With 2020 forcing us to spend more time inside and away from the office, many of us have been searching for activities to fill our days at home. If you’re tired of staring at a screen, but don’t have extra money to spend on activities, keep reading to learn about five inexpensive and fun hobbies to get you through the rest of the year!
1. Cooking/Baking
Lockdown has provided the perfect opportunity to practice and experiment with cooking and baking. This is a great way to involve the whole family and stimulate your brain by getting creative. Cooking healthy and wholesome meals for your family will also do wonders for your health and wellbeing, and can improve your mood. Cooking also allows you to feel more in tune with your food and promotes mindfulness about what you are putting into your body. Start by experimenting with the ingredients you would usually purchase at the grocery store, then perhaps each week, try a new vegetable or item to experiment with!
2. Yoga
Getting into yoga is arguably one of the best things you could do for your body and mind during this time. Yoga boasts physical benefits including increased strength and flexibility, improved posture and potential weight reduction. It also has been shown to improve respiration, energy levels and cardiovascular and circulatory health. The mental benefits include decreased stress, anxiety relief and reducing depression. Yoga also plays a role in reducing inflammation, improving sleep quality and reducing chronic pain. It is now easier than ever to try yoga from the comfort of your own home, with an abundance of YouTube videos available for free! We like Cat Meffan and Yoga Downloads. Classes range from 20-60 minutes and offer various classes according to your skill level.
3. Reading
With the weather beginning to cool down, fall is the perfect season to curl up with a great book and cuddly blanket. Reading can be especially good for your mental health, improving vocabulary, preventing cognitive decline and increasing empathy. The topic selection is endless, you could read fiction/fantasy one day and biographies the next – running out of options is seemingly impossible! There are thousands of books available online with Kindle offering a free 2-month subscription. You can also rent books online via Amazon, if you prefer a hard-copy, or through your local library for digital copies.
4. Photography
With most of us having our smartphones attached at the hip, it has never been easier to get into photography. It can be incredibly therapeutic to get out into nature and snap some shots, stimulating your creativity. It’s also a great way to document precious family moments and get the kids involved. If you’re like me, you may opt for a disposable camera. There’s something exciting about not immediately knowing how your pictures turned out and having to wait for them to be developed. There are many places around that will develop your film for under $10.
5. Arts & Crafts
Arts & crafts has long been a favorite hobby of mine in a variety of forms. There are an array of options from pottery and painting, to coloring, drawing and even experimenting with make-up! You can get the kids involved by using items from around the house such as pasta/noodles, food dyes, straws and cotton wool. This can improve coordination and fine motor skills as well as promote creativity and freedom to express themselves. The same benefits apply to adults -- you could have a socially distant paint night with your friends or sculpture/pottery sessions. Materials can be found inexpensively at crafts stores or online.
There are a range of other ways to stay busy and get creative while at home – but these are our top 5!
Learn more about Wellness Workdays and our wellness program offerings by downloading our brochure.
Written by Lauren Berengo, Wellness Workdays Dietetic Intern.
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