Survey Says 60% of Americans Made Good Use of Their Time While Stuck at Home This Past Year

A new poll says that Americans used their free time while stuck at home this past year to their advantage, with six in 10 Americans saying they improved in one or more hobbies and can actually make some money off of them.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll, questioned 2,000 adults and found that 60% of them improved on their skills in at least one of their leisurely hobbies since the start of the pandemic last March, and about 56% said they anticipate becoming an "expert" by the time life gets back to normal.

Among respondents, 35% improved on running or yoga, 34% said they became better at preparing food and 34% improved at making art by painting, sketching or drawing.

Just under half of the pollsters said they knew they improved because they made fewer mistakes or learned to fix them quicker. 45% said they worked more quickly and efficiently, and 45% said they've noticed mental improvements like memory or focus.

The top ten most-improved hobbies are:

Doing something active (35%), preparing food (34%), making art (34%), fiber arts (28%), playing an instrument (28%), scrapbooking or papercraft (23%), model or miniature building (21%), photography, videography, or editing (17%) and sculpture or pottery (17%).

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