When life gets tough, we tend to revert to the very things that make us feel most comfortable. Because itâs comfort that we need most. To make us forget about all that is going on around us. And I think that a pandemic is a good reason as ever to want to soak ourselves in all things comfort!
From one day to the next, our realities were flipped on their head. We were told to work from home, stay at home, and not leave home. And no one really knew when the end would be. We still donât! For over a year, we were in and out of lockdown. Much like a yo-yo. Not knowing when weâd be spun upside down. Again. We were confined to our homes and we started to become social-less creatures. And the only point of leaving was a trip to your local supermarket! Super exciting.
With all this uncertainty from our health to our finances, we indulged in the very things that brought us most happiness. Old movies, comfort food that weâve long forgotten about and getting stuck into our favourite hobbies or creating new ones to dig into something other than life! A poll of adults found that more than 30% have taken up a new hobby during the pandemic and the majority have chosen one with some mindfulness element to it and baking and gardening were found to be the most popular! For me, I dialled up on what I enjoy most: writing! It started with a newsletter that soon found its way to this blog. Dear reader, what did you do during lockdown to keep yourself happy and sane? Did you take on any new hobbies?
During lockdown, I also found myself playing way more boardgames than ever before! And this is something that kinda stuck. Itâs so relaxing and really brings out that inner child in me. I also found myself indulging in those old, feel-good movies like Harry Potter and Jane Austen. They took me right back to when I was a kid and it felt so good. Familiarity has a wonderful way of making us feel, well, wonderful!
Good Old Days
Then came the food. This one was really interesting! While we certainly ramped up our Deliveroo orders (you know, all that wholesome fast-food junk!), we also ran to comfort food. Food giants noticed a massive increase in demand for simple, yet nostalgic foods! From bread-and-butter pudding to the humble mac ân cheese. We didnât have much of an appetite for any of those fancy dishes. We wanted the simple stuff. The stuff that made us feel good. Itâs no surprise then that Netflix, Disney and Dominos have all done pretty well during covid though thanks to us lot cosying up on the couch watching movies and indulging in pizza. Couldn’t get comfier than that.
But it wasnât just comfort food and movies that we indulged in. It was comfort clothes, too! We quickly ditched our suits and starched shirts, swapping them for sweats and sneaks. And guess what? The ugly shoe made a comeback! Those good old crocs that I used to wear as a kid skyrocketed in sales and its market cap followed suit. I mean just look at how its share price (NYSE:CROX) has gone up since March 2020! Spoiler alert: itâs gone up by more than 1,000%! This means it returned 10x to shareholders. Lucky chaps.
Need For Nostalgia
It wasnât just our childhood shoes that we wanted back but it was our old tech too. I read in a column that people were desperate for those flip phones to make a comeback! I think the passing of time has made us totally forget how tedious it really was to type a simple message. But itâs the nostalgia weâre after. There was also a call for there to be a Harry Potter-style film to be released. Another magical whirlwind to transport us to a different realm. Other than our covid-cluttered one!
Nostalgia is a powerful thing. And the pandemic made us long for it. We realised just how precious time is. And how quickly it goes. People lost loved ones way too early and didnât get to say goodbye. Itâs no surprise then that weâd want to turn back the clock. To remember those good old days. And even do what we can to bring them back. Whether thatâs re-enacting the flip phone or watching those old movies.
The pandemic made us realise whatâs really important in life. Itâs family and health thatâs what matters most. Life sort of slowed down. And while I sincerely hope that weâre slowly seeing the end of covid letâs not forget to slow down every once in a while, and truly enjoy the simple things in life. The things that really matter. Everything else can wait.
Disclaimer: This blog is not investment or financial advice. It is my opinion only. This blog is not a personal recommendation to buy/sell any security, or to adopt any such investment strategy. Always do your own research before you commit to any investment.
Knead Your Dough 