Introduction
Lack of interest is something that hits many of us throughout our life and in reality, is actually quite a normal thing.
Moments of boredom can actually inspire creativity and fresh thinking which is why we think it’s important not to stifle an opportunity for self-reflection especially if you’re showing a lack of interest, motivation, and even ambition.
As a side note, it’s even thought that younger generations are not given enough time to just sit and be themselves because they always have something pinching their attention meaning when they do have space they feel totally out of sync.
As well as that, if you follow some of the wisdom of stoicism then you might want to actively seek out those moments where you feel totally bored and disinterested in as it can often reveal important life-lessons.
Hopefully, by looking at disinterestedness for what it is, you’ll now understand that it’s not always a bad thing but can actually lead to creativeness and potentially down a path that finds you a new hobby.
Being able to rationalize and deal with boredom in a healthy manner means you won’t feel as daunted by the feeling when it arises.
We’re going to expand on some of these techniques and ways of thinking in our article meaning you’ll be able not only find some hobbies, but also find out why you aren’t so interested.
With that said, we’re going to look at six practical solutions and steps that you can take to help you find a hobby when you’re not interested in anything.
9 Point Guide: How To Find a Hobby When Nothing Interests You
1. Reflect on when the feeling started and get mindful
Sometimes the best way to deal with a lack of interest in hobbies is by documenting or reflecting on when the feeling first started.
This is because it allows us to visualize the state of mind that we were in at the time and some of the emotions we felt.
By getting to grips with those emotions you’ll be able to dissect why you suddenly concluded that you were bored with hobbies or felt like you couldn’t find something that would give you some inspiration.
If you regularly go through high and low periods of interest then it might be worth getting clued up on the process of mindfulness.
This is because, instead of letting emotions overwhelm you, you’ll be able to stop yourself right at the moment by using your mindfulness skills to rationalize and question the thoughts that are going through your head.
For example, a good question to ask could be: “is it rational to think I’ll always be bored of everything?” — And the answer would be no, it’s not really rational to think that for multiple years you’ll simply be bored.
By using this technique, you’ll be well on your way to dealing with boredom in a healthy manner which means even if there are periods of downtime then you’ll be able to offer up critical questions to counter your overwhelming emotions.
2. Go back to basics
Now that you know how to deal with a lack of interest in hobbies in an efficient manner, we can start looking at some solutions to help you find a hobby.
The first practical step you can take is to simply go back to basics and this is because it highlights the strengths of who you are as a person.
To elaborate, working with your strengths rather than against them means you’ll be able to get to grips with a hobby quicker and can sate your need for progression.
There’s no point in trying to rewrite every aspect of who you are when you can use your own natural talent, otherwise, you’ll be going up against a brick wall when you’re already struggling to motivate yourself.
For example, if you’re really athletic or physically well-developed then you might want to take up a hobby in fitness rather than trying to become a physicist.
As a caveat, this isn’t to dissuade you from trying new things but it can really help to work with your strengths as you’ll find it’s easier to keep going with it.
3. Make some friends
Sometimes, having a lack of hobbies could mean you also lack a good group of friends to help pick you up or inspire you to try new things.
Making friends is only as hard as your mind makes it and in truth, it’s very easy these days to connect with millions of people all around the world through various forums or social media platforms.
Literally, there is a Reddit dedicated to making friends that is cleverly titled “MakeNewFriendsHere”.
When you hang or talk with friends you’ll often have those moments where they force you out of your comfort zone a little to try something new.
You go along with it anyway because you don’t want to end up disappointing them but this can actually lead to having a really good time with a variety of activities.
Humans are creatures of comfort and if we had it our way, we probably wouldn’t do too much. The best things in life are shared and are an effort of collaboration rather than you shutting yourself away.
4. Try being a kid again
This might seem like an unusual point but it’s actually a genius way of finding a hobby when you think you’ve seen and done it all.
