A survey by Net Voucher Codes has revealed the most popular hobbies among the British public, as we tried our best to do something useful during lockdown. The website used Google trends data to find out the most common searches people were carrying out to try out various new activities.
Having a hobby during lockdown was more than just a way of passing the time - the benefits were plentiful, including helping your mental health.
© Drobot Dean / Adobe Stock
Research has shown that someone with a hobby is less likely to have depression, stress and low moods. Any activity that gets you up from sitting on the sofa makes you feel happier and therefore more relaxed.
Baking
It's certainly not a new hobby, but people in their droves have been trying out baking for the first time - as was apparent by the supermarket shelves being empty of flour for weeks when the lockdown began!
A pre-lockdown survey by the recipe box service Hello Fresh found that 25% of British people could cook only three recipes. Now, many of us are trying our hand at new dishes, with the favourites being banana bread, brownies, Victoria sponge and cupcakes. The most popular savoury bakes are pizzas and all types of bread.
Gardening
Another popular lockdown hobby is an old favourite: gardening provides physical exercise and it also calms the mind.
Many young people associate it with the older generation, but this is far from the case. Interest is peaking among people of all ages, who are maintaining an allotment, planting up their own garden with colourful flowers, or growing vegetables in the beds in their back garden. In this way, gardening is more than a hobby, as it can provide cheap fresh food for the family during these difficult times.
Keeping fit
With gyms all over the UK closed during lockdown, people have found new ways of keeping fit at home. Even those who haven't trained before are trying to keep in shape, especially after boredom eating.
While not everyone has a home gym, with major pieces of equipment, anyone can collect a selection of keep fit gear such as resistance bands, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, skipping ropes and other small weights and fitness accessories.
Suitable for home workouts for people of all ages and fitness levels, you can build up your own programme and gradually increase your sessions each day as you get fitter.
DIY
While DIY is always a popular pastime in the UK at normal times, there has been a marked increase in interest since lockdown began at the end of March. People are doing those jobs they've been putting off for ages, as toolboxes are being brought out of the shed and dusted down.
It's not advisable to tackle potentially dangerous jobs that require a professional, such as an electrician, but in the case of little jobs, there's plenty of information about DIY online and useful instruction videos on YouTube. This is a great opportunity to start a new project, teaching yourself new skills, while enhancing your home at the same time.
Ready for a new dawn!
Whatever has kept you from going out of your mind during lockdown, hopefully you will still be feeling the physical and mental health benefits as we slowly come out the other side. It might be good to keep the hobbies going though!
Solent Plastics has a wide variety of storage solutions to help organise your DIY tools, gym equipment, gardening tools and any other materials you need to make your hobbies successful. Please call 01794 514478 or email sales@solentplastics.co.uk with any queries.