TBI and Selecting a Hobby

TBI and Selecting a Hobby

1. What Have You Done Before?

Think about things you have done in the past. Did you belong to any extracurricular clubs in high school? What kinds of activities did you do for fun before your brain injury? Were there activities that you thought looked like fun, but never had the time to do?

2. What Looks Interesting?

Look over the List of Hobbies below and make a note of the things that look interesting to you.

3. How Might This Hobby Help Me with My Therapy Goals?

Hobbies are a great way to work on therapy goals. Outdoor hobbies or Needlework hobbies may help with some physical therapy goals, while other hobbies like games might help with cognitive or socialization goals. It always helps to have fun while working at the same time.

4. How Much Will It Cost? What Can I Afford?

Hobbies can be expensive, so it is important to make sure that one stays within one’s budget. Money management can be a challenge for some people with brain injury, especially those who have difficulty with impulse control. This can be used to work on therapy goals such as decision making or money management skills.

5. Where Can I Go to Try Out Some Hobbies Before Investing Money?

Until you know whether or not a particular hobby is a good match for you, it is a good idea to spend some time in an exploration phase. Ask friends about their hobbies; ask if they will let you get some hands-on experience so you can evaluate if this might be an enjoyable hobby for you. Go to a craft store and purchase a kit to try out; if you need help with instructions, be sure to build in support for yourself by inviting a friend over to help you. Take a class at a community center, through a parks and recreation department, through the library system, etc.

6. Brain Injury Considerations

Avoid activities which might lead to another head injury. Football, sky diving, skateboarding may not be the best kinds of activities to choose as hobbies.

Some attention needs to be paid to a person’s challenges to help set them up for success with a hobby. For example, photography might be a hobby a person has selected. Just because he has a camera or has taken a photography class is not enough. Reading may be one of his difficulties; he may learn better through being shown and told how to operate the camera on an individual basis.

Some people have difficulty with initiation. They may require help building this activity into a regular routine. This might mean joining a Knitting group or Radio Controlled Car group that meets the 2^nd Tuesday of every month. Or perhaps a friend will agree to visit every Thursday at lunch to play backgammon.

Also, for people who live in special housing or residential centers, precautions should be taken to protect the person’s property against theft.

List of Hobbies

Arts & Crafts

Calligraphy

Candle Making

Drawing

Jewelry Making

Models Rockets, Cars, Ships

Origami

Painting

Photography

Pottery

Scrapbooking

Soap Making

Woodworking

Cooking

Cake Decorating

Games

Backgammon

Cards

Chess

Computer & Video Games

Dominoes

Mind Exercisers

Crossword Puzzles

Educational Courses

Genealogy

Handwriting Analysis

Jigsaw Puzzles

Reading

Storytelling

Sudoku Puzzles

Writing

Musical Interests

Listening to Music

Playing an Instrument

Singing

Nature/Outdoor Activities

Astronomy

Beachcombing

Bird watching

Butterfly watching

Camping

Cloud Watching

Fishing

Hiking

Kites

Star Gazing

Needlework

Crocheting

Cross Stitch

Embroidery

Knitting

Needlepoint

Quilting

Sewing

Physical Exercise & Fitness

Dancing

Swimming

Tai Chi

Walking

Yoga

Plants

Bosai Trees

Floral Arrangement

Gardening

House plants

Sports

Bowling

Frolf (Frisbee Golf)

Golf

Wii

Others

Animals

Aquariums

Building with Legos

Magic Tricks

Metal Detecting

Puppetry

Radio Controlled Boats, Cars, Helicopters, Planes

Stamp Collecting

Coin Collecting

Traveling

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Sources:

List of Different Types of Hobbies. 2008. Buzzle.com. 08 Sept 2008. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/list-types-of-hobbies/&gt;

List of Hobbies. 2007. NotSoBoringLife.com. 08 Sept 2008. <http://www.notsoboringlife.com/list-of-hobbies/>

List of Hobbies. 2007. www.listofhobbies.net. 08 Sept 2008. <http://www.listofhobbies.net/index.htm&gt;

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© Angela Cramer, 2008

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