Written by Lindsay Renee Belair
As a generation, we seem to have lost hobbies – partly due to the rise of technology, social media, and the side hustle. The reality is that for most millennials, our achievement-driven culture has us convinced that we need to have something to show for any new hobby we take on. And while we’re ALL about entrepreneurship and pride ourselves on being a global community of change-makers, thought leaders and creatives, quarantine really got us thinking let’s rediscover hobbies in 2020.
Everything doesn’t have to be a hustle, side hustle, or money-making enterprise. Sometimes it’s just fun to do something because it brings you joy, peace, relaxation, or allows you to be creative. Here are a few hobbies that are easy to start in the comfort of your own home.
Master Your Cooking and Baking Skills
Let’s be real here, I am all for a frozen pizza and a glass of red wine, but there is something so satisfying about mastering that recipe you’ve always wanted to try. Now that you have the time in quarantine to mess around with it, let loose in the kitchen and spend some more time experimenting with foods you’ve never tried cooking with. Not every meal will taste the way you hoped but it’s okay – that’s why you have that frozen pizza in there for backup. Culinary is an art, and it’s a fun way to challenge yourself by creating meals you’ve only ever seen in five-star restaurants.
TIP: Try a new side dish or a dessert before jumping into a full blown three course meal.
Puzzling
Puzzles are a great way to keep busy indoors, plus they give your brain a tough mental workout. I’ve actually found puzzles to be really addicting – once I finish one, I’m almost immediately onto the next. It may seem silly but completing a puzzle can be really rewarding, given all the time and brainpower you devote to it. If you conquer all the puzzles in your house, engage in a puzzle swap where you can trade your own for your friends’ puzzles.
TIP: Puzzles are the best quarantine activity because they tend to keep your mind so focused that somehow, three hours feel like thirty minutes.
Knitting
Before you jump to the assumption that knitting is so “grandma-ish,” well, just don’t. Knitting is very therapeutic because your brain becomes so fixed on the pattern of what it’s supposed to do, that it doesn’t have time to think about anything else. Now, how good does that sound in a time like this? If you’ve never tried knitting, all you need is a ball of yarn, two knitting needles and some patience. Oh, and a YouTube tutorial (actually, lots of YouTube tutorials).
TIP: Try it out and see if you like it – and if you do, start on Christmas presents.
Reading
When is the last time you read purley for enjoyment? Read that book written by your favorite Bachelor character – it can be anything you want but whatever you do, read it because you want to not because you have to.
READ MORE: Quarantine Reads: 5 Inspiring Books For Female Entrepreneurs
Practicing Meditation
Practicing meditation is a very healthy hobby that I encourage everyone to try if you’re looking to improve your physical and mental health. You can devote as little or as much time to it as you prefer, because even a little goes a long way! If you’re looking to step back from all the fear and negativity that surrounds this year, throw on a twenty-minute meditation.
TIP: My favorite app is Breethe.
Painting
Painting has been proven to foster creative growth, strengthen memory, build problem-solving and motor skills, provide stress relief, nurture emotional growth and encourage an optimistic attitude. If you’re not one to typically indulge in creative projects and you don’t know where to begin, Amazon offers a variety of painting kits that can help get you started. You don’t have to be an experienced artist to do this – just throw on some classical music and explore your creativity with a paintbrush in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.
READ MORE: 10 Ways to Manage Anxiety While In Quarantine
Scrapbooking
Now is the perfect time to dig through travel photos that have sat collecting dust over the past few years. Order a scrapbook and some stickers, and get creative with the pages. If you’re stuck in your own head, feeling lonely and nervous about what’s to come – looking back on happy, carefree days is the best way to get out of that slump.
TIP: It’s nice to have a little reminder of what life used to be like, and what it will be like again. Knowing you you’ll probably get lost in travel memories and start planning your next trip!
Have you picked up any new hobbies during quarantine? Let us know in the comments. Let’s rediscover hobbies in 2020!
