if you want to change how you shop you need a hobby

if you want to change how you shop you need a hobby

Hey y'all, in today's video we're talking hobbies. Why shopping is a problematic hobby and what finding a different hobby can do for you. We'll talk about some things to consider when finding a different and some questions that might help you decude.


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W A T C H N E X T:

C H A P T E R S
00:00 intro
01:46 why shopping is a problematic hobby
13:55 some ideas about what makes a good hobby
22:08 how to find a hobby
25:34 more qs to consider to help you find a hobby

#hobby
#consciousconsumption #consumerism #overconsumption #mindfulconsumption #consumerbehavior #tiktok #tiktokvideo #tiktokreactions #sustainabilitytiktok #consciousconsumption #consumerism #overconsumption #shoppingaddict #shoppingaddiction

[esbybyaghro]

I made notes as I watched so I'm just going to go through my list.

1. Shopping for my hobby IS my shopping problem. The feeling of "Oh, if I just have x thing, THEN I'll be happy / better / prepared." The meme about "buying craft supplies & using craft supplies are two different hobbies" is very very true.
2. I know exactly what you mean about the "itch" to buy. I'll go for weeks with no issues & then a switch flips & suddenly I MUST purchase whatever or I'll go mad. And then it fades & I'm left with "why did I buy this? why do I have this?"
3. Sometimes losing interest in something doesn't mean it was a fixation per se. I think the answer to the question "would I pick this up again?" is a better indicator of whether or not it was a fleeting interest. My moods & mental health go through cycles and I'll set something aside for months at a time. That doesn't mean I don't love it anymore, it's just that I don't have the bandwidth for it right now. And that's not everything, some things truly are "Eh, that was fun, I'm done with it now" but some things are just "this time of year is tough & NOTHING sounds engaging so I'm going to give myself grace & see if I feel like coming back to this later".
4. On the topic of setting things aside & picking them up again - that can be difficult, too. Give yourself permission to take a break without feeling like you've given up completely & give yourself permission to pick something up again, even if it's been ages.
5. Hobbies I've picked up in the last few years - junk journaling (which was a great way to repurpose all of my old 'I'm totally going to take up scrapbooking one day' supplies), machine sewing, embroidery, and slow stitching. I found a video series of a slow stich project a week (see: k3n clothtales). She mostly uses scrap fabric & scrap threads you have available. It doesn't require buying a bunch of NEW stuff if you have literally any cloth in your home (old clothes, sheets, etc), a needle, & thread. In fact, she encourages that over making purchases if you can. Those videos have helped with the "I need to shop to buy the perfect thing for this" feelings because the POINT is to use up what you have. They're just mindful little projects exploring different sewing styles on a very small scale.
6. Check your local libraries, museums, botanical gardens, etc to see if they offer any continuing education type courses or lectures, etc. Some will cost money but some are free and they let you meet other interested people in your area & help you get a sense of if you're interested in a topic - or they help you learn more about a topic you're already interested in.
7. IF you can afford it and IF the thing truly brings you joy - do it. My husband loves gardening. From planning his beds to planting to maintenance to harvesting. He adores every part of it. Every day at lunch during the summer he'll go out for 15-30 minutes to "pet his plants" (my phrase, not his). It was not cheap to set everything up. It's not particularly cheap to maintain. It's nice going out to grab a cucumber instead of having to go to the store but the return on investment is not there EXCEPT in the amount of sheer joy he gets from the hobby. THAT is worth every penny spent.

Apparently I have many Thoughts and Feelings re: hobbies. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[EmmaAbigail-pw]

Reading library books is the hobby I’ve found that distracts me from shopping and is free.

[internetfox]

one thing to be careful of- using hobbies as an excuse to over-consume/shop. I recently got into perfume and scent chemistry, and I have to fight the urge to buy more aroma chemicals rather than actually making stuff with what I already have. I think its similar to the thing where you trick yourself into feeling you've been productive when you buy planners and stationary.

[nataliet]

Social media is so bad because lots of hobbies have a shopping stage and if you don't want haul content the algo ignores your interests. Like knitting and crochet pushes yard hoarder content. Sewing pushes fabric and pattern hauls. Etc etc

[SimplyKatieWalks]

Ive always wanted a hobby, but i have the attention span of a breath mint. Thats why shopping WAS so easy to fall in to. Great video, as always 🎉

[Mcarp_]

The biggest impact my mom’s shopping problem has had is that she can never just leave the house because she ALWAYS has packages being delivered and she doesn’t want them to sit on her porch because she’s worried someone will steal them. So instead of visiting her children/grandchildren or meeting up with people, she’s stuck at home waiting for packages. It’s so sad to me.

