Best of: Quarantine hobbies that kept us sane

While huddled inside their homes, Chapman students discovered a new world of hobbies during the pandemic. Unsplash

Let’s say, for the sake of imagination, that you spent a week living with me during the pandemic. 

I know, that was quite literally the opposite of the point of quarantine. Let’s just say you were my family member. Regardless, you would’ve noticed a few similarities to my days. 

One would be my daily dose of caffeine from Starbucks’ At Home medium roast iced coffee. Another would be my constant urge to whip up a batch of gooey chocolate chip cookies. Lastly, you’d probably see me constantly scour the house for a white t-shirt or sweatshirt to drown in tie-dye. 

What has my life come to? The things that give me enjoyment are hearing the oven beep when it hits 350 degrees and the look of poorly splattered colors across a piece of tattered clothing. Just get me a new cookie sheet and a set of measuring cups for Christmas and I’ll suddenly sprout grey hair and start knitting. Then my full transition from 20-year-old Megan to Grandma Megan will be complete.

The pandemic turned everyone’s routines upside down. A typical nine-to-five at the office or a day on campus turned into spending every moment at home, with an exhausting commute from the bed to the computer. Besides constantly wanting to pull my hair out due to boredom, my hobbies were the only thing keeping me, and every other American, sane. According to a May 2020 article from The Atlantic, flour sales skyrocketed by 2000%, video game consoles sold out online and people were Googling where to buy at-home pedicure kits and ordering pajama after pajama set through online boutiques.

So what other hobbies have Chapman students picked up during quarantine to keep themselves from hiding in the corner of the room in the fetal position? 

Freshman integrated educational studies major Janney Bonnifield discovered her prescription for a worry-free quarantine through the art of embroidery, finding peace by flipping on “America’s Next Top Model'' and embellishing her closet with Chapman decoration. 

“There was so much unknown in the world, but I could just sit down and embroider for like hours,” Bonnifield said. “I went long enough that I would lose the feeling in my thumb and there was just a big dent in my thumb, but it was so worth it.”

Bonnifield sharpened her skills even further by embroidering sweatshirts for her college-bound friends. Even though she would spend over 20 hours making each one, the focus helped her maintain her sanity.

“I never would have had time to pick up these hobbies if I wasn’t just sitting at home all day,” Bonnifield said. “It’s something that is really fun and a good creative outlet for any time you are feeling a little stressed. It keeps your mind occupied for a while, especially if you keep feeling overwhelmed.”

Erica Hu, a junior strategic and corporate communication major, found her quarantine hobby, meanwhile, in the kitchen. She began baking up a storm. Whether it was mochi muffins or blueberry loaves, Hu found comfort in perfecting the art of scrumptious sweets and took a deep dive on Pinterest to find the most mouth-watering recipes. 

“It’s therapeutic, because you are focusing on one thing,” Hu said. “I would switch things out and collect five recipes and mash them together to make sure it would make what I had and what I wanted in my batch. It’s a way to distract yourself from everything going on and relieve stress.”

No matter Hu’s hobby, Bonnifield’s hobby or my hobby, there’s a common thread of consistency. Even though burnt cookies, thread everywhere on the floor and tie dye all over your hands may seem like a headache in the making, it’s so much easier to wrap your mind around than a worldwide pandemic. Making one of these hobbies a primary focus helped to tune out the insanity going on outside. Being an arts and crafts-crazy grandma doesn’t sound so bad anymore, does it?

I never thought I would say this, but thank you to the dozens of chocolate chip cookies I made and devoured over quarantine and the countless tie dye shirts overflowing my closet. I don’t know how I would have survived without you.