Survey spotlight on new lockdown hobbies for UK women
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WITH the UK in the midst of a second lockdown, new research reveals the hobbies women are turning to tackle boredom and develop new skills to pass the time.
The survey of 1000 UK women, carried out by the country’s leading independent online florist Serenata Flowers, reveals that half (50 per cent) of British women have taken up a new hobby since the pandemic began, with 67 per cent practising their new skill at least once a week.
Of those who have taken up a new hobby, a large proportion claim to have refined their skills in the kitchen and garden, with cooking (34 per cent), baking (31 per cent) and gardening (26 per cent) appearing top of the list of the most popular new skills. This is likely inspired by television favourites such as The Great British Bake Off, MasterChef and Love Your Garden.
An additional 25 per cent say they have made more time for regular reading since the start of the pandemic, followed by textile art such as knitting, crocheting and embroidery (15 per cent) which completed the top five list.
The research found there were some significant mental health benefits associated to learning a new skill, as 26 per cent of respondents say it helps them to unwind, 26 per cent say it helps to combat stress, while 24 per cent say it allows them to switch off.
Nearly one in five (19 per cent) say that their new hobby has helped to increase their overall happiness, which is something many people have needed since the start of the pandemic.
Identifying some of the other top reasons why British women are taking up new hobbies, 28 per cent say they wanted to fill their spare time during lockdown, 24 per cent wanted to cure boredom, and nearly one in four (23 per cent) say they wanted to be more productive during such an uncertain time.
Looking at the skills women would most like to learn, of those who said they would be interested in learning something new, learning a new language (20 per cent) came top of the list, followed by fine arts such as painting, sculpting, sketching and crafting (17 per cent).
Next on the list was learning to play an instrument (17 per cent), followed by baking (14 per cent), and completing the top five, 14 per cent said they would love to learn the art of flower arranging.
The research found that women aged 35-44 were most likely to undertake a new hobby or learn a new skill.
Lucia Polla, Marketing Manager at Serenata Flowers, comments: “The last year has been more challenging than anyone could have predicted, but it’s great to see that people are finding comfort and enjoyment from new hobbies and learning a new skill in the process.
“Now is the perfect time to get out of your comfort zone and take up a hobby which you’ve always wanted to learn but never had chance to before. From flower arranging to painting, there are so many hobbies which can help to relax the mind and boost your overall happiness in the process.”
Serenata Flowers has created a step by step guide which shows budding florists how they can get started by learning how to arrange the perfect bouquet. For more information, please visit www.serenataflowers.com/en/uk/flowers/floral/create-floral-centerpiece
