Thankfully, a lot of things returned to normal earlier this year. Many restrictions were lifted, allowing life to return to almost what it was before 2020. However, not everything is what it once was. Some ways of doing things that were forced upon us by the pandemic have now become the norm and have persisted even as many areas of life have reset to how they were pre-pandemic.
The Pandemic and Indoor Pastimes
At the start of the pandemic, almost all of us were confined to our homes, and many of us were working from home for the first time. All this time spent at home, perhaps for the first time in years, meant that people needed to entertain themselves, so it’s understandable that indoor pastimes became very popular.
While we are now once again able to take part in outdoor leisure activities, it appears that indoor pastimes are still seeing growth.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular pastimes that people still indulge in.
Visiting Online Casinos
Online casinos have become hugely popular as more and more people found out during lockdowns how enjoyable online gaming is. Casinos such as SkyCity Online Casino in NZ saw a huge increase in players who chose to gamble online.
People who used to visit physical casinos could still enjoy placing a bet – they just had to do it from home. And for those who had never considered walking into a casino, they could now discover the delights of casino games from the comfort of their own homes.
As more and more online casinos open up, the industry is attracting new players. This is not surprising when you consider the bonuses and promotions on offer and the fun games that are available.
Yoga
When gyms were shut and fitness classes could not be held, many people turned to the internet for help. There was an upsurge in people taking up yoga for the first time, either by joining online classes or purchasing instructional DVDs. This pastime became so popular that many decided to stick with yoga after restrictions were lifted, and encouraged their friends and family to do the same.
Participants can get fit and flexible from the comfort of their own homes. What’s more, they can do it in privacy and still reap the benefits. In addition to this, doing yoga at home can be far less expensive than joining a class.
Baking and Cooking
For a while, none of us were allowed to eat out, and we were also unable to order from our favourite takeaway. But we all still craved that something delicious, which meant we had to figure out how to make it ourselves. Many people had to learn to bake and cook from scratch for the first time. It’s fair to say that this is a pastime that proved to be very popular.
Social media became awash with people posting about just how much they were loving to bake. These newbie culinary scientists got real pleasure from crafting cakes, muffins, bread and more. They learned how much fun baking can be, and how much better a treat tastes if you made it yourself. It’s no wonder then, that baking is still as popular as it once was.
With food prices rising, it looks like those who took up baking and cooking a few years ago will be happy to continue this delightful pastime.
Painting
When 2020 hit and made us all take stock of our lives, some of us took up painting. This was no doubt something that many people had wanted to do, but work and family life may have gotten in the way. Cue the pandemic, and people now had more time to take up those things that they’d always wanted to try.
Painting suddenly became a hugely popular pastime. People now had the time to learn how to paint and get quite good at it. This has not changed as more people are now learning to paint from home. They don’t need to pay for those expensive art classes any more. They can simply stay at home and spend as much time as they wish perfecting their art.
While outdoor leisure may be back, indoor pastimes are still growing in popularity. We’re now learning that we can do so much more from the comfort of our own homes. Even though many of us are back at the office, those at-home pastimes are still just as important to us.
