By Emmanuelle Vanleeuwen

Over the course of the pandemic, society has found various ways to entertain themselves. There are some common trends in keeping creative and active. One of these ways has been via hobbies and skills. Old passion projects and activities that individuals would not have time for pre-pandemic are now coming back in full swing. "Definitely an overabundance of free time on my hands which has led me to revisit some new hobbies," says Trevor Dieturle. Reconnecting with hobbies and skills can be therapeutic. Psychologist Christina Renaldi from the University of Alberta says, "Kids don't necessarily have that opportunity as often to say, 'Do I want to pursue something?' or 'What do I want to commit to?'". Renaldi goes on to say there are many benefits to self-directed hobbies, primarily a sense of accomplishment and self-care. Clinical psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere says that the world has not seen an even this tragic since the Second World War, and stresses that hobbies and other forms of self-care provide a familiarity and stability which are crucial to society’s mental health.

Arts and Crafts

"Stay Home" Embroidery

During quarantine, people have been taking up or revisiting various arts and music. Instruments such as electric guitar, piano and ukulele are popular. Listening to playlists and podcasts, such as on Spotify, engages your mind and lifts spirits. Arts and crafts are also taking off in the form of painting, knitting, sewing, pottery, photography, crocheting and origami. New aspiring musicians have been posting their projects on platforms like TikTok for views. Joelle (Twitter @soft4actresses) says, “I was never in the right head space to start a new sewing project, too much to do… but now that my country is in lockdown… I decided to start a new sewing project.” Having a creative outlet grounds the artist in the present, giving them an anchor in unpredictable times.
   

Writing and Drawing

The paper and pen have also been picked up again. In another creative sector, aspiring authors are revisiting old passion projects they would not have time for otherwise. New aspiring authors now have the time as well to explore the craft and create imaginative new worlds. Apart from writing poetry and novels, simply reading them has been rekindled as well.

Artists are able to pick up the pen and draw again. Shadi (Twitter @shakikkandil) says, “I got away from drawing and writing because of life… not enough time anymore for hobbies.” Since COVID-19, Shadi and other artists have been able to rekindle old hobbies instead of simply working or on devices. Getting creative on a piece of paper can be therapeutic. The Ottawa School of Art reports overwhelming requests for drawing and painting classes. Shannel Watt-Charley, of the OSA says, “People are looking for hobbies that they can do in their own time, in their own home in a socially distanced manner… it’s a great coping strategy.” Martin Thornell of the Ottawa City Woodshop expresses that a few of his classes sold out in minutes. “People are just looking for a safe outlet.”

 

 

white and black chess piece

"Stay Home" Scrabble

Board Games

Instead of solely video games and movies, children, youth and adults are playing more board games to engage their minds. As employment dives, family time increases. Games, whether personally or electronically, provide us with the social element we are lacking in COVID-19.

Some of the most popular games include Code Names, Exploding Kittens and What Do You Meme. If you cannot get together in person, you can use Zoom or FaceTime. RPG tabletop games, which were popular in the 1970s and 1980s are coming back as well.

 

Outdoor Activities

An extension of screen fatigue, quarantine and leisure time has promoted more physical activity. Sports such as soccer, baseball and basketball are played at home. Skateboarding, scootering, and dancing allows social interaction on platforms such as TikTok. Bicycles, kayaks and trampolines sold almost instantly during the first wave. These were hot items to keep children and adults occupied. Fitness apps are being used by young and old alike to battle weight gain, boredom and keep spirits high. Yoga and meditation especially can be done from the comforts of your own home via app. As we reach the second wave into the winter, people have plans to take up cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. One winter activity company bought $500,000 in additional equipment, as they anticipate high demand in the coming months.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Quarantine Walk in Russia                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

Life Skills and Education

Child Bakes in Quarantine

COVID-19 has given society a lot of time to fill. And while children are not learning mathematics or English, many are learning life skills such as gardening, cooking, and baking. New languages can be learnt using Duolingo or Babbel. DIY and making things with tools allow for life skills and quality family time.

Alternatively, many social and educational skills are suffering due to school closures. Parental guidance in education can be lacking for many students, while others may thrive. The variation of student knowledge will be dramatic. Parents may have limited time, cognitive understanding, and resources to effectively teach their children. Studies done by Carlsson et al. (2015) show that even twelve more days of education create "crystalized knowledge" whereas if those days had been missed there would be a loss of about 6% across students. Home-schooling is seen as supplementary to institutional schooling. In COVID-19, it is very unlikely that the global home-schooling will replace the education students would typically receive. Skills provided by degrees could also be majorly affected in the long-term. Re-assessments and cancellations are allowing students secondary and post-secondary degrees with conventionally insufficient skills.

 

Hobbies and Skills as Entertainment in COVID-19

Honing old and new skills provides an outlet from the stresses of COVID-19. With the unequal spread of traditional educational skills, there comes the conditions for new skills in an increasingly digital world. Psychologist Christina Renaldi emphasizes that children, youth and even adults can find new value and joy in creative activities and skills, which is vastly beneficial for psychological development and one's mental well-being. Engaging your time and your hands allows you to use dormant creativity which has been neglected in a fast-paced world. Quarantine has created an environment of digital fatigue, which is sparking new imaginative hobbies and skills.

References

Alfonso III, Fernando. “The long lost hobbies people around the world are revisiting during the coronavirus pandemic.” CNN World. Cable News Network, April 5, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/05/world/old-hobbies-quarantine-coronavirus-wellness-trnd/index.html.

Burgess, Simon & Hans Henrik Sievertsen. “Schools, skills and learning: The impact of COVID-19 on education.” VOX.eu, April 1, 2020. https://voxeu.org/article/impact-covid-19-education.

Cotnam, Hallie. "Finding time for new hobbies during COVID-19.” CBC. Radio-Canada, October 10, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/covid-19-hobby-time-exercise-crafts-skills-1.5755498.

Global News. “Kids learning new hobbies and skills during COVID-19 pandemic.” Global News.ca, July 30, 2020. https://globalnews.ca/video/7238005/kids-learning-new-hobbies-and-skills-during-covid-19-pandemic/.

Pahayahay A., Khalili-Mahani N. “What Media Helps, What Media Hurts: A Mixed Methods Survey Study of Coping with COVID-19 Using the Media Repertoire Framework and the Appraisal Theory of Stress.” Journal of Medical Internet Research 22, no. 8 (2020): 1-20. DOI: 10.2196/20186.

Tarlton, Amanda. “Study: The 15 Most Popular Hobbies to Start During the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Reviewed, July 21, 2020. https://www.reviewed.com/lifestyle/features/study-15-most-popular-hobbies-to-start-during-coronavirus-pandemic.