[Mrtulip]

I'm thinking about how lovely it would be to have an interest or activity that I only do for pleasure/enjoyment.

The difficulty finding such an interest is that I always experience difficulties in activites or interests.
I often get frustrated when trying to solve the problems or difficulties.
Just doing things for enjoyment is too difficult for me.

Are people who do activities for enjoyment very good at dealing with difficulties, ie very good problem solvers?

[divine1966]

Well if you want to do something for pleasure, then there really shouldn’t be too much problem solving? Maybe some?

I am an artist. So art brings me pleasure but certainly there are some problem solving moments. But I also enjoy reading and it’s not really problem solving. No difficulties there. Going seeing things is pleasurable like I love museums, no problem solving there. How about physical exercise like even basic walking. Just do it as much or as little of it you like.

What activities are you thinking about? Creative or something else?

[Mrtulip]

Originally Posted by divine1966

Well if you want to do something for pleasure, then there really shouldn’t be too much problem solving? Maybe some?

I am an artist. So art brings me pleasure but certainly there are some problem solving moments. But I also enjoy reading and it’s not really problem solving. No difficulties there. Going seeing things is pleasurable like I love museums, no problem solving there. How about physical exercise like even basic walking. Just do it as much or as little of it you like.

What activities are you thinking about? Creative or something else?

I find that music and drama is a lot about dealing with difficulties.
I just want to have some enjoyment but I have difficulties that I must deal with.

Perhaps I focus too much on the problems or don't see the problems so that I can with them.

In order to do something for enjoyment you have to practice a lot.

Just singing songs or reciting poetry can ve difficult. Even if it done just for fun!

[divine1966]

How about just listening to songs or just reading poetry aloud? That’s enjoyable, and no work involved if you are a good reader. If not you could listen to audio book of poetry.

[Mrtulip]

Can it be difficult to something you are extremely interested only for enjoyment because you care too much about the result and how good you are?

So doing what you are really interested in might not be relaxation?
or oerhaps you're dissapointed because you are not as good as you wish you were?

[ArtleyWilkins]

I'm a musician, and it brings me great pleasure and enjoyment, even when it is difficult -- perhaps BECAUSE it can sometimes be difficult. As we prepare major works for concerts, learning that very difficult music requires thought, practice, skill, problem-solving, but therein IS the pleasure as I work with other people to create beauty. The process itself is so stimulating. Working with others, enjoying their company, singing together -- those interactions are in themselves so pleasing. The performances are glorious and exciting, but the work to get there is probably more satisfying than the performances themselves.

Music is not what I do for a living. It is my personal activity completely outside of my profession. So, I'm using my brain in a different way. I'm interacting with people that I don't interact with on a daily basis. I'm using a different skill set than I do in my work. That change of pace and focus is where the pleasure and enjoyment come from.

Your last question was, "Are people who do activities for enjoyment very good at dealing with difficulties, ie very good problem solvers?" I can only speak for myself. Once I made room for my music in my life, I became much more adept at handling whatever problems life threw my way (and I've had some major problems come up). Having an activity where I can have a bit of a release from the troubles of life is ultimately healing. Prior to getting involved in my music, I spent WAY to much time staring at my belly button and bemoaning my problems. Music gave me a healthy outlet, a different set of personal interactions, goals that didn't revolve around "me" alone. It gave me a place to nourish my soul.

Finding something outside of ourselves that feeds our well-being is a healthy outlet.

[Mrtulip]

Originally Posted by ArtleyWilkins

I'm a musician, and it brings me great pleasure and enjoyment, even when it is difficult -- perhaps BECAUSE it can sometimes be difficult. As we prepare major works for concerts, learning that very difficult music requires thought, practice, skill, problem-solving, but therein IS the pleasure as I work with other people to create beauty. The process itself is so stimulating. Working with others, enjoying their company, singing together -- those interactions are in themselves so pleasing. The performances are glorious and exciting, but the work to get there is probably more satisfying than the performances themselves.

Music is not what I do for a living. It is my personal activity completely outside of my profession. So, I'm using my brain in a different way. I'm interacting with people that I don't interact with on a daily basis. I'm using a different skill set than I do in my work. That change of pace and focus is where the pleasure and enjoyment come from.

