The lockdown has been tough on all of us. Restrictions on socialization, working from home, missing out on life and living in fear of catching the virus has taken a toll and the risk is still far from gone. In times like these it is important to keep the mind distracted to avoid frustration. Lockdown period is a great time to take up a new hobby. Try out something you have never done before, or maybe go back to an old love that you haven’t been paying much attention to since you got busy. Learning hobbies during lockdown is a great way to keep yourself from burning out trying to adjust to this new routine. Here are 5 hobby ideas to help you spend time during the lockdown period.
1. Calligraphy
No one said calligraphy is just meant for students. This beautiful art of lettering is fairly inexpensive, relaxing and stays with you for a lifetime; not to mention, it gets you all the praises wherever you go. You don’t need fancy pens or brushes as a beginner. You could start with a regular ball point pen as well. There are many online videos and tutorials available if you do not wish to pay right at the beginning. Take up free trials to see if you like it. Calligraphy improves concentration and focus; it gets you in the habit of writing and beautifies your handwriting.
2. Musical instruments
If you’ve been wanting to learn to play a musical instrument since forever, but never got the chance because of work or any other reason, now is the time. Although you will need to have an instrument at home in the first place. For example, if you own a piano, you could learn online classical piano training. The lockdown is a great time to enhance your skills and give time to the hobby you always wanted to learn. You can take up lessons for guitar, saxophone, violin, drums, etc. Mouth organs are also quite popular. You can find many only instructors willing to teach you online.
3. Cooking
Lockdowns have an art of bringing out the chef in a lot of people. Since siting at home can get boring after a while everyone wants some thing to munch on to every now and then. So why not utilize this spare time in being the master chef of your own kitchen? Try out new cuisines and recipes. Refer to books or experiment yourself to cook delicious and scrumptious meals every day.
4. Yoga
Since lockdowns restrict physical activities, one needs to take extra precautions to stay healthy. You need a hobby to pass time and stay fit as well, then why not combine these into one? Try yoga as it is soothing, relaxing and calms down any anxiety or stress related to the situation around you. Learn new yoga poses, start as a beginner and move ahead slowly as you discover the flexibility of your body. You can also do yoga coupled with meditation. Meditation is a great way to being the wandering mind back to its place and calm it down. Learning hobbies during lockdown such as meditation and yoga provides both mental and physical exercise.
5. Reading
This is the simplest of it all. Hectic work and demanding personal life routines often take us away from indulging in our favorite stories. Cultivate the habit of reading in spare time so your mind has the luxury to wander in lands of imagination. Reading improves language, concentration and communication skills as well. Dive into topics that you find interesting and have amazing facts. With digital copies and audio books now you don’t even need to physically be holding a book in your hand. Its that easy. Take up reading as a hobby and you won’t regret it.
Along with our physical health, it is important to keep the mind healthy as well. Taking frequent breaks from work and having distractions or doing something you love gives you something to look forward to. And in these times of peril that is exactly what we need. Stay focused, be productive and remember that this too shall pass.