Skills to Learn While in Quarantine
It has been nearly a year since quarantine for COVID-19 began and even now, it is advised to only leave the house for essentials and work/school. In these circumstances, it makes sense that you would find much time on your hands that would have otherwise been used outside the house. This begs the question, what should you do with this time? In this post, I will outline some skills that you can teach yourself while in quarantine to maximize your time usage.
Learn a Language
Most people say at some point in their life that they wished they took the time to learn a new language. This is the type of skill that can open new doors for work and travel. Knowing multiple languages is a desirable trait in the workplace because it allows for the enhanced connection between people from different backgrounds. Besides enhancing your resume, learning a language can also be fun because it allows for a new way to express yourself. Also, one of the most enjoyable benefits of learning a language is the help it offers when traveling. Learning a language can help increase the amount of enjoyment you can gain from a trip to a foreign place. The ability to communicate with locals and understand the writing on signs and such can make your stay more fun and easier.
Drawing/Painting
Everyone has the ability to draw. Some well. Some not so well. With this skill, I am referring to learning through tutorials and lessons that you can watch online and mimic yourself. There are plenty of step-by-step tutorials online for certain styles of art and different images. Drawing and painting offers a sense of satisfaction after seeing the finished product and sometimes, you may even hang up the work to create to make your home feel more lived in. Who knows? You could discover that you’re a modern-day Picasso and start selling your art on Etsy for some extra money.
Card Tricks
Who doesn’t love getting together with friends every once in a while, to play some cards? Social media and TikTok have also created a resurgence of friend groups dressing up in suits and dresses to have full on Poker Nights at someone’s house. How do you spice these nights up and make them feel more real and exciting? One way would be having a card dealer that knows some cool card tricks to bust out from behind the table. In my opinion, a card dealer with a few tricks up their sleeve is in the same league as a bartender juggling the alcohol for guests. Sleight of hand is also a fun skill to learn in order to throw off your friend in daily life as well.
Basic Car Repairs
Over time, costs for car repairs can begin to total up and put a dent in your savings. One skill to teach yourself using your added free time is how to conduct basic repairs. This can include changing the oil in your car or replacing the brake pads for the tires. Everyone should learn basic maintenance for their car in case of an emergency. If you break down on the side of the road, your mind will be more at ease knowing if your car cannot be towed for some time, you can at least try to figure out and fix whatever the problem is yourself. There are plenty of videos and articles online that will teach you how to do so for you to begin self-teaching today.
How to Budget
All the free time provided has allowed us to surf the internet for longer each day and this includes looking at websites for stores. Despite this increased time to browse and purchase online, it is important for you to learn how to budget your money for the future. Rather than purchase endless items online out of boredom, look for ways to cut down on spending. What are you spending more money on than you should? What can you do to increase the money in your savings and decrease expenses each year? Not only will this help with your monetary needs, but this would also allow you to self-reflect and become more organized with your daily life. Budgeting is one skill that most people wish they learned to work on earlier in their life to help them later.
This list barely scratches the surface of everything you can learn from home. I hope this list gives you some idea on where to begin though. Make the most of your time at home so you can look back when everyone begins trekking outside again and remember how well you utilized your time indoors.
