! TaiChi!
HEY!!! Voluteer at your local Humane Society or shelter. You'll really feel good about helping out there, since you love animals
Join a book club!!! Seriously.
 
Play video games. You can go to wal-mart and buy the half-life platinum pack for 20.00$ there are quite a few games included in there. Pretty much the only reason why I play computer games is the multi-player aspect its a lot more fun if you find a good group of people to play with. Hope you get to feeling better.
 
hey ashes, i know what you mean about getting depressed once in a while, it happens to us all. im feeling down too since i just had to get stitches on my finger from a cut with my knife, but anyway, my advice to you is to get out of the house for a little bit, go for a jog with your dog and excersize. Also, go meet up with some friends for a bite to eat or just to hang out. For me, eating healthy and regular excersize is a great way to get my mind off things, reduce stress, and feel energized. :)
 
Anyone can be a backyard astronomer, the two peepers in the front of your head and a night sky chart are all you need. If you get into it a bit good binoculars will reveal even more. If you want to see more for not much money a good 6" Newtonian telescope wont break the bank.
I like to just go out in my back yard and stargaze, puts it all into perspective when you consider that the most distant object you can see with the naked eye
(the Andromeda galaxy, aka M31) is two million light years away. Each photon of that ancient light that hits your eye is yours and yours alone, there's a thought for you. Hope it helps. :)
Yrs, Ken.
PS. Chin up, lass. As we say in the north. I've never replied to your posts before but since I've been visiting Bladeforums I've noticed that a great many forumites
think highly of you and care about you and I would count myself among them despite being a "newbie". Take care.
 
oz23 said:
Anyone can be a backyard astronomer, the two peepers in the front of your head and a night sky chart are all you need. If you get into it a bit good binoculars will reveal even more. If you want to see more for not much money a good 6" Newtonian telescope wont break the bank.
I like to just go out in my back yard and stargaze, puts it all into perspective when you consider that the most distant object you can see with the naked eye
(the Andromeda galaxy, aka M31) is two million light years away. Each photon of that ancient light that hits your eye is yours and yours alone, there's a thought for you. Hope it helps. :)
Yrs, Ken.
Click to expand...

Astronomy, my favorite hobby. The Andromeda galaxy which is 2 1/2 million light yrs. away is twice the size of the milky way and is on a collision course with us a couple of billion yrs. down the road.
 
Orienteering


Orienteering is the sport of navigation with map and compass. It's easy to learn, but always challenging. The object is to run, walk, ski, or mountain bike to a series of points shown on the map, choosing routes–both on and off trail–that will help you find all the points and get back to the finish in the shortest amount of time. The points on the course are marked with orange and white flags and punches, so you can prove you've been there. Each “control” marker is located on a distinct feature, such as a stream junction or the top of a knoll.

Orienteering is often called the “thinking sport” because it involves map reading and decision-making in addition to a great workout. Any kind of map may be used for orienteering (even a street map), but the best ones are detailed five-color topographic maps developed especially for the sport. O' maps show boulders, cliffs, ditches, and fences, in addition to elevation, vegetation, and trails.

Orienteering is a sport for everyone, regardless of age or experience. The competitive athlete can experience the exhilaration of running through the woods at top speed, while the non-competitive orienteer can enjoy the forest at a more leisurely pace. Most events provide courses for all levels–from beginner to advanced–and the sport has been adapted for small children and people in wheelchairs.

If you love maps, exploring, and the great outdoors, try orienteering. You'll be hooked for life!
Click to expand...
 
I always like throwing knives, when I don't have anything better to do, and sometimes when I do have better things to do as well.

It's always fun to go barbeque at a friends house-- just dig something out of the freezer to bring (or not) and make them feed you. (lots of times I get roped into cooking-- sort of "pays" for the meal.)

(These things work great when the Internet and video games get old.)
 
I like to read when I get stressed or down. A good book can take my mind off my problems for a bit. And if you go to the library its totally FREE!!!

Also, if your not into jogging/running go for a walk. There is a river by my house which I like to walk along the banks of. You may see some cool things on your walks.

And like many have suggested, get involved with your community if you aren't already. I find that in helping others you maybe helping yourself without even realizing it.

Anyways I hope you feel better soon. Take care,

-Jay
 
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