Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year but when seclusion is the key to life, the most wonderful time of the year gets boring. 

Feeling bored and lonely during the holidays was already something that people have struggled with every year. With the fear of spreading in mind, many people have chosen to cancel events with family. This leaves room for feeling more emotional than normal. 

Keeping yourself occupied during the holiday break is a commonality between different families. During the pandemic, it is important to entertain yourself independently during the holidays. The healthiest way to keep yourself busy without binge-watching movies is starting a new hobby. 

Hobbies that require a small number of supplies are things that will be easy to learn and do over the two-week break. Activities like crocheting, embroidery, painting and other common artistic hobbies can distract from demanding emotions.  

English teacher Noel Fortner has been trying her hand at the art of crochet. Crochet is the practice of weaving yarn with one hook, unlike knitting that uses two. Fortner began this journey during the lockdown in April. 

“Then the shutdown hit…a few skeins of yarn and several YouTube videos later, and I got the basics down,” said Fortner 

Even doing these activities while watching movies with your immediate family can be good. Having projects to work on while doing mindless tasks can enrich your brain and prevent overthinking. 

“ Crocheting takes mental focus, it is helpful for me to be able to calm myself down after a stressful day,” Fortner said “I have to focus on counting and accuracy leaving little room for me to hyper-focus on the stressfulness of the day” 

For some, mastering a hobby that requires more skill is the way to go. Instead of a short term way to occupy your time, there are more time-consuming tasks like photography, sewing, and beekeeping. District Psychologist, Mariah Koons, started her beekeeping odyssey in September of last year.

 “Beekeeping is not extremely time-consuming, but it does take some dedication to keep the hives healthy, to mitigate any pests or parasites, and to collect and process the honey,” said Koons.  

If picking up a more extensive hobby, like beekeeping, is difficult during the holiday season there are simpler ways to go. Drawing is a simple and effective way to keep engaged during the holiday season. All you need is a pen, paper and patience.