As a kid, you’re more likely to be daring or try new things and this is because your brain hasn’t fully developed yet.
It’s also one of the best times of your entire life and that’s because you’re discovering so many new hobbies that you actively enjoy or want to go out of your way to try.
We work with intuition rather than logic when we’re kids meaning we’re more likely to gravitate towards things that we identify with or that match up with our strengths as a person.
This is a good foundation to start from when seeking hobbies; try things you enjoyed as a kid, work with your strengths, and go with your gut feeling if something strikes a chord in you.
5. Use the resources at your disposal
Sometimes it’s not the case that you’re not interested in anything so much as you not knowing enough about the world of opportunities that await you if you look deep enough.
We’ve constructed a huge list of hobbies (300+) with full descriptions meaning you can easily get an idea of some new things to try to help ignite that flame within.
Not only that, but you’ll also find our website features a huge range of helpful topics such as hobby advice, hobby lists, and even dedicated hobby sections such as for arts & crafts.
And all of that information is from our website alone meaning that’s only the tip of the iceberg; you can do even deeper research such as through YouTube and through other blogs.
Heck, even speaking to your family can be a good place to start — you never know what interests they might have had when they were younger and even some now that they do in their spare time.
Networking is an important part of finding a hobby and it can also help open other doors that you didn’t know were available.
6. Turn bad habits into good ones
To live and get by we all need a few basic things, however, it’s quite common to over-indulge from time to time whether that be binging on Netflix shows all day, going out drinking, and even ordering too many takeout’s.
In fact, if you’re finding yourself not interested in many things then these bad habits could be compounding the problem.
Sometimes you need to strip these bad habits back to their core and see if they can be turned into something good.
For example, if you binge on Netflix all day then why not try your hand at videography or movie making? Clearly, you enjoy the prospects and entertainment that media can bring so why not give it to others.
Or maybe you enjoy the culture of going out for a drink: again, instead of being the patron why not put yourself on the other side of the bar and give cocktail making a go?
Habits don’t have to be bad but it’s easy to channel our focus at the wrong angle which can lead us astray sometimes; sometimes all you need is a course correct.
7. Force your hand
Sometimes the only thing stopping you from achieving great things or finding a hobby is yourself and if you don’t get to grips with that issue sooner in life then you’ll never know what could have been.
How many books are out there promoting motivational tips or ways to make your dreams come true?
Well, there’s millions, and it’s not just books either.
There are YouTube videos, e-books, paid courses, and heck, even blogs telling you how to motivate yourself.
It’s very easy to throw doubt in your way as an excuse to avoid trying something new or to prevent getting to grips with a passion you think you might fail at.
To summarize, fear and doubt can easily be mistaken for lack of interest but once you come to terms with these obstacles then at least you’ll understand the challenge you’re up against and how to overcome them.
It might require some hard work and it may require dealing with your fears but once you’re over those obstacles then you can leave them in the dust.
8. See a doctor
Sometimes your ability to find things interesting is not always down to your commitment or motivation levels and in reality could actually be something far more sinister such as depression.
If you’re struggling with motivation, feeling joy, and even getting yourself into a decent routine then it could be worth a visit to the doctor’s office.
These issues often have straight forward resolutions that can get you back on the hobby-beaten path in no time.
It can be easy for us to chastise ourselves especially when other people’s seemingly amazing lives surround us, however, the dice don’t always roll in our favor whether genetically and even in the way we’re brought up.
9. Learn about stoicism
If you’ve tried everything we’ve mentioned and still aren’t sure what to do then here’s a hobby for you already; learn about stoicism to beat your lack of interest woes.
In case you don’t know what stoicism is then here’s the textbook definition:
– the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint
Oxford Languages
You might then ask, “why would I not complain about pain or hardships in my life when they really bother me?”
And we’re not saying that they shouldn’t bother you, however, if things bother you often then it’s important to find a philosophy that helps you understand ways to overcome them or at least so you can work alongside them.
