Housebound Hobbies

I’m sure you all know about everything that’s going on in the world now, and I also know how stressful and troubling these times can be. However, in this article I want to focus on the positives of being housebound. You can completely change your perspective on staying at home by simply taking up a few new hobbies.

At first, I must admit, leaving school a month before I had expected and being told that the past two years of work have been for nothing made me feel completely useless and obsolete. Still, I decided to put all of my revision guides and textbooks away, accepting that it was over, and actively deciding to move on. Instead of dwelling over lost hours, I sat down and wrote a list of everything I want to achieve in the next few months.

Of course, this is easier said than done. Telling someone you are going to learn how to play the piano or learn a new language is very different to actually sitting down and doing it. Therefore, in this article, not only am I going to give you a few ideas on goals you can set yourselves, but also ways to ensure that you achieve them.

First, I would recommend writing a list of all the new hobbies you’d like to pick up. For me, this included playing the clarinet, learning a new language, writing a play, writing music, and learning to draw. Second, you should write a schedule which loosely includes time to work on your new hobbies. What I’ve found most important about this is being realistic with the amount you want to achieve, and at what times you factor these into your daily schedule.

It’s almost everyone’s dream to have the ability to draw but if you honestly think you will achieve this by scrolling through artist’s Instagram accounts, I’m afraid to say you are probably wrong. I have planned a way for myself to improve this skill over time in what I hope is one of the best ways possible. After a long, hard day working, I realised that the perfect way to both relax as well as gain another skill is by watching Netflix and drawing whatever I want. There is no pressure on what you draw, how, or for how long, as long as you sit down and actually do it. I’ve found that this is most effective after I’ve just eaten dinner, because I honestly can’t face doing anything else. 

Learning a new instrument is a great hobby to pick up. Of course, you may not own an instrument, but if you do, I would really recommend going online and finding a tutorial on the basics. My Grandad has wanted me to learn the clarinet for years, but I’ve always complained that I’m ‘too busy’- well, I clearly can’t use that one anymore! I would recommend practising your new instrument early in the morning to wake yourself up and prepare for the day.

One hobby that is easily accessible to pick up is learning a new language. There are various ways you can do this, from using Duolingo to simply watching films in a different language with subtitles in your language. I have decided to learn Spanish, and I am doing this by using Duolingo, and I found a great Podcast on Spotify called Spanish Lessons with Pablo- Learn Spanish. Honestly, I think learning a new language is one of the most important hobbies to pick up, because it will clearly help you later in life. Personally, I have decided to do little bits of Spanish learning throughout the day. So, it might help to allocate maybe three 10-minute slots into your day dedicated to maybe reading a book in the language you are learning, watching a movie, listening to a podcast, or going on Duolingo. 

Another key hobby we all need to pick up when at home is exercise! I know, this isn’t the most appealing one to some, but science clearly tells us that exercise is good for us as it not only burns off fat and builds up our strength and endurance, but it also releases endorphins, or, as I like to call them, ‘happy hormones’.

I would suggest trying to spend at least one hour every day doing something active. Before you start complaining, let me just explain that this really isn’t as difficult as it seems. First, you do not have to do it all at once, you could split it into two half-hour slots, or maybe four 15-minute slots. It doesn’t matter! Next, exercise does not mean forming a sweaty heap on your bedroom floor as you follow a toned and perfect instructor on a YouTube video. Of course, this is a very easily accessible and recommended method to do exercise, but I understand that this really isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. There are so many other ways you could fit exercise into your day: maybe you want to learn a new dance; maybe you want to go outside (into your garden) and practise your netball or rugby skills; maybe you simply want to go outside for a walk in the fresh air. Whatever it is, it will release endorphins and ultimately make you feel better than you did at first.

Baking is another great hobby to pick up. Instead of leaving your parents or guardians to cook your meals every night, maybe you could offer up your services! If you are a beginner, like me, I would suggest starting off with a classic mac and cheese or risotto. Both dishes require learning some of the basics when it comes to the food world, and they taste really good! Of course, you can also go online, maybe to BBC GoodFood, for some more inspiration.
If you want to work on your cake or cookie skills, I would recommend using anything Mary Berry, she’s honestly magic! I try to do any baking around an hour before dinner, as a nice round-off to the day.
​
So, if you find yourself stuck at home, why not try to find a new hobby! This will be so beneficial in helping to pass the time, as well as making sure you are doing the best you can to keep yourself growing as an individual whilst stuck at home.
I hope this helped :) Have a fantastic day!
- Chloë

​