Mumbai, 21st September 2021: The Covid-19 pandemic has brought out the creative side of citizens of Mumbai, reveals a recent study by Godrej group ‘Little things we do’. About 43.05% of respondents from Mumbai took up various new skills and activities like cooking, listening to music, reading a book etc. to keep themselves engaged and deal with the stress during pandemic. .
Statistics show that a life changing event like loss of a family member or a job has also played a huge role in people turning towards new activities/skills to help them cope the loss. According to a survey conducted by Praja Foundation, at least 66 per cent Mumbai residents either lost their jobs or their employment avenues were adversely affected which had added to the stress level. The residents of the city had taken up to become home-cooks, painters, sketchers and pursue other hobbies to keep themselves cheerful. Uncommon for a city like Mumbai which is usually busy working or commuting around 18% of the respondents from Mumbai have explored their creative side compared to the 22% of their national counterparts.
While the city residents were engaging themselves with new skills, they were equally concerned about health. 89.75% of respondents from Mumbai had major concerns about safeguarding the health and wellbeing of their families and themselves. Hence, 95% of the respondents in Mumbai habituated themselves to sanitising their hands, and use hygiene products in their daily lives as compared to 86% showcased by national data.
The pandemic also brought out the humanitarian side of the busy citizens. 77.05% of the people in the city engaged in distributing sanitisers, food packets, old clothes, medical devices as compared to 54.52% showcased by national data.
Sujit Patil, Vice President & Group Head – Corporate Brand and Communications, Godrej, described the research as an insight into the minds of consumers from different cities during a challenging period. He said, “The current pandemic has had a major effect on our lives and many people are facing challenges that can be stressful and overwhelming. It is great to see how Mumbai residents chose to live up to the Mumbai spirit and countered the unprecedented situation by exploring different ways to engage themselves.”
He further emphasised on the brighter side, “Nearly a quarter of the people in Mumbai that is 24.18% have been spending quality time with family and loved ones due to the absence of long commutes as compared to the national data which states that 27.35% of the population have been spending more time with their near ones.”
Other insights revealed through the research are
- 44% Mumbaikars opted for freshly cooked food
- 15.57% Mumbaikars offered mental support to the individuals
- 59.43% Mumbaikars stayed connected with friends and family through social media
- 25% complete work associated tasks within office hours because there are no interruptions
