5 Easy Hobbies to Pick Up in Quarantine

The unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic means that many of us will need to spend an ungodly amount of time at home for the unforeseeable future – whether we like it or not. As we grow accustomed to our everyday home routine, the days might feel cyclical and dull.

So why not pick up a hobby to get rid of your cabin fever?

Here are five hobbies you can easily pick up at home:

1. Painting

Not only does it promote stress relief, expand creative growth and bolster memory, it’s also really fun! If you’re like me, it’s probably been years since you’ve gotten crafty – so the prospect of painting and gathering the appropriate apparatus may seem more like a hassle. Fortunately for us, ‘Paint by Number’ kits exist and are easily available to purchase online – the set comes with brushes, acrylic paint and a canvas that allows you to easily create a work of art by painting the numbers with the suggested colours.

2. Jumping Rope

Gyms are probably not the most hygienic place to clock in a workout during a pandemic – and sometimes, the thought of going for a run can simply be exhausting. So what can you do if you’re too lazy to leave the house to get active but can’t stand following through another Chloe Ting workout? Perhaps jumping rope could be your new go-to alternative! In my opinion, skipping is thoroughly underrated. It’s great at burning calories, is inexpensive and requires minimal skill to get you started. Once you get better at it, there are tons of tricks you can incorporate into your workout to spice it up! It’s healthy and fun, so why not give it a shot?

3. Reading

Before you let out an involuntary groan, I do acknowledge that reading can be immensely boring sometimes – especially when you’re reading academic materials for school. But reading is still a great hobby to get into, considering the plethora of benefits you stand to gain from it: mental stimulation, stress reduction, vocabulary expansion, memory improvement … you get the idea. Although I wouldn’t consider myself an avid reader, I consider only a few things as satisfying as being completely engrossed in a book and being mentally transported into a different universe albeit momentarily.

Now, it’s easier than ever to get into reading – you don’t even have to go to the library to borrow a book! Apps such as ‘Libby’ allow you to borrow ebooks from the library so you can access the materials on your electronic devices. So what’s your excuse?

4. Meditation

Peace and tranquillity. Is it possible to experience them in their entirety? Probably not, but you can still try. You don’t need to attend a class to try this out, in fact, there are plenty of guided meditation videos on YouTube that can help you kickstart your journey with mediation.

Personally, I use apps such as ‘Headspace’ and ‘Calm’ for meditation and find that it really helps me centre myself and soothe some of my pressing anxieties. Make meditation a hobby and who knows – perhaps tranquillity will be within your reach after all.

5. Watch Documentaries

There are only so many Netflix films and serials you can get through before you feel antsy and restless. Watching documentaries is a good way to educate and entertain yourself at the same time. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to new topics and widen the breadth of your general knowledge. My personal favourite is the ‘explained’ docu-series on Netflix – it’s interesting and it teaches me a lot. For those without a Netflix subscription, I’d recommend checking out ‘Vox’ on YouTube for its bite-sized educational videos. It’s a win-win situation, so I highly recommend you give it a shot.

While COVID-19 restrictions may fluctuate in the next few weeks or months, you can still consider trying out any of these hobbies to help you relieve some stress and momentarily get your mind off things. Have fun!