Your last question was, "Are people who do activities for enjoyment very good at dealing with difficulties, ie very good problem solvers?" I can only speak for myself. Once I made room for my music in my life, I became much more adept at handling whatever problems life threw my way (and I've had some major problems come up). Having an activity where I can have a bit of a release from the troubles of life is ultimately healing. Prior to getting involved in my music, I spent WAY to much time staring at my belly button and bemoaning my problems. Music gave me a healthy outlet, a different set of personal interactions, goals that didn't revolve around "me" alone. It gave me a place to nourish my soul.

Finding something outside of ourselves that feeds our well-being is a healthy outlet.

So music is your hobby or non-professional interest. This is why music is enjoyment for you?
If a professional musicians want to things for enjoyment it is often a non-musical activity?

[ArtleyWilkins]

Originally Posted by Mrtulip

So music is your hobby or non-professional interest. This is why music is enjoyment for you?
If a professional musicians want to things for enjoyment it is often a non-musical activity?

Actually, very often that’s exactly the case. I’m around a great many professional musicians who do all sorts of things for enjoyment: travel, sports, painting, volunteering in animal shelters. Our maestro makes perfumes. Another has his own Wordle brag page on Facebook that he runs.

[lizardlady]

Can you find a way to enjoy an activity just for the sake of doing it whether you do it well or not? ex. I enjoy sing but, as a friend says, can't carry a note in a bucket. There are times I crank up the stereo and wail away. I know I sound terrible, but I have fun.

Your question reminds me of a story one of my profs told in grad school. A friend told the prof he was going on a golfing vacation. Prof told him he would be able to improve his golf swing. The friend said that was the difference between them. Prof would spend the time stressed over trying to improve his swing. On the other hand the friend himself playing golf, not carrying if he improved.

[divine1966]

Having ASD could create some of the problems with enjoyment of certain things. How about “passive” enjoyment such as watching you tube videos about cooking rather than actual cooking (example)? Would you find that enjoyable?

[Mendingmysoul]

I watch cute animal videos for purely enjoyment purpose.

[WastingAsparagus]

I honestly don't think pleasurable and mentally straining or mentally challenging activities have to be mutually exclusive. In fact I think there's an interplay between the two (sometimes). Think of all the people who enjoy playing chess as a hobby. That's mentally taxing and is still fun to a lot of people. Or crossword puzzles. Or something like that. Those activites are both activities that are not necessarily considered "pleasurable" in themselves, but they provide enjoyment to a lot of people.

[KublaKhan]

Originally Posted by Mrtulip

The difficulty finding such an interest is that I always experience difficulties in activites or interests.

My belief - no, opinion - is that the most beneficial hobbies are productive ones, e.g. where you're making something. Could be furniture, artisan cuisine, poetry, songs, anything. I think there's an innate human need to produce things. Such hobbies teach you a lot of positive lessons about life itself.


I know it can be frustrating to try your hand at something and not get the results you want. Perhaps it could be an opportunity to build patience and persistence, though.


A good mindset as you start a new hobby would be "I'm not perfect and never will be, but I'm doing the best I can with the skills I have right now. And I'm going to learn from mistakes and improve my skills more and more every day."

I would say my main recreational hobby is traditional wood joinery. I started out kind of goal-oriented (needed some furniture items) but after a while I came to enjoy the activity itself. In fact, I haven't bought any powertools because I love the Zen-like moments of sawing, chiseling, and planing completely by hand. Slower, but it's a calm, meditative activity.

[cool09]

I've had anhedonia for many years and have trouble enjoying anything. When I'm in the mood I like music and reading, that's all.

[OafFish]

Movies and classic video games.
Better when shared but oh well

[avlady]

this interests me because while i took off some time here, i was taking up sewing and flute. i also took up beading. i did enjoy all of that but my piano practicing became the most important. now i have come back to forums here because i missed the people and did also use alot of money for the other hobbies. i also love going to the senior center to socialize on certain days of the week.

[Mendingmysoul]

A lot of hobbies can be expensive.I try to not go overboard with expenses with a hobby.Then it becomes burdensome and not pleasurable anymore because of money anxiety.