What Cabin Fever? Five things worth learning during lockdown

There’s only so many quizzes you can do and films you can watch before things start to get boring during lockdown. Don’t despair - there are plenty of things that are worth learning whilst you’re stuck at home. Here are our five top picks.

1. Learn a new language

Speaking a second language is one of the most useful life skills you can ever learn - useful in your professional life and fulfilling on a personal level. Speaking a third or even a fourth is even more of an asset! Being bilingual is also great for your brain - improving your concentration and creativity levels, as well as your ability to make decisions. There are plenty of apps out there that can help you to get to grip with the basics and beyond. Simply pick your language and get learning. 

2. Get your DIY game on

The leaky tap in the bathroom, the squeaky hinges, the shelves that you’ve never put up - it’s easy to ignore DIY tasks when you’re busy with the rest of your life. During lockdown, there’s no excuse - so, roll up your sleeves, get out the toolbox and become the handyman you’ve always wanted to be. The DIY skills that you learn now will always be useful for the future.

3. Get cracking in the kitchen/ Learn to cook your favourite dish

Whether it’s pizza or pad thai, everyone has a favourite dish that they love getting stuck into when they’re out. Whilst your favourite restaurant is closed, there’s no better time to learn how to cook for yourself. Get yourself in the queue at the supermarket, get all the ingredients you need and challenge yourself to become king of your kitchen.

4. Put pen to paper

You might have an unfinished novel from years ago or a collection of songs you used to sing with a band in your younger years, well now’s the time to get the pen back out again. Learning to write something (whether that be articles, essays, poems, songs or books) is an incredibly rewarding experience. You don’t have to be the next Hemingway - it’s about challenging yourself and learning more about how you think. Stuck where to start? A daily diary is not a bad option - it will also double up as an interesting record of this incredibly unusual time.

5. Mix things up and learn how to make killer cocktails

Knowing how to make a mean cocktail is never going to go out of style. Mixology (the craft of mixing cocktails) is more complex than you might think and is sure to impress your mates when you can have them over. There are plenty of free online courses and video tutorials to get you started - by the end of lockdown you’ll be mixing drinks in style. Cocktails in moderation mind!

We know that time can move rather slowly during lockdown and sometimes the boredom feels never-ending. Take up one of these new activities during lockdown and you’ll be wishing that you had even more spare time to perfect your new skill.