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I lost a lot of hobbies and interests because of depression. How can I get back into them despite the lack of motivation and constant doubt?

9 Answers
Last Updated: 03/15/2022 at 3:48pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Andrea Tuck, LCPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

I tackle and discuss a multitude of social and emotional health issues. I have a belief that through empowerment and non-judgmental support clients' can thrive.

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
August 30th, 2016 7:02pm
I became depressed after a serious trauma. I stopped going out, I stopped eating and everything i enjoyed doing just didn't seem fun anymore. One day I had enough of all the moping around so I just went out and did it. On some days it was really difficult as I had no motivation and was miserable whilst doing it. So to help I wrote a list of why I enjoy these things, and why I didn't want to do it. This helped massively when I was unmotivated, because i realised then that the pros actually out-weighed the cons.
Veronica77
October 9th, 2016 12:30am
Start doing things in little steps. Start doing something you like for about ten minutes a day and get used to it. Then start increase this time every day, write down a program, goals you want to reach, and try yo do something little every day until you get used to it.
Ravenclaw7
August 29th, 2017 12:11pm
When you struggle with depression, it seems to take all your energy just to make it through, day after day. Wanting to get back into your hobbies and interests is a very good step forward. Ease back into it gently and give yourself the time and patience you would give a friend that was struggling. Pick the one activity you like the most, maybe ask a friend to join you and do it, without overthinking too much. Then enjoy that feeling of achievement and carry it with you to help you on your journey.
truthSeeker71
October 17th, 2016 2:11am
Baby steps. I find if I can make myself get up and do one little thing that doesn't seem too hard, that can help me take another step. Then I take the time to feel good that I have managed that little thing, no matter how inconsequential it is.
brilliantPeace1762
November 10th, 2020 7:17pm
lets look at what you use to like doing and what attracted you to that purpose. how did you feel when you took up those interest and complishments did you make whilst carrying out these desires. Tell me when did the depression start what happened that made you feel so lack of motivation and constant doubt. I hope we can work together on these feelings and get back to what you enjoyed. Is it through physical reasons why your unable to do these hobbies. Lets talk about other goals you may be interested in if your unable to do these now, depression can lead us to many negative directions and lead us to stop fullfilling our lives. please tell us is there anything that you are motivated with now shall we talk about what you want to achieve
LJSharp
August 21st, 2017 12:49am
Surround yourself with the right and positive people who have similar interests as to what you have. When you become more confident around them, you will gradually gain motivation to join in on the activities you wish to.
fuhloofy
January 12th, 2021 4:36am
I'm so sorry to hear you're experiencing anhedonia due to your mental state! Try taking little steps towards regaining your sense of confidence and motivation in the things you do. I find making micro to-do lists quite helpful. That means: instead of trying to do tasks that may seem daunting to you, try to break your goals into small segments that are easier to follow through with. For instance, I might feel utterly hopeless with my art and feel like I'm getting nowhere. To apply the micro to-do list technique, I may write down smaller goals for myself, such as "sketch one face every day" or "take a 5 min break every 10 minutes I draw so I don't feel overwhelmed." If I wanted to do something such as "make a huge beautiful portrait," I may never feel the motivation to get anything done. Take things easy and one baby step at a time. I hope you feel better in the meantime!
Anonymous
April 23rd, 2018 8:22am
Start by the smallest things. Let's say you liked to go to concerts. You can get back to it by starting off by searching online what concerts are happening around your area, and then finding out ticket prices or if it's free admission. Start doing small things to get back to the hobbies you loved, start off slow and you'll be back to the hobbies in no time!
Anonymous
March 15th, 2022 3:48pm
People go through depression different ways. I hope that knowing every small step of compassion towards yourself is still a step forward in the right direction. And eventually those small steps will lead to self love and falling back in love with old or even new interests and hobbies. Try something new or small, you never know where it may lead you. A small step is still a step, even if its just drinking some water or just a shower. It still counts, you still count and are worth not only the love of others but of yourself.