5 new skills to try out while self-isolating

You’re stuck at home with a seemingly unlimited number of things to do. You’re fed up of Netflix and couldn’t reorganise your sock drawer again if you tried.

What you need is a new hobby!

We’ve got 5 great skills that you should try out, good for both time-wasting and benefiting you in later life.

1. Learn a new language

Simple right? Not quite. All you need for this skill is an internet connection, patience, and lots of determination.

Learning a new language is great as it helps you connect with new people, advance in your career and feeds your brain!

See if you can encourage a friend or flatmate to learn the language with you, as it will be easier if you’re able to practice with someone.

Try downloading an app for daily practice, you can find a list of the best ones here.

It will also help if you learn the most common words of the new language, once you have these perfected it will help you loads on becoming fluent.

Here are some of the most common words in Spanish, French, Italian and German.

2. Become a master chef or star baker

Cooking is a brilliant skill to have, for obvious reasons. Enjoying yourself and having tasty meals to eat? It’s a win-win situation.

Whether your cooking skills stop at a bowl of cereal, or you’re already handing with a saucepan, there’s always room for improvement.

Loads of people have got into baking bread, and as a result of that it’s become difficult to find yeast in shops. Don’t let that put you off, as you can just make your own!

Got your homemade yeast sorted? Take a look here for some bread recipes. Want to try making the popular sourdough? Give this recipe a try.

If it’s normal cooking you’re after, take a look here for some fun recipes to try out.

3. Get crafty

Don’t think you have anything in your home that can be used for arts and crafts? Think again.

You don’t need a fully stocked art cupboard to have fun! Fancy learning how to draw? All you need is a pencil and paper. Check out some great online classes here.

There are loads of things you can create out of fabric scraps, take a look at some of the cool upcycling creations here.

How about knitting? If you already have knitting needles and wool then you’re sorted, otherwise you may be able to find some online. Learn to knit here.

Embroidery is a fun skill to learn, take a look here for some beginner techniques.

Fancy yourself as the next Bob Ross? Watch his calming painting tutorials here, or try out some watercolour here.

Good with your hands? Give calligraphy or origami a go for some seriously beautiful creations.

4. DIY skincare

Whether you’ve got a 10-step skincare routine that you follow religiously, or use a 5-in-1 shampoo, bodywash, facewash etc, you can still benefit from making some of your own skincare products.

Especially as now we can’t get out and buy products, it makes perfect sense to make our own!

Here are some great face scrubs for every skin type, and here is a fab recipe for a lip scrub too.

Hair feeling a bit dry and damaged? Forgot those expensive hair products, try this DIY hair mask for silky, moisturised hair.

A fun thing to make are bath products! Spend the quarantine perfecting the bath bomb recipe. Even if you don’t have a bath you can give them away as presents for birthdays and Christmas. Take a look here for the recipes.

5. Learn first aid

Why not spend the time locked in your home learning a bit of CPR and basic first aid?

This will, of course, not mean that you’re qualified to give people first aid, but should the situation ever arise where someone needs assistance, you may be able to help.

The British Red Cross have a list of key skills to learn for use in an emergency here.

St Johns Ambulance have a video on how to use a first aid kit here.

Here is a video on how to do CPR, and here is some NHS guidance too.

Finally, here are some first aid mistakes to avoid.

Stay safe and stay well.