Things to do at home this Spring

The coronavirus has affected the world as we know it. With the recent government lockdown, our social life has been restricted as well as many other activities that we took for granted. 

This however does not mean our time spent at home cannot be a fun, healthy and productive experience. It can be an opportunity for personal growth, and a chance to do things that we have otherwise been too busy to try. 

From turning our garden into a hermit’s paradise to learning a new language, here are five hobbies to try during the coronavirus pandemic:

Make the most of your garden

Over the winter months our garden may have turned from our pride and joy into something that we’re sick of looking at. But alas! Spring is here and with that an opportunity to transform our outdoor space into a personal paradise! 

Gardening connects us with the outdoors, and the satisfaction of watching things grow and flourish can be a great way to uplift our spirit and bring joy. There are a variety of plants and herbs that we can introduce into our garden that can have aesthetic and medicinal properties as well as keeping us away from the busy supermarkets. 

All you’ll need is some soil that is kept moist, peat-free multi-purpose compost, and the fresh air and sunshine that mother nature provides. With these ingredients you can cultivate mint, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes and parsley, many of which can be grown by simply replanting the original ingredient. 

Practice some yoga

Although yoga has been practised for over 5,000 years in India, it is quickly becoming one of the most popular hobbies for people of all ages in the UK, but why? 

Well for one, it is accessible to anyone of any age and any body shape. Most studies suggest yoga is a safe and effective way to increase physical activity, build strength, gain flexibility and improve balance. Furthermore, there is scientific evidence showing how beneficial regular yoga practice is for mental health: so during this very stressful time, it’s crucially important. (NHS, 2018).

Yoga can also be practised anywhere at any time, and from the comfort of your own household (we do however suggest an outside area in your garden or on your composite decking with the sun on your skin, surrounded by your newly planted fresh herbs).

Learn another language

Now we have all this free time we can finally focus on the most frequently broken promise we have made over the years. How many times have you promised yourself that this year you would learn Spanish, French or Italian to comfort yourself that you’re not completely useless at ordering food abroad. Although we don’t know when we’ll be able to next travel, if there is any time to focus on learning another language, IT’S NOW!

There are countless apps that make learning another language easy and accessible. Duolingo is one worth trying out. It’s free to use, contains over 30 languages and is fun and engaging. With a variety of interactive games to play and daily exams and reminders for when you have been slacking, apps like these may be just what you need.

So now’s the time to fulfill your new year’s resolution and become the bilingual-brain you’ve always wanted to be.

Read a book

Now you have all this free time, it’s very easy to make your sofa your home and to spend endless hours watching television. Or you could use this opportunity to turn your outside space into your own reading room. 

We suggest sitting outside on your HD Deck area and spending quiet hours in the spring sunshine reading through novels, biographies or educational literature.

Reading helps your brain to be more active and it gives it a different kind of workout than watching screens or listening to the radio. With over 129,864,880 books in the world today, you’re not short on choice when it comes to finding something to read. Studies also find that finishing books relaxes you and gives you a great level of satisfaction which helps in boosting your morale in times like these.

Spend time with family

Spending time with those close to you is increasingly important during this time. You’ll be surprised by the amount of entertainment you can find in your own home and it’s better when you’re doing it together. 

Take up baking, wipe the dust off the board games stored in the attic and have a game of Monopoly. There’s no reason why we can’t treat our evenings like that of Christmas, by playing charades and enjoying a simpler family-orientated lifestyle.

Do you have young children? Then making a treehouse together would be a great task-orientated bonding process. Or perhaps create your own obstacle course and time yourselves for fun. Anything out of the ordinary is always more enjoyable. If it’s mealtime, why not dine outside in the garden or on your composite decking? Activities like these can be great for children’s morale and can help families connect. It may also be a perfect opportunity to create a chore list that can help spread household tasks equally, keep your family occupied and keep the household in pristine condition.

Benefits from our 5 hobby guide

Not only will these make your time in lockdown all that more enjoyable, but when this pandemic has ended (which it will), you may come out of it with hobbies that you can keep for life.