How to Find Hobbies During Coronavirus Lockdown

The COVID-19 outbreak has likely brought a lot frustrating and unexpected changes to your daily life, especially if you're the type of person who likes to be out and about. While there's definitely no replacement for getting together with...

Staying Active during the Lockdown

  1. Watch fun exercise videos so you can stay in shape. Browse the web for an aerobic, strength-training, or other exercise videos that target your current fitness needs. Take a few minutes of your day to work out with the video. You'll likely feel a lot more motivated and productive once you're done![1]
    1. If you have a hula hoop lying around, try looking up some workout videos that involve hula hooping!
    2. As a general guideline, try to get 150 minutes of exercise each week.[2]
  2. Teach yourself a new dance move. Explore different dance genres online, whether it's tap, jazz, hip-hop, or some other fun variety. Look online for videos on YouTube that can help guide you in the right direction and help you perfect your form. If you don't mind paying a subscription fee, sign up with a digital dance studio for more official lessons and tutorials.[3]
    1. For instance, Dancio lets you rent classes for up to 48 hours for $3.99. Other groups, like Steezy, offer monthly or yearly subscriptions.
  3. Play a sport in your backyard to keep yourself active. Search around your home for an old soccer ball, football, or other piece of sports equipment. Burn some energy in your yard by kicking around the soccer ball, or by playing catch with a family member. You may be able to hone some skills, even if you can't play a full-length game or match.[4]
    1. For instance, you can challenge yourself by juggling a soccer ball with your knees. See how many times you can juggle the ball without dropping it!
    2. If you have a spare baseball and some mitts lying around, you can practice throwing and catching the ball outside.
  4. Take up yoga or meditation so you can stay grounded. Set aside some time each day to stretch, relax, and take some deep breaths. Look on YouTube for yoga tutorials or meditation exercises you can practice. You can always invite a family member to join you as you endeavor on a path of mindfulness![5]
    1. Some older video games like Wii Fit offer guided yoga tutorials.

Getting Creative at Home

  1. Teach yourself how to play a musical instrument. Search around your home for an old keyboard, guitar, or other musical instrument that no one's played in awhile. Even if you don't have any instruments lying around the house, you can still sign up for online music theory classes, which give you some background on how to read sheet music. If you're feeling especially inspired, you can try writing your own song using your newfound music theory knowledge![6]
    1. Websites like Justin Guitar and Berkeley College of Music can go a long in way in helping you learn about music theory.
    2. High-end programs like Ableton Live, Cubase, and Logic Pro are offering free trials for aspiring composers.
  2. Bake a loaf of bread to pass the time. Search online for different bread recipes, whether it's sourdough, pumpernickel, or a traditional wheat loaf. Look for recipes that need ingredients that you already have lying around the house, like flour and water. Don't worry—you may need to make a few loaves before you get the hang of it![7]
    1. Some bread recipes are more intensive than others. If your recipe calls for yeast, you may need to let your dough sit for a little while.
  3. Try a twist on one of your favorite recipes. Search for fun food channels like Munchies, which offer new and exciting recipes based on normal boxed food. You can also find fun, remixed recipes on different cooking apps.[8]
    1. Paprika and Cookpad are great apps for this.
    2. For instance, you can try making a fun version of boxed macaroni and cheese with herbs and bread crumbs.
  4. Read some new books while you're stuck at home. Search around your home for any books or novels that you haven't had the time to read. If you don't have a lot of reading material lying around, download some ebooks that you can read on your phone or tablet.[9]
    1. Books like Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Martian by Andy Weir are great reads to consider.
    2. Sites like Project Gutenberg offer a lot of free book titles to choose from.[10]
  5. Dive into a fun puzzle or strategy game. Download some logic or sudoku puzzles online, or try out a game of online chess. Start with easy puzzles and matches before working your way up to bigger challenges.[11]
    1. If you have a chess board lying around at home, consider playing with a family member.
  6. Try out a few origami projects. Find some scrap paper lying around your home, or order some special origami paper online. Search for different projects online so you can create beautiful flowers and animals out of paper.[12][13]

    Did you know? You can find a lot of different origami tutorials and projects on wikiHow.

  7. Teach yourself how to sew clothes and accessories. Search around your home for an unused sewing machine, or find a needle and thread that you can work with. Look up tutorials for simple projects, like sewing a blanket or pillowcase, then slowly graduate to more advanced projects, like shirts, pants, and dresses. If you really get the hang of sewing, you may want to continue after the coronavirus lockdown ends![14]
    1. If you're really committed to learning how to sew, you may want to buy a sewing machine online.
    2. Embroidery is also a fun, relaxing activity that involves needle and thread.
  8. Practice drawing to pass the time. Find some scrap paper or an old sketchbook and start drawing your favorite animal, fictional character, or something else you like a lot. Try to get in the habit of drawing each day, so you can keep track of how much your skills improve![15]
    1. There are a lot of drawing tutorials available on YouTube.
    2. If you prefer digital art, use programs like ProCreate, Paint Tool SAI, Adobe Photoshop, or Clip Studio Paint.
    3. Painting, pastels, watercolors, and other art mediums are also great hobbies to consider.
  9. Write a story to give yourself an escape. Jot down any creative ideas that have been swirling around your head. Use your free time during the coronavirus lockdown to develop and flesh out some original characters, as well as a plot for your story. Afterwards, share your story with friends to see how they like your finished product.[16]
    1. If you like writing fan fiction, consider posting your works on free sites like Archive of Our Own or Wattpad.

Taking up a Digital Pastime

  1. Enroll in online courses with digital learning programs. Search online for websites like UDemy, OpenCulture, EdX, Coursera, or something similar. Search for classes that really strike your interest, whether they're related to a hobby or something purely educational. Chip away at different classes while you're stuck at home—it may be a great way to pass the time![17]
    1. Some online sites charge a registration or subscription fee for joining.
    2. Sites like Khan Academy, Stanford Online, and Codeacademy all offer free classes that you can sign up for.
  2. Learn a new language with a mobile app. Download an app like Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, or Tiny Cards. Set aside at least 15 minutes of your day to chip away at learning a new language, whether you're focusing on dialogue, vocabulary, or listening skills.[18]
    1. Apps like Duolingo are completely free to use, and offer a wide variety of languages.
  3. Study your ancestry online. Enroll on an ancestry site, which gives you access to a lot of different documents possibly connected to your family history. Use these resources to trace your family tree back, and see if you can learn something new about yourself and your heritage![19]
    1. Sites like Ancestry.com are a great place to start.
Update 22 April 2020
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