How are you feeling about the world ‘opening up’ again? Are you raring to go with a diary full of social engagements after some long lonely months, or are you feeling a bit more reserved after enjoying the inevitable downtime that came with lockdown? It’s ok if you’re in the more reserved camp, I know I am.

Although the circumstances were pretty awful, it’s actually been really nice being forced to slow down and spend a bit of time at home and it seems quite a few people agree. According to research from Cricut more than half of UK adults have said that they felt happier for some periods during lockdown compared to life before restrictions and over a quarter said they felt happier for most of it. In fact amongst these two third said they actually preferred lockdown to normal life. That equates to around 35% of all UK adults, which is pretty staggering.

What is it about lockdown life?

So what’s behind all of this? Two key factors were identified:

• having more time to relax; and

• having more time to oneself.

All that extra time is just the start though, what was really helping to keep us happy was using that time to take up a hobby or learn a new skill. Whether it was drawing, knitting, running or yoga, around 25% of adults took up a new hobby during lockdown and the numbers were even higher amongst the under-35s where around 37% got into something new.

I know that through lockdown it was my hobbies that kept me going. Right at the beginning I dug out all my colouring books and loved spending my evenings camped out with a pot of felt tips and a pretty pattern to escape the world, it was so soothing. More recently I’ve taken my cue from artist Harkiran Kalsi and taken up doodling to ease my mind as I deal with the world opening up again.

Hobbies during lockdown weren’t just something people dabbled in either. These new passions became a key part of people’s routines, and spending around four hours a week learning new skills had a positive impact on people’s mental wellbeing in around 45% of cases. Delving into the stats further, it appears that creative hobbies have the biggest impact on mental wellbeing - 54% of people who took up sewing said their mental wellbeing improved, while 52% of those who got into crafting, drawing or painting reported an improvement.

Time On Your Own

Now lockdown is easing, pubs are opening and our social calendars start to fill up Cricut’s research suggest that over 5 million people are worried that their mental wellbeing will decline as ‘normal’ life resumes. Over one third saying they were worried about losing the downtime at home they’d come to value so much - perhaps because it gave them the space to pursue those hobbies that boosted their wellbeing.

I think it’s really important that we try and drag out something good from the awfulness of the last year, and it’s clear that for a lot of people having a bit more time to explore the things that give them joy is really important to their wellbeing. That’s something worth holding on to, and it’s why I love Cricut’s Time On Your Own campaign with mental health advocate Katies Piper, but the question is how do we do that in a world that’s gradually going to get busier and start eating up more of our precious time?

• just 30 minutes - looking after your wellbeing doesn’t have to be time consuming, by ear marking just half an hour of time to yourself each day to prioritise your wellbeing by indulging in your favourite hobby you’ll be doing yourself the world of good.

• make it a priority - I know it can feel counter productive to take time out when life is busy and you feel like you’ve got a million things to do, but by prioritising those 30 minutes of Time On Your Own you can make a really positive impact on your wellbeing and outlook on life. Block the time out in your diary, use your lunch hour or even set your alarm a little earlier than normal, it’s probably easier than you think to find the time.

• find a hobby that works - hobbies don’t have to be massively time consuming! If you love to craft Cricut can help you create thousands of creative projects in just 15 minutes, enjoying nature is free and you don’t need to spend tonnes of time outdoors to reap the rewards, if DIY is your thing projects like creating labels to keep your home organised are quick and easy with Cricut and if you’re craving some exercise you don’t need to run for hours to enjoy a boost of endorphines!

• keep it simple - hobbies don’t have to be complicated to give you a boost, something as simple as reading a book or listening to a podcast can help boost your sense of wellbeing. So don’t over think things, just go with what you enjoy and what’s achievable in the time that you have.