Top Passions Reignited During Covid
August 13, 2021
Many Americans reignited long-forgotten passions amidst the exhausting and traumatic months of lock-down caused by this pandemic. With stress at an all-time high and the CDC heavily cautioning against face-to-face socialization, they turned to interests they hadn’t partaken of in years. Here are some of the top pastimes they pursued.
#1: Music
The AARP spoke with several elders who are using the time in lockdown to learn things they’ve always wanted to but just haven’t had the time for before Covid. According to them, “older Americans are picking up instruments they always yearned to play, or returning to those they may have tooted or screeched through as young children.” This is not only bringing new passions; it’s helping with memory retention and mental acuity. A study out of South Florida University says that those over 60 taking piano lessons had “more robust gains in memory, verbal fluency, processing speed, and other cognitive functions, compared with those who had not.” In 2020, an unprecedented 20 million guitars and 5 million pianos were purchased on Amazon alone, and countless other instrumental stores saw a 200% increase or more in sales.
#2: Fiber Arts
The online fiber arts community is robust, including knitting, crochet, tatting, and even needlepoint. Still, the Covid-boost brought many more to this community as hundreds of thousands of people came to relearn things their grandmothers had taught them decades ago. These are time-consuming hobbies, but lock-down coupled with the already booming online yarn economy opened the door for needles and hooks to clack throughout America. Lion Brand Yarn, a 183-year-old supplier, had an 80% increase in sales during Covid, and visits to websites like Joann and Michaels increased threefold. Fiber arts are an excellent stress reducer, making them a perfect hobby to pick up while isolating. “Precise hand movements are hard work for the brain [and] as a result, we are less able to pay attention to other issues and concerns,” explains Betty Houtman, a writer for the Anxiety Resource Center.
#3: Baking Bread
Along with toilet paper, bread flew off the shelves in 2020, and people had to get creative. Many started baking their own bread, and yeast and flour quickly sold out as well. Suddenly, social media was filled with how-tos on making a sourdough starter, starting a baking revolution. This phenomenon didn’t surprise Donna Picus, a Boston University professor, at all. Much like fiber arts, she says that bread making “requires a lot of full attention. You have to measure, focus physically on rolling out dough.” It’s also an excellent stress reducer because “you’re focusing on smell and taste, on being present with what you’re creating.”
#4: Gardening
Gardening has long been a well-loved hobby, and those fortunate enough to have yards often have gardens nestled away. During the pandemic, however, a rise in urban agriculture using plant stands and hydroponic towers allowed more people to grow their food than they have in decades. Food insecurity and fear of contracting Covid in grocery stores meant many people looked for alternate ways to make sure their families ate healthily. The benefits of gardening as exercise and stress reduction are well documented. Many seed companies quickly sold out of their stock in 2020, and even this year, they’re having to turn off ordering on certain supplies, so they have time to restock. Industry enthusiasts are calling it a “coronavirus silver lining,” and they aren’t wrong.
#5: Letter Writing
Perhaps one of the sweetest and heartwarming hobbies to come out of Covid is letter writing. People want ways to connect, and they’re tired of staring at each other over Zoom or texting back and forth. The USPS noticed an uptick in letters being mailed, so they surveyed their customers. 22% of people strongly agreed that sending a personal letter made them feel more connected to family and friends, and 17% said they’d mailed more letters during Covid than at any other time in their lives. USA Today interviewed Lori Okimura, who sent a letter to a friend on a whim. “She called back right away and said, 'This was exactly what I needed. ... I'm looking at your handwriting. I'm reading your card. I feel like we're in the same room. We're not going to be in the same room for a while, but this is the next best thing.'”
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It’s clear that these hobbies offer more than just entertainment. They provide vital distractions from the monotony of endless hours home alone and help people refocus and practice mindfulness in a time when it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the state of the world.
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