Years ago when someone asked you what your hobbies were, could you reel off three or four different past-times? I know I definitely could. The resurgence of hobbies during Covid-19 and continual lockdowns, has made them popular again. Even the younger generation are getting back into hobbies.

What Happened To Hobbies?

So what happened to hobbies? In a nutshell it happened because our lives have become busier than ever. The stay-at-home Mum is less common in todays society. The majority of young mothers these days go back to work after having babies. Hobbies have been usurped by child ferrying and activities designed for self-improvement: fitness, cooking, home decoration and personal grooming.

We spend a lot of our spare time watching Pay TV

In fact 80 percent of families say that watching TV is their favourite past-time, followed by eating out and shopping.

It tends to be rather quaint today if we say we are into quilting, cross stitch or crocheting. Women of today tend to spend their spare time going to the gym, having pedicures or posting impressive status updates on Facebook!

As for the male species, who previously occupied themselves building model trains. They now cycle looking resplendent in their lycra shorts cycling everywhere. They also like to have coffee afterwards and spend time shopping for more cycling pants on-line!

When I asked my daughter years ago if any of her friends had hobbies. Her reply was “they have boyfriends and one of them has a dog”! I was shocked to hear that because I could think of a hundred more things I would rather be doing than being “pre-occupied” by a boyfriend. But maybe that is because I’m 60 something!

Why My Generation Were Into Hobbies

As a child I remember spending my spare time participating in hobbies. I did things like stamp collecting, sewing, knitting, colouring in and bead making. This was in the era before technology hit. There were no videos or DVDs, pay TV, computers, computer games, iPods, iPhones and no social media. We had to make our own fun and spent most of it in the great outdoors using our imaginations.

My mother and her mother were stay-at-home mums. They were both avid knitters and crocheters. As children almost every sweater or cardigan I owned was home knitted. My other grandmother spent her spare time doing beautiful embroidery and also loved to bake.

When I was a stay-at-home mum back in the 1990s I had many hobbies. This was obviously pre-technology days when Facebook wasn’t around and we actually read books (not eBooks). I remember spending a lot of my spare time, along with a couple of my neighbours, sewing. We would zip up cute little outfits on our sewing machines whilst sipping cups of tea and watching over our kiddies. Talk about multi-tasking!

Then we would use the fabric scraps to do a little bit of quilting. I had patchwork quilted cushions, cot covers, a tea cosy and a nappy bag. I felt a bit like one of those 17^th century Quaker women making quilts out of remnants of fabric!

Unfortunately, once my children were off to school I went back into the workforce and my spare time became obsolete. I transformed into a taxi  driver Mum, ferrying my two children to all sorts of extra-curricular activities.

Why Hobbies Are Good For You

The thing that most people don’t realise about hobbies is that they are extremely good for us. We are happiest when we’re pursuing a hobby because it is pure escapism from our droll routines.

According to Dr Tim Sharp, psychologist and founder of The Happiness Institution:

“Although, by definition, many hobbies don’t have an immediate purpose, the contribution they make to life is enormous because by boosting happiness they, in turn, boost quality of life which includes productivity, health and success”.

It goes without saying that during these stressful times, a hobby could be just what we need to help us unwind and get our minds off this terrible virus. The continual bombardment of Covid-19 statistics on TV and social media is certainly causing a lot of stress. So my advice is to tune out for a while and immerse yourself into a hobby.

The Resurgence Of Hobbies

During these testing times with week after week in lockdown, hobbies have made a resurgence. People are stuck inside for most part of their days and are looking for things to do to occupy themselves. Hobbies have a great calming affect and in most cases challenge our brains. Some are extremely creative and bring out our artistic sides too.

I recall when I was initially in lockdown trying to purchase some jigsaw puzzles online and found it very difficult. I also discovered that things like watercolour paints and paper were also in short supply.

Some of the most popular hobbies for the masses that are stuck at home include:

• Painting – either watercolour, acrylic or oil paints
• Embroidery or cross stitch
• Knitting or crocheting
• Furniture restoration and home decoration
• Woodwork
• Breadmaking or pasta making
• Planting a vegetable garden
• Gardening and landscaping
• Writing
• Creating photobooks
• Scrapbooking
• Jewellery making
• Pottery or ceramics
• Learn a musical instrument
• Learn a new language

So I say bring back the hobby, because immersing yourself in something purely for pleasure is to embrace the kaleidoscope that is life!