These 5 Hobbies Topped the Charts during Covid

These Five Hobbies Topped the Charts during Covid

Anyone who spent months at home this past year while isolating knows how important it is to alleviate cabin fever. These top five hobbies helped millions of people fill the unexpected hours of free time they never had before. 

#1: Music 

For many, the call to relearn a long-forgotten skill found them sitting at pianos, bugling on trumpets, or even picking up the violin. Not only did it brighten their days, it also sharpened their mental acuity. The AARP investigated this phenomenon and spoke with several novice players over 60. Guy Donavan, 67, says he’s “trying to make up for lost time” by playing bass daily. Ray Ettington, 90, says he loved playing the violin when he was younger, so he picked it up again for the first time in 66 years. With plenty of time to practice, Ettington says it’s a “whole new life” for him. He’s also begun researching the origins of the violin, another hobby that has him smitten. 

#2: Fiber Arts

From needlepoint to tatting and crochet to knitting, many seniors rekindled their love for activities they learned in their childhoods from their aunts and grandmothers. They flocked to Facebook, searching out online communities, and were delighted to find these pastimes were still going strong. Muscle memory plays a large part in these activities, and soon they were fabricating socks, sweaters, and blankets while making new friends online. Many were shocked to see hundreds of thousands of people from younger generations joining in on crochet-alongs. Amy Snell, a yarn enthusiast, said, “This time last year, I hadn’t heard of such a thing as a virtual fiber festival. Now, I’ve not only attended almost a dozen of them, I’ve taught at a fair number.”

#3: Baking Bread 

This viral trend created a bread baking boom, and kitchens all over America became dusted in flour. Yeast flew off the shelves, eventually becoming elusive enough that many had to learn to grow sourdough starters. HuffPost asked their readers why and the response was overwhelming. Allie Gaebler said that it “feels so fulfilling to see the bread rise over the course of a few hours up to half a day, depending on what bread you bake” and that she’s sure she’ll “keep doing it once things go back to ‘normal.’” Emily Young uses it to “have some control and be creative in a frightening world outside of anyone’s control.” Another commenter also pointed out that it was “much healthier than baking sweets.”

#4: Gardening

Many wanted a fresh-air alternative to walking in their neighborhoods and wanted to eat healthier, so they began gardening. Reuter’s interviewed several fledgling gardeners who were “turning to gardening as a soothing, family-friendly hobby that also eases concerns over food security.”

Jaime Caulder, a mother in Texas, told Reuters she was looking for ways to “avoid the store a little more in the coming months.” Studies show that people who grow their food are more likely to eat healthily, and the excitement of turning seeds into dinner was irresistible for many. 

#5: Letter Writing

The United States Postal Service noticed the volume of letters they were delivering had gone up exponentially, so they ran a survey to find out why. 72% of responders in the 45-54 age range said they felt extremely isolated, and when asked if they enjoyed sending cards and letters to family and friends, 67% said yes. Lori Okimura told USA Today that she sent out a letter one day on a whim, and her friend “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.'” For her, the joy of writing was a way to reconnect with friends and family she hadn’t seen in years. 

At Pacific Portfolio, we want to increase your value of time. As a firm with nearly 30 years of experience providing multi-disciplined financial guidance to individuals, families, and institutions, we have access to a wide array of solutions with proprietary processes to create a plan and strategy focused on the best possible results - which means more time spent on what you value. These hobbies kept many Americans sane during lock-down and provided mental and emotional mindfulness they couldn’t find elsewhere. With so few positive things coming out of quarantine, it’s nice to know people found passionate ways to cope. We know that the true importance of wealth is ensuring you can spend time with those who matter the most and doing more of what makes you feel fulfilled.