Why You Lose Interest in Hobbies So Fast (and What to Do About It)

Do you ever get super into a new hobby – like, spend hours researching, buy all the supplies, watch every YouTube tutorial levels of into it – only to drop it a few weeks later? If you’re like many of my ADHD therapy clients, this cycle might sound familiar. Hyperfocus and the promise of something new and exciting make you go all in, but eventually, the spark disappears almost as quickly as it began. Suddenly you’re left with a pile of supplies, some half-finished projects, and maybe a little shame because you really thought this would be your thing.

Then inevitably, maybe a few months later, you do it all over again.

This can be such an exhausting cycle of dashed hopes and failure. The self-critical voice in your head starts to whisper things like, “You never stick with anything” or “Why did you waste all that money if you were just gonna quit?” ADHD makes hobbies complicated: both in how intensely we love them at first and how fast we lose interest.

But as an ADHD coach and therapist, I’m here to tell you this isn’t a personal failure. Human nature (especially for neurodivergents) is full of starts, stops, pauses, and coming back to what’s important to you. You can learn how to be more consistent with habits and hobbies– and how to how to be gentler with yourself when you do inevitably lose interest in something you’ve started. 

Why Do I Lose Interest in Hobbies So Fast?

Research shows that ADHD brains crave novelty, due in part to an imbalance of dopamine levels. When something is fresh and shiny, your brain flood you with feel-good chemicals. That’s why starting a new habit can be easy if it’s exciting enough: you can spend 10 straight hours learning how to play guitar chords or build the perfect sourdough starter. But once that initial rush fades, the hobby starts feeling like work. And work is boring.

That’s the short version. The longer version is that ADHD hobby burnout happens for a lot of reasons, including:

The Pressure Ruins It

The second you tell people you’re into something, they start asking about it. They expect updates. They want to see progress. Suddenly, this thing that was just for you feels like an obligation and an expectation. That pressure can start to build and make you resent the very thing you originally liked.

Perfectionism Kills the Fun

Raise your hand if you’ve quit something because you weren’t instantly amazing at it. 🙋‍♂️

ADHD, perfectionism, and anxiety go hand in hand. If you feel like you should be an immediate natural, or get discouraged when things feel complicated, it’s easy to abandon a hobby instead of struggling through and beyond the learning curve. Thinking in extremes –  black and white, with perfection or failure your only options – can cause you to quickly lose the sense of joy that a new hobby initially brought you.

It Becomes Overwhelming

It starts with an idea. Then innocent curiosity. Then you go into full-blown research mode. You buy every tool, watch every tutorial, sign up for classes, and throw yourself head-first into the excitement of newness. ADHD hyperfocus is powerful, and you might actually make a ton of progress in a short time. But this can be a ton of commitment, and you might discover that you don’t actually want to spend the time or energy on this thing. Or maybe you think you do, but simply don’t have the capacity. ADHD overwhelm is real, and your brain might be shutting down in order to try and protect you.

Life Just Happens

Most people have a lot of different factors and pieces of life to balance. Even if you have the best intentions to stick to a new habit or hobby, something else will inevitably take over and require more attention: mental health challenges, work, family, another hobby, or just plain old distraction. By the time you have a chance to start back where you left off with the first hobby, it can feel too late (or simply uninteresting) to go back. 

How to Stay Focused on a Hobby (If You Actually Want To)

Not every hobby needs to last forever, and it’s okay if something you thought you wanted turns out to not be a great fit after all. But if you’re tired of bouncing between interests and want to stick with something longer, try gentle narrative reframes and setting boundaries with yourself. Here are five ideas:

1. Give Yourself Permission to Suck

The fastest way to suck the joy out of something is by expecting yourself to be good at it right away. If you can let go of the idea that you have to excel at everything, and instead trust that you will get better with time and practice, you’ll have way more fun and learn a lot more. This pattern of thinking is also referred to as a growth mindset, and has been shown again and again to lead to lower rates of psychological distress and higher levels of self-esteem.

If you find yourself getting frustrated, remind yourself:

• I get to be bad at things I enjoy. 
• Just because I like something doesn’t mean I have to be an expert at it.
• I don’t have to be perfect for this to be worth my time.
• No one is watching or judging me.

2. Set a "Chill the Hell Out" Rule for Buying Supplies

Impulsive spending is challenge a lot of my clients (and a lot of ADHD folks in general) struggle with. The promise of a retail therapy life reset can be hard to resist. But it can lead to financial stress, overwhelming doom piles, and household clutter. To avoid the post-impulse buy shopping spree guilt, try setting some boundaries with yourself:

• Wait 48 hours before buying anything new. If you’re still interested after a couple of days, go for it.
• Start small. Instead of getting the fanciest equipment or every supply you could possible need, buy the bare minimum to try it out. If you love it, you can upgrade later.
• Go with used or local first. Before buying new full price items, see if you can find what you need in a thrift store, a buy-nothing group on Facebook, a neighbor, or a friend.

3. Cycle Through Interests on Purpose

Instead of fighting the fact that your interests change, work with it. If you know you tend to rotate between a few hobbies, create a system:

• Store supplies neatly so they’re easy to access when the interest comes back.
• Keep a list of past hobbies you might want to revisit later.
• Accept that breaks are normal. Just because you step away for a while doesn’t mean you’ve “quit.”
• If you start a new hobby and don’t think it’s for you, telling yourself the truth – that you don’t want to invest in that interest anymore – can free up a ton of time and energy.

4. Make It Social

Accountability plays a huge role in keeping people engaged. Join a class, find a hobby buddy, or partake in a local club or group. You might not always want to keep going, but knowing others expect you to show up can help you stick with it anyway.

5. Give Yourself a Timeframe

Ask yourself: How long should I spend on hobbies in a day/week? How can you balance all the things you want and need to do in a given day, week, or month? If you hyperfocus too much, you’ll burn out. Try setting a timer or scheduling “hobby time” a few days a week so it stays enjoyable and keeps feeling fresh.

What If I Want to Quit a Hobby? (Without Feeling Like a Failure)

Sometimes, you just don’t care about a hobby anymore or can’t prioritize it. That’s totally normal and okay. But if you feel guilty about “wasting” time or money, try this:

• Give yourself permission to be done. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. You’re not flaky, you’re just wired to love novelty. That’s not a bad thing. It means you get to experience a lot of different things in life, and that’s pretty cool.
• Donate or sell your old hobby supplies. Someone else will use them, and you’ll feel better knowing they’re going to a good home. 
• Remind yourself that you can always come back. Quitting or pausing something doesn’t have to mean you can never do that thing again. Maybe you’ll pick it back up in a year. Or never again. Either way, this one interest doesn’t define you, and if you want to do it again, you will.

The bottom line is you can learn to keep the “shoulds” from taking over when you’re exploring something new. You don’t have to force yourself to love it forever. If you’re having fun, great. If you’re over it, also great. You’re allowed to explore, drop, and rediscover interests without guilt.

If You Want Support With ADHD, Therapy or Coaching Can Help. 

Navigating the world with ADHD can feel like a lot. If you have a goal – like sticking to a new hobby, unlearning perfectionism, or finding better balance in your life – I’m here to help. We can work to unearth and dismantle old buried belief systems that keep you stuck in autopilot and start working toward a life you choose.

Learn more about my therapy services (including EMDR and talk therapy) if you’re located in Idaho, Iowa, or South Carolina. For all other locations, check out my coaching services. Reach out today to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation and see if we’re a good fit. Let’s start building a better future together.