[R-o-y-al]

I’ve been drawing, reading, playing video games, watching YouTube and walking. I’ve found that dabbling in different hobbies has helped reduce my spending, and helped with my mental health. I’ve recently relapsed with BED so having distractions from food is helping a lot. We can do it, fam 👏

[Pandakidpa]

I was talking with some friends the other day about your videos and I ended up telling them
"You can't replace the hole in your soul that's supposed to have community in it with single use plastic"
And you know I think that holds pretty well

[palasiksivain]

this might be a biased take as i am a literature major (a drop-out but that's not important), but reading anything absolutely IS a productive hobby!! you don't have to be actively learning or studying for reading to be productive, just reading novels of any kind is very productive for your literacy skills! you have to practice literacy kind of like a muscle, and reading is crucial in that. so there's no non-productive reading; all of it is amazing and you should definitely keep it up <3

[ellieamorous]

One of my favorite activities for when i'm low energy or bummed out is taking a good look at my house plants and seeing what's changed.

It goesnt sound like much, but it can be really rewarding to intentionally observe them. Ive noticed new leaves, new shoots, leaves turning different directions.

It helps me look for good things and gives me a better understanding of my plants needs and growth cycles. And it doesnt cost a thing!

[CrazyFandoms]

A tip for my fellow readers, get a library card from your local library! Libraries offer free services including physical, audio and ebooks and I have found that it helps me to check out the books and read them first before I decide to buy or put them on my wishlist.

[donjab]

How I (accidentally) found a new hobby: 2 years ago I had my tonsils removed and after that I couldn't really do stuff, because my body needed most of my energy to heal. So I was just sitting there watching Jenna Phipps (DIY) videos on YouTube and the urge to give knitting another try overcame me. I went to my yarn box, picked a yarn I liked, but then – the only tool I could find was one single crochet needle. So that evening I learned to crochet (not that I could do much else), and I haven't stopped since. I am honestly so glad to have found crocheting because I never liked knitting, but was always so inspired by fibre art! Now after 2 years of crocheting I'm giving knitting another try and for the first time I am actually enjoying myself with knitting.

So I really didn't find one new hobby, but two. Only downside is having to restrain myself from buying more yarn, when my stash is still overflowing 😅

[naomiowen]

I love knitting and I started up sourdough making two years ago. Both make me feel like an old lady, and I love it😊

[ana]

I got into adult coloring in 2020, it's very relaxing and fun but I had to stop watching content about it bc it turn out to be lots of hauls and excessive buying coloring books, the prices of some of these pencils are over $100 . I ended up buying more than what is necessary to start, so now I'm just doing it but not buying anymore stuff. I also love to read but I don't buy physical books i read them from Kindle unlimited. Your videos are so helpful, thank you :)

[emmaaa]

I’ve really struggled to have the hobby activity as the hobby and not the shopping for the hobby if that makes sense. Trying to stop the shopping cycle instead of just jumping shopping mediums is so hard. I think this is seen in how many beauty and makeup people are branching out different areas like fragrance specifically. The marketing to make us feel like we need the latest makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, accessories, bags etc definitely doesn’t help this shopping creep either.

[antrazitaj]

I sang as a child and teen, we mostly did chamber choir. And when I didn't have the time anymore I told myself t wasn't so bad because I can always sing, I don't have to go anywhere to do it.
Went back to singing at 40 for voice lessons. I'm not interested in going back to choir, but I do enjoy singing and finding out all I can do with my voice.

[hannahschriever]

I lost a pregnancy a few weeks ago and i spent a lot of money because it felt like oh this will make my life so much better. And i really regret it especially because i was doing so good at saving money

[eleanorandrews]

I'm currently learning a new language to curb my shopping habits, whenever I feel the urge I go on the app and start doing some language exercises, so far it has been helping 👍

[maygardens-eypn]

I find myself drawn to simple knitting and sewing crafts. Sometimes I'll do an easy 300 or 500 piece jigsaw puzzle just to relax in the evening after work and space it out over the week.
The colours of the yarn, material or jigsaw picture really cheer me up, and it gives me a little sense of accomplishment. 😊

[amber-mac]

I love to read or crochet in the winter months and hike, camp, and kayak in the warmer months.
I have a pretty stressful job and I found out pretty early on how important it was to have those hobbies that give me time to recharge 💕