What to do with my time now...

Hello everyone. A week ago I changed from Trintellix to Cymbalta and I can already feel a difference. I've gone from not wanting to do anything to not knowing where to start and what to do to fill my time.

It's great, but I've been depressed for two years now and the things I need to get in order are overwhelming....my closet, my kitchen, my bathroom...they are all a mess.

I mean, I went and did laundry for the first time in at least a year, and didn't need clonazepam to get through it. Just amazing.

But I need some new hobbies. I might take up crocheting... heaven knows I have a lot of yarn from when I was weaving (which I can do now because there's no room in the apartment).

So when you feel good, what do you do to keep yourself occupied?

Hi! Glad to hear you are doing better. But don't overwhelm yourself with getting everything done at once. One thing at a time. It will all get taken care of in time.

Usually, when I'm feeling good and not experiencing any mania or depression, I like to blog, write, color and draw to keep me occupied. Also, I love photography and I go out and take pictures around town. Sometimes landscapes or architecture. But even doing things around the home like cleaning and yard work distracts me enough to stay focused on my tasks. I hope you find what works for you! Good luck.

Reading, talking, learning the piano, jigsaws, word games, growing beautiful flowers, teaching, hugging, listening, learning, adult colouring, drawing, repairing, Creating

I really don’t know how to keep myself occupied when I’m well and stable like now. I’ve responded to bump up your thread. Maybe we’ll get some more responses.

I'm trying to learn how to play keyboard. I play neopets now too just to pass the time. Crocheting sounds like a good idea, glad to hear you're feeling better

Write (even more than usual), dance, enjoy nature, cook/bake especially nice things, enjoy music, go out and socialize around town, do extra chores around the house, take a class of some sort (I've taken various online and in-person adult school and college classes), do a lot more self-care, get into dieting.

The class thing is especially nice, if you love learning, like I do. The college classes (for credit) do cost a lot of money, but online and in-person adult school classes aren't THAT expensive, though I know for some they still would be. Sometimes libraries offer activities or classes for free. Online adult school classes allow for somewhat flexible learning schedules. That can be good if you are prone to mood lability. I'm also extremely lucky that my local university allows the community to audit classes (no credits) for a much lower price. I once attended the lectures for a Cognitive Psychology class there.

Right now I'm attending a once per week lecture series at the university offered in conjunction with my town's adult school. It's very interesting! I am also taking private French lessons for an hour every other week. The French lessons are a bit stressful for me. The instructor speaks only French 90% of the time, and since it's a private class I have to be "on" every second. The university lecture series, on the other hand, allows for more passive learning. I'm thrilled that I've been reliable about getting to the evening lectures once per week these past four weeks. That makes me feel that I can switch from the expensive private daytime French lessons to much cheaper evening group French lessons in the Fall, if I'm doing well.

I am hoping my mental health will improve sufficiently for possible at-home part-time work sometime later in the year. That would be a BIG thing for me. Many people also get a lot out of volunteerism. I tried that a few times in the past, but they didn't work out. Anything "job-like" can throw me into a panic. It's because of some trauma I experienced. Study has been much easier for me.