Even though we are all confined to our homes right now, there are still lots of positive things that we can be doing with our time. If you need a break from studying, or are looking to take your mind off the news, then it could be time to learn a new skill or pick up something that you’ve put on hold while you concentrated on other things.
Here are our top 5 ideas:
1. Improve your cooking skills
Everyone has to eat, and being stuck at home provides an opportunity to spend a bit more time developing your skills and making some delicious meals. Dust off any old cookery books you might have lying around or check out online recipes from sites such as epicurious.com or eatthis.com for recipes that suit all levels of skill and experience.
Now that panic buying has stopped and restrictions have been lifted you should be able get hold of most ingredients, but if you’re struggling you could try some of the ideas from BBC Good Food or Jamie Oliver that make use of store cupboard staples.
Cooking is a great way to nurture yourself and learn new skills. It can also therapeutic because you’re focusing on the recipe instead of thinking about other things. Time to get cooking!
2. Get musical
Now could be the time to dust off the keyboard that you got for your birthday five years ago, re-tune your old guitar, or take the plunge and start learning a new instrument. Learning and playing a musical instrument has some real benefits, including boosting your mood and mental health, and is a great way of taking time out to do something for yourself.
If playing an instrument isn’t for you then why not join a virtual choir? Thanks to the internet it’s possible to sing together virtually even though we can’t meet up with people. The Sofa Singers is a free online singing event where hundreds of singers join a Zoom call and learn a new song together. Lifefullness Live run a daily sing-a-long where you can join a video call near you to sing with your neighbours, or stream the event on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube. Why not get involved?
3. Have a go at Origami
Origami is an ancient, peaceful craft that is a perfect way to enhance mindfulness. It requires concentration, focus, and the ability to be aware of what is happening in the moment, and so is a perfect distraction from all the uncertainty in the world. As in other mindfulness practices like yoga or meditation, the key is letting go of perfectionism or self-judgement and creating a sense of calm.
The great thing about origami is that it is quick to learn, and all you need is some paper and instructions to follow. There are lots of online tutorials on YouTube – from basic to more advanced designs, or try the Origami Fun website for free resources and step by step instructions that will have on your way to becoming an origami expert
4. Learn a new language
Remember all those times you said you’d like to learn French, Italian, or Mandarin, but just didn’t seem to get around to it? Well now’s your chance.
Whether you’re a beginner or have some previous knowledge. There’s something for every level. You could try out free apps like DuoLingo where you can try bite-size lessons that take a few minutes a day. There are also hundreds of YouTube videos at your disposal, as well as channels such as Easy Languages with online tutorials.
5. Develop your business, creative, and technology skills
LinkedIn Learning is an online platform that helps you to learn skills that will help you to achieve your personal and career related goals.
Every University of Liverpool student has free access to the LinkedIn Learning video library, which is full of engaging courses that are taught by recognised industry experts. There are more than 5,000 courses on offer, and once you’ve set up your profile you’ll get personalised recommendations to help you discover, complete, and track courses related to your areas of interest. Click here to find out more.
These are just some ideas to get you started. Take this as an opportunity to try something new, and share with us using #TeamLivUni