Asklemmy

try programming. starting to learn python is easy and then if you like it keep on learning.

Any kind of exercise, and social interaction. A combination is best, ie a team sports like basketball, soccer, etc. Check for local leagues, and so forth. It's a really good way to meet new friends as well.

Firstly know you are not alone, lots of people feel like this. I suggest a hobby which includes exercise and meeting people. Exercise releases endorphins and generally energises you. Meeting people helps bring you out of yourself and focus on something else. I do gym classes as it means I am around people but don’t have to interact too much. It’s the same people so I say hi and maybe chit chat a little. A gym buddy is good if you can find one, we never liked to bail on each other so used to go quite regularly. Swimming always makes me happy and my cat! (She likes to paddle but not really what I meant!)

@QuietStorm
Group activities. People who are depressed should endeavor to be around people even if it is not what they want. Loneliness in a depressed person will turn to self loathing. Playing card games and board games with friends is a great activity because it forces you to be socially active and think about something other than what is depressing you.

How do you feel about finding things difficult and failure? Because that's really important to consider when thinking of suggestions. It also depends how dedicated or how hard you are on yourself.

If you're looking for something you can do while watching YouTube, origami. It lets you ease into a hobby, without completely taking away your vice.

Here's some i made yesterday while watching schadenfreude vids about the Netflix Cowboy Bebop disaster...

Reading books. I enjoy it so much because it distracts me from depression, but depending on the book, it also can be enlightening in some ways and doesn‘t require me to really do much or go anywhere.

For me its gardening. If you don't have a an outdoor space, get yourself a couple of pots and plant some veggies and place them by the window.

Kernel mainlining

Knitting. The basics are really easy to pick up and you get something out of it surprisingly fast. As an added bonus knitting supplies can be gotten for around $10 at walmart all in

Uninstall/disable the YouTube app. Trust me you will be a happier person

Go swimming in the sea

Ultimate Frisbee

Try martial arts.

Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.

I say martial arts because it sounds like you're having trouble being self-directed and finding motivation. I also have trouble being self-directed. I don't go to the gym because I get there and I'm overwhelmed by the options and don't know how to use the machines and get really self-conscious about everything. I don't like outside sports because I live where it's hot. Martial arts classes are set up to teach you in structured lessons, with instructors to plan what you're gonna do and keep you motivated.

Plus, you get to hit stuff.

but im probably dreaming too big

No you're not. You underestimate yourself. There is not "too big" when it comes to having a hobby. You don't need to prove anything, just do something you enjoy and that makes you feel good about yourself. The difficult part is getting out of the house, not the actual activity. I won't recommend anything specific here because lots of people in this thread have already, and also the activity does not really matter, only that you do something that engages you.

Physical hobbies like sports are very good, I went to a "martial arts club" for 2 years to train boxing. They shut down the boxing part of the gym during COVID and never started back up. So naturally I started singing. I had been singing in my car to and from work for almost 2 years at the time, so when COVID hit I started singing much more. Now Im in a choir and Ive been part of 2 concerts. You always have your voice with you so its easy to just put on some music and practise. I was still quite depressed so I got a dog, even though Im allergic, and have just gotten into university to get a degree in something completely different from my previous job. I feel amazing these days.

Dancing. There were dark times in my life where the dance practice was the highlight of the week. You get to know people too and when you choose a style of music you like it's almost impossible to feel bad. I know of people I met there who need it as well to stay positive.

Also it's physical and mental exercise in one. Perfect.

Since you mentioned that you want to create something to share, then art of any kind, including music, is what I'd suggest too. Pour yourself into whatever art or music you are creating and it will turn out well. The key word there is "creating." Art and music, when you are creating it, forces you into the present. There's no room for you to wonder out into the past or the future, which don't exist except in your head. Art forces you into the present and the present moment is the only place you will find peace, joy, creativity, and love.

Right now I’m trying chess. I absolutely suck at it, but I can play it on demand at any time online and getting better at it. Don’t really play against live opponents often, but rather play bots or solve puzzles mostly. It helps get the mind to think about something else and makes me want to learn due to how bad I was initially. Still bad, just less so.

Learn programming?

Honestly winemaking and brewing are great for depression. Can't find the willpower to take care of it for two weeks? That's fine! It's just aging, you can do the next step whenever you feel like it. And then you get to share and everyone is pressured to say nice things, it's great.

I have started to knit. I usually will watch TV or listen to a podcast and as I become better, I try more complex projects that force me to put more thought in what I'm doing.

I started out not doing anything specific, basically different lengths of squares and rectangles, because I also struggle with motivation to do anything. It was really just so I would have something to do and keep myself busy with. Then I started to include more simple techniques and then motifs and now patterns. If it's something that interests you, I think it's a great way to get distracted and at the end of it, you get a "reward" (being whatever you knit).

I hope you find something that helps you and that eventually you overcome depression.

Sports outdoors with other people

My hobbies change with the seasons. Woodworking, tinkering with electronics, amd gaming in the colder months. Biking in the summer months. Anything that requires your undivided attention helps forget about depression.