Finding a new passion to develop or just to do in life can be one of the best things you can do for yourself. A new hobby can contribute to "healthy self-esteem and identity formation," says therapist Caroline Given.

A 2020 study published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics found that engaging in a hobby had a positive effect on adults with self-reported depression, helping them feel more relaxed, energetic, and inspired. Moreover, a September 2021 study of over 13,000 Americans found that too much leisure time - more than five hours a day - led to lower well-being, but using time off work in meaningful ways, as with a hobby , brought the opposite effect.

While you may need to try a few things before you find your perfect match, the whole process is worth it. Choose stimulating activities, not necessarily too challenging for you. The brain loves innovation and inclusion. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Back in childhood, what did you like to do then?

2. Try some ideas yourself at home, enough to form a general opinion about what might or might not suit you.

3. Try something you think you are not good enough for.

4. Find an activity that will make you forget all the stresses, the loads of the day.

5. Recall a past hobby, which you had left in oblivion.

6. Look carefully at what you usually like to buy from the things you "do not need".

7. Find an activity that makes you feel productive.

8. Try a hobby that gives you confidence.

9. Suggest the idea to a friend and do both a "hobby hunt".

10. Look for an activity that is different, special and that you had not thought of before.

11. Cultivate the desire for that passion. I have a lot of fun during the process!

Source: Bustle