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Discovering Your Next Passion: The Joy of Exploring Hobbies, featuring The Youth Advisory Board Toolkit

Exploring new hobbies can be a great way to add variety to daily routines and promote personal growth. Hobbies offer opportunities to relax, learn new skills, and engage in enjoyable activities outside of school, work, or other responsibilities. From creative outlets like drawing and music to hands-on tasks like cooking or building, there’s a wide range of options to consider.

Finding a Hobby

Getting started with a new hobby doesn’t require special experience or talent. The focus is on trying something different and having fun in the process. Those interested in nature might enjoy hiking or gardening, while others may be drawn to technology-based hobbies such as game design or video editing. Exploring different activities can help uncover interests that may not have been obvious at first.

In the YouTube video, "Finding A Hobby," YouTuber Jodie Fox encourages exploring different activities based on your interests and personality, focusing on what feels fun, approachable, and worth repeating. She suggests trying low-commitment options like classes or kits, then turning what you enjoy into a small, regular habit. Her main advice: stay curious, be patient, and let joy guide you.



Hobby Ideas To Try

Finding the right hobby often takes time and experimentation. It’s helpful to start with simple, low-cost options and stay open to different experiences. Whether pursued alone or with others, hobbies can contribute to personal well-being and create new ways to connect with the world. 

FutureLearn's blog post “How to Find a New Hobby: 40 Hobby Ideas to Try” is a helpful guide for anyone looking to start a new hobby. It encourages you to think about what you enjoy—like relaxing, being creative, staying active, or learning something new—and choose hobbies that match those interests. The post shares 40 ideas, including things like yoga, reading, painting, board games, and even coding or learning about family history. Many of the hobbies connect to free or low-cost online courses. It also suggests starting with a few small activities to see what you like and thinking about what fits your time and budget. 

What are some hobbies you like to do? Have you thought about finding some new ones? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

Featuring...

The Youth Advisory Board Toolkit

From UMass Chan Medical School:

"Do you want to add youth voice to your organization, but don’t know how? Come and see our new free online toolkit that provides tools and techniques for building and sustaining a young adult advisory council. We designed and tested it to be adaptable for the unique population your organization serves."

This toolkit is designed to assist organizations in developing and sustaining Youth Advisory Boards (YABs) for youth and young adults (ages 14-30). This toolkit is informed by our organization’s experience creating and sustaining a YAB of young adults with lived mental health experience but is designed and tested to be adaptable to the unique population your organization serves. We hope that the materials provided are used as the building blocks to create a meaningful and effective Youth Advisory Board (YAB).

Check out the toolkit here: https://www.umassmed.edu/TransitionsACR/resources/youth-council-toolkit/ 

The SPAN Youth Chat

Join us virtually on July 2nd from 4:15 to 5:00 PM with the SPAN Youth Engagement Team for a discussion on emergency preparedness and safety tips for a variety of situations you may encounter. 



Resources...

Link to SPAN's website: www.spanadvocacy.org
Link to SPAN's Youth in the Know Resource Page: Youth in the Know
We're here for you! Call SPAN if you need assistance: 1-800-654-7726.

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