As people around the world isolate themselves to slow the spread of COVID-19, many find themselves with an unexpected abundance of time, and are starting projects or learning new skills to fill the days.
Bread baking, gardening, painting, embroidery, and mask-sewing are just some of the projects isolated people have begun to take up in their spare time.
My family has not been immune to the project-starting craze. The biggest ‘project’ is moving out of our old house and fixing it up, but there are plenty of other things on our list.
In addition, we’ve made plans to build out our garden with raised beds and a greenhouse, to build a desk, and to replace the carpet upstairs with vinyl flooring. We’ve also been cooking and baking a lot more than usual.
In France, I was pleasantly surprised by how much time my host parents had to pursue hobbies such as music and cooking, while still spending lots of time with friends and family. It seems to me that in America (or at least New England) we’re often so busy and stretched so thin that we don’t have the time or energy for hobbies. At school, any free time I have is spent trying to relax and shut my brain off, usually hanging out with friends or watching Netflix. There are plenty of things I’d like to learn, like baking and embroidery and woodworking, but I never seem to have the room for it.
One of the biggest factors that contribute to this contrast is the economic systems in each country. In America, one expects to have a 40+ hour work week, often taking work home, and very little vacation time. All the time spent at work, along with commuting, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the people in your household leaves very little time for Americans to devote to hobbies and projects outside of their professional life. A 2019 survey claimed that Americans had less than half an hour of free time a week, and often are so busy they neglect household tasks like cleaning and maintenance.
On the other hand, the French work week is 35 hours, with a minimum of 30 days paid vacation plus 11 national holidays. In spending less time at work, the French have on average 15 hours of personal time each day. This number does include sleep, cooking, and cleaning, but if we estimate a maximum 12-13 hours spent asleep and taking care of the house, that’s still 2-3 hours a day to relax and explore hobbies.
The lack of relaxation time in America during an average week makes the isolation period seem like an unsettling amount of free time. Some may dislike the gross amount of time spent at home, but I can’t imagine that working Americans wouldn’t appreciate a little more time every week to relax and pursue fulfilling hobbies other than watching Netflix. In France, strikes and unions are quite common, and the workers have quite a bit of power, which is a big part of why the work week is less heavy. As the pandemic changes the economic landscape of America, people are realizing how little protection and power the average worker has, and have begun striking at companies like Amazon and Instacart. Hopefully, we will see a transformation in the economic structure to allow Americans more personal time and protection after this pandemic, but fundamental change may be hard to bring about.
No one knows what will happen when the restrictions are lifted and the country begins to return to normal activity, so for now all we can do is enjoy our fresh-baked bread and find something to fill our time.
Julianna Hill 