Looking for more activities to help with my mental health.

Hi @Purple_parrot,

I know I'm a little late to this thread but still wanted to contribute as I think it's awesome you're looking for activities to support your mental health. 

Something I regularly turn to is gentle exercise. This way it's not a draining experience and I still end up feeling a lot more grounded afterwards. For me, walking outside around my local park is really healing for me. 🌳

I also find that puzzle games (like Sudoku or Word Search) are great. I typically order these books online containing these online or do a web search to find example ones I can complete.

Hope this was helpful! 💛

Hi @Purple_parrot!

I am a little late to this thread, but I wanted to add a few suggestions on top of all the other lovely recommendations. 

For me, I find that anything creative really helps - it is a great way to immerse yourself in something, especially when you are feeling lonely. I personally love journaling and writing, and even something as simple as using the Notes app on your phone can be a great way to get your thoughts out. You could try writing a poem, or a short story, or anything in between - the world is your oyster! If you ever need inspiration, there are plenty of writing prompts online to help spark ideas. Creating your own world through writing can be a comforting escap when you are feeling alone (it has been very helpful for me honestly!)

Another thing I enjoy is curating music playlists on Spotify. Honestly, I can spend hours putting together the perfect playlist for different moods! I have ones for dancing around my room, ones inspired by my favourite fictional characters and movies and everyhing in between. 

You might also consider crocheting or knitting - both can be challenging but rewarding, whether you are learning simple stitches or tackling intricate designs.

Let me know if you would like more suggestions - I would be more than happy to share! Wishing you all the best, and take care 💐

Hi @Purple_parrot 

I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling a bit lonely at the moment but thanks for reaching out for some suggestions for hobbies. 

Some I would suggest is reading, even if you're not a fan of actually reading, audiobooks are also great alternatives. If you need any suggestions let me know, I have read a variety of books from classics to romance, to thrillers etc and can give you some suggestions if you don't know where to start. However, finding suggestions on social media is a great way to see what you might like. 

I have recently started building Legos, and I have enjoyed it that could be a great way as well. I find it gives me something to focus on and challenge my mind at the same time. I want to do some of the bigger sets now because I could sit down for hours to do it. I used to do the same with puzzles and that could also be another suggestion and having a movie or music on in the background is a good activity. 

I also found moving my body is a great way for me to feel less lonely, at home work outs or go out for a walk and just listening to some music. I would also recommend a gym if that is possible I have met some amazing supportive people at the gym. That has created walking clubs and everything and introduced me to other people particularly online.

One of my favourite ones is cooking and baking. Listening off of a youtube video or social media and finding new recipes is one of my favourite pastimes. It introduces me to a variety of food I would like to try, meal prep or just easy meals I can make with things I already have at home.

I hope some of these suggestions help, sometimes they can also lead to meeting online groups or likeminded people as well. 

Hi @Purple_parrot 

Thanks for reaching out and I’m sorry to hear that you’re feeling lonely right now. I also often struggle with loneliness so I take up a bunch of different hobbies to take my mind off things. I’m happy to share them with you so you can see if you would like to try them!

Arts and crafts are mostly my go-to activities such as crocheting, building legos, and even colouring books. I find them very relaxing and I often do them while having a background noise like music or a tv show. So, just like @PSYC_G4L and @KaizerBiker, I suggest picking up an activity related to arts and crafts!

I really like getting into different stories so reading books and playing video games (mostly RPGs) are also activities that I would suggest. I’m not very good with online games so I don’t know much about them but playing games with stories can get you invested and may ease your loneliness, even if just a bit.

.

Lastly, as @KaizerBiker has said, ReachOut also has a Peerchat where you can chat with people who are likely to have experienced a similar situation 😊

I hope this gave you some ideas and that you feel better afterward!

Hey @Purple_parrot 

I’m really sorry you’re feeling like this right now. It’s definitely not uncommon to feel this way, and I have personally had periods of loneliness throughout my life. It’s great that you’re reaching out for support here, and I hope I have a few ideas that might help you feel a bit better!

I would highly recommend taking up a creative hobby at home to take your mind of things and help you relax. I personally love art, music, reading and cooking. When I am feeling anxious, I love to go outside and sit in nature while playing my guitar. Even just a walk outside in the sun can do wonders!

Connecting with others online is a great way to help you feel less isolated. Depending on your interests, you could look into social media groups or online communities with people that hare similar passions. I have some friends who are into gaming, and have made great friends from other online players!

I hope this helped. You've got this, and we're here for you 💛

Hey @Purple_parrot 

I wanted to start off by saying that I am really proud of you for opening up here and reaching out for support; this takes so much strength to do so!

I am so sorry to hear that you are feeling very lonely 💚 I can deeply resonate with feelings of loneliness throughout different points of my life, and it is a struggle, but there are many things you can do to help feel less lonely. Coming on here to this beautiful online community is a great start, and I hope that talking to myself and others will help you feel less lonely.

I am wondering also if you have told your family, a friend or even a mental health professional like a counsellor about this loneliness you are experiencing?

As for things you can do, I find that rediscovering an activity I used to enjoy can help, especially if it is nostalgic/comforting. So, I have gotten back into playing games from my childhood on my old PS2. Maybe you find gardening, cooking, or even going for a bike ride relaxing/enjoyable. I also sometimes create artworks that represent my feelings and experiences, perhaps you might find it healing to create art that expresses this lonely. Could you think of some activities that you might want to try?

If you are able to, perhaps you could find some volunteer work locally or online; volunteering is a great way to make new connections! Or maybe you could find an online or in-person group dedicated to interests you have? Like an art club, gardening club or something similar.

Sometimes, when I have felt lonely, I find it really nice to spend time with pets! 🐶🐱

I hope some of this has helped!

- Matcha_Toad 🐸🍵💚

Hey @Purple_parrot,

Sorry to hear that you are feeling lonely at the moment. As with @PSYC_G4L, I feel like that as well somethings.

Some activities I would suggest ( apart from what @PSYC_G4L has suggested, would be that you could maybe paint a-bit. There are those “paint in the number” type of canvas lying around in Kmart if you have the energy to go but if not you could paint with the supplies you have or you can draw, sketch or doodle instead on whatever you have. 

I doodle quite a bit when I have some paper lying around and I occasionally paint a bit as well when I have a bit more energy.

Apart from that, turning on the television for a movie or YouTube for life vlogs or funny content or even cooking videos , always helps me out a bit as well.

And of course if you need someone to talk to ReachOut also has a Peerchat you can use to talk and relate with people that likely faced this as well.

Hopefully this gave you some ideas and where you can look or what you can try ☺️