Ask HN: Those with ADHD. What's a hobby that never gets boring?

Photography.

Walking with a objective

For now the app off-grid is my drug

It is hard to get started but ot gets so addictive once you get in the mid game

I now walk like 20km every day

Finding a new hobby.

I asked my SO but they were unable to think of one with the criteria "never gets boring". Hobbies tend to come and go over the course of a few weeks or months, but SO advised they usually come back to the ones that are most interesting.

Running. It takes a bit to get into it but it makes you tired and is pleasantly distracting, at least for me.

Studying - because there’s always new interesting things to learn about.

Yes - having a goal/focus helps me control my thrill-seeking (sort of). When I get bored that’s when I indulge in self-destructive sensation seeking behaviour, so having something that I can allow myself to get fixated on really does help.

Try improv. Everything is new all the time by design, you want to do a good job so everyone has fun, and sometimes you perform in front of an audience.

Programming, anime, reading.

IME, internet addiction.

Not really diagnosed, but there are textbook definition signs there.

1. Coding.

2. I try to have my laptop with me all the time, Internet capabilities, and hopping on so I can code which helps me with my anxiety and autism.

1.) Reading and learning, not always at the same time. I just love to read, I hyperfocus right away and can get lost for pretty much unlimited time. Other hobbies have upsides and downsides, I do love games and swimming, but... there are days I'm not into that. I'm ALWAYS going to read, every single day. Fiction, non-fiction, I just love to read.

2.) If you replace "thrill" with "sensation" then I'd say... sort of? I tend to mix things, I also love music so I'll read while listening to my jazz and classical collection, and that combination really does it for me. The tiny buzzing part of my brain that would still be left when reading focuses on the music, and it's a complete experience.

I used to then combine that with snacking, but that became problematic in a HURRY.

Oh and I was diagnosed many years ago, never had a reason to believe the Rx was wrong, I'm a pretty typical case.

Hang out with friends

Walking/hiking/running outdoors. Never ever gets boring for me. After a few hours I feel a good tired.

Role Playing Games

Botany. Install iNaturalist and start researching and tagging stuff. It gets you outside more, gets you excited about places you’ve been 1000 times and gets you wondering what new thing you’ll see next. Start with anything that is flowering. Flowers are the best and easiest way to identify most plants. Seed pod and cones are the next easiest. You’ll be familiar with most of the things you’ve wondered about in a couple weeks or months and hungry for more.

For me, playing guitar. When I was grinding through problems sets in undergrad in my room, I’d have my guitar in my hand running scales or whatever to keep my hands busy. Now I do something similar while watching TV. The best teacher I had told me that his teacher told him when he started out that “the best way to get good at guitar is to watch a lot of baseball games”

1. Browsing hacker news, evidently.

2. You could say it ‘helps’ me ‘control’ my inclination to do anything else whatsoever. Piles of dishes and laundry surround me.

chess - no joke, research has shown it is one of the most effective ways to stay focused

There's no such thing sadly, at least not for me. Been looking for a hobby for several years no, nothing sticks. The only thing that I actually continuously enjoy throughout the years is helping other people. Guess there's a lot of truth in "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving".

Consuming the most random novel information that exists is I think the only one for me haha

Photography.

1. It forces you outside during daylight hours when the light is the best.

2. Taking a great shot will give you a shot of that dopamine you’re gunning for.

Magic: the Gathering. I personally know dozens (hundreds, probably) of people who started playing 20+ years ago and are still playing today.

Some hobbies I've had in the past:

* Woodworking

* Piano

* Videography/video editing

* Drawing

* Martial arts

* Running

But the best advice I have for you is to accept that your interests will change, often suddenly. Try to avoid spending a large amount of money to get started in your hobby (don't buy a brand new top of the line camera, borrow an old one). Try to look for small pockets of success inside the bigger hobby so that you can think "I learned a song" instead of "I never learned piano". Try to leave your hobbies in a way that you can pick them back up again. Keep a few notes and information about what you were doing with the hobby so that if the interest strikes you can get going again quickly. If you got some tools/equipment, keep hold of it in a box/container that keeps it all together.