We spend at least eight hours working each day, not including the time it takes to travel to and from work. Right after, we often have additional activities, such as a kid’s soccer game, a ballet lesson, or a dentist appointment.
What all of these commitments have in common is that something else controls our precious time instead of us. But sometimes, a minute lasts longer than expected. Which is why we tend to find joy in small things available to us. Whether it’s playing at a PayDirect Now casino and leisure games, doing Sudoku and crosswords, or reading recipes for a meal you plan on cooking later on, all these activities tend to release the tension and make time pass faster.
The CasinoOnlineCA team looked into how boredom and downtime shape our daily lives. While they specialize in gambling, they also follow trends and human behaviour closely, including the rise of social gambling. In this article, the site’s experts explore why stillness matters and how embracing it can improve both well-being and the way we play.
The Joy of Crosswords, Crafts, and “Grandma Hobbies”
The slow-living shift isn’t just digital. Offline, many people are turning to analogue habits and stepping away from screens through what is now called a digital detox. Activities that were once seen as old-fashioned, such as knitting, embroidery, and baking bread from scratch, are becoming popular again, especially among younger generations. This revival is happening in a hyper-connected world where people are eager to disconnect from constant digital noise and reconnect with their inner selves.
“I think people are done glorifying burnout,” says Segrest. “Hobbies like crosswords, baking, and doing things that slow your pace don’t demand anything big from you, but in the end, you end up with a scarf, a blanket, or banana bread, and most importantly, an unexplainable feeling of wholesomeness.”
Not only is this wider return to analogue fun sentimental, but it is also backed up by statistics. A recent survey found that from 2023 to 2024, the number of local events focused on old-school crafting doubled in attendance.
Knitting and Crocheting
These are calming activities that turn idle moments into “me time” with no specific outcome. The repetitive stitching movements act like a form of meditation, which slows down breathing and focuses on what’s inside.
The following benefits, in addition to the handmade crafts you create, include:
- Stress Relief: According to studies, rhythmic needlework can lower heart rate and reduce the body’s stress response.
- Creative Expression: Turning yarn into a scarf or a blanket gives a gentle sense of purpose and accomplishment, visualizing your actions.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Over the past few years, especially during the COVID lockdowns, puzzles saw a surge in popularity. In 2020, Britain was “gripped by jigsaw puzzle mania,” as Segrest explains, with sales of jigsaws up 38% compared to the year before.
In the United States, puzzle manufacturers like Ravensburger couldn’t keep up with demand. Even after ramping up production, many of their designs quickly sold out as sales skyrocketed.
It’s not just COVID that sparked this trend. Many millennials embrace puzzling as a form of stress relief and a meditative experience. Puzzling does require focus, but not too much brain strain. Mental health experts even suggest that puzzles can help reduce anxiety by giving your mind a single and structured task to focus on. Unlike the endless stream of media and bad news on your phone, a puzzle has edges and a solution, which is quite comforting when your day feels chaotic. Besides, you can pause and pick up where you left off anytime. This makes crosswords an easy addition to a low-pressure routine.
Crosswords
Curling up with a crossword puzzle offers a low-key mental escape that’s accessible anywhere. Whether you’re taking the metro, waiting in line for a doctor’s appointment, or simply catching a breath at your desk job, it provides a quick and calming break. “In these situations where waiting piles up tension, and your own time is not in your own hands, puzzles serve as relaxation, lowering the stress levels, and speeding up time,” Segrest points out. “You get to tune out distractions and focus on a fun task while doing the inevitable: waiting.”
Experts note that even a brief puzzle break of, say, 20 minutes lets your mind turn away from life’s troubles for a while.
Why Do Millennials Embrace “Grandma Hobbies?”
If you thought only retirees were into these activities, think again. Millennials and Gen Zs are leading the grandma hobby revival. In fact, social media has helped fuel this trend. TikTok and Instagram are full of young people sharing their knitting projects, garden harvests, and freshly baked loaves. Hashtags like #GrannyCore and #MillennialsGoingStraightToGrannyHobbies are attached to thousands of videos.
What started as niche nostalgia has become a full-blown subculture online, dubbed “Grandmacore,” which celebrates all things vintage, cozy, and slow-paced.
But why these generations in particular?
- The need to unplug and de-stress. This generation grew up on the Internet, exposed to a vast sea of information that brought up the state of constant tiredness and “popcorn brain” of constant multitasking and FOMO. So, seeking focus and a slower tempo only comes naturally.
- Another draw is the sense of purpose and fulfillment these hobbies bring. Unlike work and side hustles, these hobbies aren’t for profit but for a purpose that has nothing to do with work.
Cozy Gaming: The Place Where You Play to Unwind, Not to Win
Not long ago, video games were all about high-octane adrenaline, with shooters, speed runs, and battle royales dominating the scene. But now, many games are designed simply to fill the gaps in our day, whether during the commute from work to home, while waiting in lines, or in those final free minutes at your desk. This “softer genre” of cozy games exists to have fun and unwind, not to win. Some popular examples include the following:
- Animal Crossing
- Stardew Valley
- Unpacking
There are no leaderboards, no timers, and no opponents. You are there to decorate your picture-perfect home, enjoy some virtual gardening, or do some other hobbies you are not able to do in your real time and place of being.
“In cozy gaming, there’s no rush and pressure, which is why Canadians are using these games like digital hammocks. A leisure time of relaxation and reset that adds dopamine and makes them feel good about doing absolutely nothing productive,” James Segrest, gambling expert and behavioural analyst at CasinoOnlineCA, elaborates.
Analyzing Steam, a top gaming platform worldwide, we can see that the number of cozy leisure games has grown exponentially over time. In 2024 alone, more than 370 titles were tagged as cozy, which averages around one new release every day of the year.
Low-Stakes and Casual Gambling
There’s a new kind of digital downtime, which is not as addictive as online gambling. Canadians who are already fans of online casinos are increasingly exploring low-stakes online games. A few spins of the slot reels, a quick blackjack hand, or a bingo round on the side tab during lunch are becoming more common. And this type of fun isn’t about winning but about doing something between emails and lunch breaks.
What’s changed here is the intention. These games are about breaking routine and escapism. The bets are minimal, often just a few cents, and the outcome barely matters. It’s entertainment with a soft edge.
The popularity of low-stakes “just-for-fun” gambling has boomed. There’s now a whole “social casino” industry catering to this laid-back crowd. These are apps and sites where you play casino-style games for free or pocket-change stakes, often with no real money at risk. Globally, the social casino market was worth nearly $8 billion in 2024. This number reflects millions of people spinning virtual slots and bingo simply to unwind.
Conclusion
In a hyper-digital world, constant connection is quite exhausting. Canadians aren’t unplugging as a form of rebellion, but they’re trying to retreat and recover. They run away from burnout, anxiety, stress, and their mostly desk and computer jobs that seem endless. This is why slow hobbies are in demand. They make us look inside and finalize with a result that’s visible and often edible or wearable.
