3 Hobbies to Take Up During Lockdown

I’m as guilty as anybody else for doing my fair share of sulking at the start of this pandemic – nothing says first world problems like being upset about not being able to go to the pub when I wanted to, but we’ve probably all felt that way at some point this year.

I’d started to tire of seeing home workouts and motivational quotes, guilt-tripping me into feeling bad for binging on Netflix instead of going for a run. However, when I’d all but exhausted my ‘watch next’ list, I was back at the beginning again, thinking of ways to be more productive that didn’t involved breaking a sweat.​

So I started writing down some ideas. I’ve got more time than ever on my hands, there’s a number of things I’d always wanted to do ‘when I have time’, and now I had no excuses left.

I wanted to share the most practical suggestions with our audience in case you’re still considering taking up a new hobby. We may not be where we were in April, but we’re far from being back to life as we know it, so it’s not too late to start.

Hobbies and Activities Perfect During a Pandemic

Realistically the answer to ‘what hobbies can I take up?’ is pretty endless, from sports, to arts and crafts and much more. The difference right now being the limitations in place from the Coronavirus pandemic. Maybe your next hobby could be travelling, but it won’t be this year. That said, each of these 3 suggestions are perfectly suitable to do from the comfort of your own home.

Learn a Language

There’s two ways to approach this, you could either learn something completely new, or perhaps pick up on a language that you started at school and abandoned after your GCSE’s. The latter is the easier option, as you probably remember more than you realise,​​​ but the easiest doesn’t necessarily mean the most enjoyable.

I’m nearly 30, and it’s felt like a while since I’ve ‘learned’ something new, and I’ve found it to be quite a rewarding experience. It’s also good for general brain power and memory.

Using a mobile app will help you to learn interactively and keep track of your progress, so far I’ve only given Duolingo a try and I’m pretty impressed, but there’s plenty more out there so be sure to do your research and find one that works best for you.

At the time of writing this article I’m 24% of the way through the Duolingo Spanish course, and I’d like to think I can hold a very basic conversation, but I feel pretty accomplished for even getting this far.

It doesn’t need to be something you go at full throttle, simply decide how far you want to take it, and commit a little bit of time each day while you have the extra time on your hands, you might just surprise yourself, and hey, if it doesn’t work out, you can always give suggestion two or three a go.

Get Lost in Books

Reading is a hobby right? Well I’m going with it anyway. Once one of my favourite past times, I can’t remember when I got ‘too busy to read’, but apparently I did. In the last few years I’d be lucky if I got through any more than 2 books. In 2020 alone, I’ve managed to read a new book almost every week.

I’d forgotten what it felt like to wind down with a book. Remember how it feels to get so hooked on a book that you’re turning pages until your eyes sting? I’m back in that place and it’s great. I’m not going to bore you with any book recommendations in this post as we all have different tastes, but whatever you enjoy, just set some time aside for reading and reap the benefits of doing so.

If you’re wondering where to start when it comes to finding a decent book to read, Amazon have a huge library to look at. Whether you buy from Amazon or not is your choice, but I like to use it simply to look through my preferred categories, find titles and then read reviews and ratings. It’s a great way to have it all in one place.

Learn a New Skill

So although this crosses over a little with the language suggestion, here I’m being much broader. Learn… anything. Learn something you’ve always wanted to learn. Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a photographer? What about a guitar toting rockstar? What better time to learn than the present, while you’re all but stuck at home.

I haven’t quite got round to this one myself yet (unless you can class napping as a new skill), so I don’t have any great words of wisdom about what I’ve learned. However, there’s a few lockdown-inspired things on my list to learn during this period and beyond. This includes scratching up on my Photoshop skills and giving Yoga a try, so what is it going to be for you?

Taking Lockdown Hobbies Post-Corona

I think if we have to take one positive from the Coronavirus pandemic, and the lockdown restrictions, it would have to be the very rare ability as adults to work on ourselves. To stop for a minute, take stock and watch the world slow down.

That said, these are all great ideas for your spare time right now, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t follow you back into ‘normal life’ when all of this is over. If this pandemic has taught me anything, I’ve recognised the need for a bit of self-love and dedicated ‘me’ time.