By Hope C.

The majority of us have been stuck in our houses for what feels like ages, which can cause feelings of stress or boredom. If you’re in search of something fun and productive to do while taking your mind off of things, try out some of these awesome hobbies!

1. Take Out Your Camera

Need something new to post on your social media? Whether you’re using your cell phone or a professional camera, practicing photography and videography is a great hobby to pick up during COVID-19. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get better at editing your photos and videos to enhance their beauty!

2. Get Fit

It’s not always easy to motivate ourselves to get fit. With so much extra time on our hands, now is better than ever! Not all forms of exercise are for everyone, so this is a great time to figure out what works best for you. Don’t like running? Try biking or power walking. Do you enjoy spending time in nature? Go on a hike or try out kayaking. You can stay extra safe and exercise without even leaving your home! Try hula hooping, jump roping, or dancing. If you’re not sure where to start, there are thousands of free videos online for everything from Zumba to yoga. Try something new and stay in shape while having fun!

3. Get in the Kitchen

Try cooking new foods and taste test them! Look for an old family recipe or surf the internet to find new ones. Take the time to experiment and make unique creations. If you’re baking, get artistic, and practice your cake decorating skills. If you make extras you can share with your friends or family – you could even donate to essential workers to make their days a little brighter!

4. Read and Write

Many libraries and bookstores have reopened, but if yours hasn’t there is no need to worry. Reading is not off of the table! Get online and check out the thousands of free books in the public domain. There are many other free audio and eBooks that are easily found, not to mention what you may already have at home. Don’t want to read someone else’s book? Become an author and start writing your own! Whether you’re creating a novel, poem, or blog, the options are endless when it comes to writing. You could also start journaling to document what it was like for you during such a big moment in history.

5. Get Musical

Want something new to show your friends on FaceTime or when you see them again? Start to learn a new instrument or compose some music. If you’re not into the classics, you could even learn how to DJ! Whether you have an instrument at home that you played when you were younger or you’re creating music for the first time, you’re sure to have a blast!

6. Work With a Needle

Learn how to sew, cross-stitch, or embroider! If someone in your household already has this skill, they’d probably love to teach you and share this fun hobby. If not, thousands of articles and videos are available to teach you for free or a very low price! This is the same for crocheting, knitting, and quilt making.

7. Make Something to Wear

Quarantine is the perfect time to clean out your closet and pull out old clothes. These can be donated or you can put your new sewing skills to use while you re-purpose them. This will add to your wardrobe without the expense of new clothes! You can also make masks to go with your new outfits or to donate to people that don’t have these important resources. Friendship bracelets are another simple and fun craft that you can share! All it takes is embroidery floss and a bit of time, so get online and pick a pattern. You can also create other accessories and jewelry or tie-dye!

8. Make Something to Use

If you don’t need new clothing or accessories, but still enjoy being innovative this is a fun hobby to take up. Soap and candles are fairly easy to make and only take a few supplies. These are perfect to use in your household or to give as gifts! Don’t want to stop there? Take it up a step and make perfume or design a phone case!

9. Do a Puzzle

Lots of us probably have unopened boxes of puzzles sitting in our house, just waiting to be done. When’s a better time than now? Get the satisfaction of finishing a puzzle and take a picture of it or mount it to your wall for decoration! Not into classic jigsaw puzzles? Try a crossword, sudoku, or a word search!

10. Pick Up Beauty Skills

Watch tutorials and take your hair techniques to another level! Whether you’re learning to braid, put in curlers, or nail a messy bun, your hair will look amazing by the time school is back in session. Perfect your nail art or learn to correctly apply acrylics! You can master makeup techniques that you otherwise may have not had the time to learn.

11. Become an Influencer

Rather than spending your time scrolling through social media or watching YouTube videos, create new content! Start a podcast, vlog/blog, YouTube channel, or social media account. Now you can inspire others with your amazing ideas!

12. Get Artistic

You can go with the popular skills of drawing and painting or try something a little different! You can learn the arts of origami, calligraphy, or flower pressing. Why not try scrapbooking and include some of these other skills inside as well as photos to capture your memories in one place? You can also participate in your new hobbies while making cards as an act of service to brighten people’s days.

13. Stargaze

Now that it’s summer, you’re likely staying up a little later than you otherwise would. Lay in your yard and watch the stars! You can look for constellations and take this time to learn about astrology.

14. Start a Garden

Growing your own food is not only super fun, but it is also better for the environment and healthier than purchasing from a grocery store! If your green thumb isn’t interested in growing food, you can also plant flowers to add color to your yard!

15. Meditate

Self-care is always extremely important. In a global pandemic, many people are feeling stressed and anxious making it even more important to stay healthy not only physically, but mentally. According to the Mayo Clinic, having a hobby is, “a healthy coping strategy,” and “a positive distraction”. Whether your kind of meditation is sitting with your eyes closed while focusing on breathing, or listening to your favorite song, it is an important hobby. Take care of yourself!

COVID-19 is an unusual time and likely very different than what any of us are used to. By finding a new hobby that you love or rediscovering an old one, you may find that your quarantine is a little less stressful and a little more fun. There are plenty of hobbies that are not already listed such as mastering a magic trick, pogo-sticking, or even learning to juggle. Whatever it is that you decide to do, make sure it is something that you enjoy and allows this to be a time of positivity and growth!