The fool proof way to find your next hobby

My first big purchase at the age of 13

As adults, it's easy to lose track of the things we enjoy. We get lost in mortgage payments, taking care of our family (kids or aging parents) and all that curve balls that life throws us. Chances are, any free time you have may be spent scrolling through social media or watching Netflix. While this provides an initial hit of dopamine, it there are no long-term health benefits.

Having hobbies and activities that we enjoy are an important part of our mental health. Hobbies provide a way for us to be creative and make choices around things that aren't vital to our well-being. There are no life-altering repercussions when we practice creativity around painting a fun portrait, going on a bike ride, planting a garden, spending time with friends or taking a wood working or ceramics class. Hobbies are a good outlet and they are important to our well-being. Hobbies give our brain a break from the seriousness of adulting.

The best way to find a new hobby is to reflect on your childhood and the things you enjoyed back when life was simpler. As a kid, you probably had many hobbies and were involved in a lot of extracurricular activities like school sports teams, academic groups, or hobby clubs.

Growing up, I lived on a cul-de-sac. One of my favorite things to do was to ride my bike around and around. I never got bored of it. I remember my first bike that my dad bought me at a garage sale. Years later when I was 13, I worked picking raspberries in my small town in Oregon. I saved up my berry picking money to buy my first hot pink and black Huffy 10-speed. Boy did I love that bike. It went on many Oregon coast camping trips. And now, as an adult, I love riding my e-bike. I've previously made a few posts on my biking adventures.

What hobbies or activities did you enjoy as a child? We're you apart of any sports teams or leagues? Were you in 4-H? Looking to our past to find our hobbies for our current time and future time will give us a good place to start as we look ahead. By reconnecting with our younger self we are able to rekindle and enjoy our more carefree and playful self.