2020's most calming hobbies have been revealed, but did you take any of them up?

We’ve all been looking for new ways to occupy our minds this summer, but did you know how your hobby could affect your stress levels for the better?

Although we’ve come a long way since the first days of lockdown, COVID-19 is still very much in the minds of the people of Scotland, many of whom have taken up new hobbies to shift their focus from the news to something more positive.

Keen to better understand our pastime habits, and how they affect our lives, the team at Diys.com set about to examine the hobbies that reduce our stress levels. The research was vast; in total, 2379 people were surveyed to discover which hobbies they had taken up during lockdown. Afterwards, Diys.com conducted a Fitbit test for 357 participants, aged 20-30 years, to find out if the most relaxing hobby and the most-loved hobby complemented one another. This is what they found.

The most relaxing hobby with the lowest measured heart rate is knitting—with 65 beats per minute it was voted by 93% of Brits as the most relaxing. The research showed that knitting can lower your resting heart rate by a whopping 18.75%, making it the ideal distraction for those who lead busy and stressful lives.

So, if knitting is the most relaxing hobby, which is the hobby most-likely to get your heart racing? Unsurprisingly, it’s cycling. The research found that biking can increase your heart rate by up to 118.75%, at 175 beats per minute, with and 29% of people surveyed saying it is the most relaxing hobby. But don’t be alarmed—cycling is an excellent form of exercise which is designed to get your heart pumping. While it’s not widely regarded as “relaxing”, it is incredibly good for you—so if you can, you absolutely should get your peddle fix. However, if some rest and tranquility is what you seek, knitting might just be the way to go.

According to Brits and the Fitbit test, the top five most relaxing hobbies to take up this year are: knitting, fishing, blogging, calligraphy, and painting so, whatever your ability or preference, there’s sure to be a new, calm-inducing hobby for you. If you’re interested in trying any of these pursuits for yourself, why not join in with like-minded groups on Facebook or other social media platforms for inspiration. If you think it’ll enrich your life, then by all means you should give it a go. With social limitations still in place for the foreseeable, now is absolutely the time to discover a new passion. Good luck!