The third week of march marked a year of quarantine for Independence high school students and faculty. During this year, it has been important to find healthy outlets to occupy yourself during this CoronaVirus pandemic. There has been a wide array of selections made during this quarantine. These range from creating video content on apps such as Tik Tok and Youtube to staple hobbies that have been making people happy for years such as painting and picking up a sport.

 Independence High School went into remote learning in mid march 2020. The first case of COVID-19 in Arizona was reported in January, and by the end of March all businesses from the Movie Theaters to Bars were closed. The elderly and those with health conditions were strongly warned to stay inside. While everyone had the freedom to go in public, masks began to be mandatory to slow the spread of the virus.

Quarantine caused many to pick up a hobby to remain occupied. For example, many have picked up cooking, calligraphy, photography, running, swimming, exercising, knitting, and even candle making. Each of these hobbies have their own benefits. Physical hobbies allow the body to become stronger which is helpful during these medically concerning times. Creative hobbies help ease one’s mind and express their emotions.

For instance, IHS junior Azaria Williams picked up diamond painting and said that it acts as a ¨stress reliever¨ for her.

Although social gatherings were put on hold for the time being, social media has acted as a connector of people and helps keep up social skills. 

 In addition to students, teachers have also found ways to stay occupied. English and journalism teacher, Jennifer Vanderveur began to do puzzles. This is important for her, as it helps her completely relax. She explained, ¨It gave me an outlet from work. Everything else I do [TV, hiking, reading] my mind always wanders back to work. When I puzzle I am literally only thinking about the pieces and where they go.¨ During these uncertain times it is important to find a way to take relax your mind. 

Hobbies take people out of their everyday routine and give them a chance to do something that they love and are passionate about. Engaging in a hobby can be a mental escape, a chance to perfect a skill, or just provide an opportunity to socialize with others safely.

Hobbies are a great way to disconnect from work and school and break away from the monotony of daily schedules. Also, even though it may seem confusing to add more to your plate, having a hobby has been shown to be a stress reliever.