Not everyone was destined to have a major passion or interest, and maybe you aren’t either.
There’s no shame in that and you can actually draw strength from it or even embrace yourself within the hobby of becoming a stoic.
Some of the most famous people who ever lived would identify themselves as stoics such as the greater Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurellius, and even the famous philosopher Socrates.
By treading in their footsteps, you’re putting yourself on a path to greatness and higher wisdom that can reframe what you consider interesting.
FAQ
What are some easy hobbies you can try?
We don’t want you to do all the legwork so we’re going to give you some easy hobbies below with some short explanations of why we think they’ll be a good match to get you started if you aren’t interested in much.
Remember that these aren’t the only things you can try and we highly recommend having a look at some of our other hobby lists on our website too.
11 Easy Hobbies You Can Try That You Can Start Straight Away
- Reading – It’s a cost-effective hobby where you can read about anything meaning you shouldn’t get stuck for choice.
- Walking – Walking can combat lack of motivation and can give us a natural boost throughout our day whilst helping us burn calories.
- Cooking – It’s something you’ll have to do anyway so why not make it interesting by creating some recipes or special meals.
- Minimalism – Rather than trying to overcomplicate your life with more hobbies, why not try the hobby of reducing what you have in your life?
- Cleaning – Again, another essential pastime but one that can be fun when you focus on making everything sparkle.
- Go through old photos – Depending on your upbringing, it’s quite likely that your parents or family members kept photos of you and your siblings. Why not have a throwback day?
- Create a schedule – If you’re struggling with motivation or general lack of interest then why not create a schedule for yourself to see if you can optimize your day?
- Visit your friends – If you’re not interested in anything then why not see what your friends are up to? It might spark a little flame within you.
- Cancel unnecessary payments – Sometimes having a good clear out of any overspending can really freshen up your day and give you some new perspective.
- Write down your feelings – Have you ever just wanted to scream into a pillow? You could try that, or perhaps, writing down your feeling instead. It helps to visualize things on your mind.
- Create an accountability mirror – This is something we got from famous retired Navy SEAL David Goggins — Essentially you put post-it notes around your mirror of things that you know you need to change or call out in your life and look at it every day to try to improve on one of those things.
What does the word hobby actually mean?
If you’re not interested in many things then it’s easy to think you don’t have a hobby, however, the meaning of hobby quite simply means engaging in something for fun or pleasure.
Even the most simple things in life like talking to a friend or watching tv can be classed as a hobby.
You don’t need the most dedicated passion ever to qualify as an interesting person or someone with who others would like to make friends.
Even just being a people person and keeping others company is a useful hobby and one that can benefit both of you.
So now that you have a good understanding of the word, take that forward with you and apply it to everything you do in the day and maybe it will reveal things you didn’t know were passions or hobbies.
Conclusion
Finding a hobby when you’re not interested in many things can often involve a multi-pronged approach but hopefully what we’ve talked about will either give you the answer you were looking for or at least some guidance on what you need to do next.
Don’t underestimate the power of networking with other people such as your colleagues, friends, family, and even your idols.
Sometimes you need a bit of outside inspiration to find the things you love and true friends should be more than happy to help you.
With that said, we think the most important point to take away from the article is that it’s often a case of perspective that can change how happy you are.
Some of the happiest people in the world are people that own very little because they’ve learned to cultivate an inner-satisfaction which is one that does not require external validation.
If you’re trying to find a hobby to prove something to others then that’s the wrong approach to have.
You need to do what’s right for you and that means ignoring any stereotypes, stigma’s and/or other social typecasting that stops you from becoming who you were meant to be.
Lastly, and to reiterate, we have a ton of great resources throughout our website which we’re constantly updating every week.
Make sure to save it to your favorites so you can keep coming back for more motivating or inspirational posts to keep your hobby interests going.
