Five useful skills to learn with your free time

April 6, 2020 38

Lots of people have more free time now than they’ve had in years. Rather than going from work, to the gym, to cook dinner, to whatever else was on their to-do list, people are at home, and they can’t go anywhere else. What is there to do with all of this downtime? You’ve probably seen articles about what to do in your free time—from painting and reading to meditating and learning something new. For those who chose the learn something new track, we’ve listed a few useful skills to learn in your free time.

Learn an instrument

You may not have a saxophone lying around the house, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn the basics to get you started. If you’ve never played an instrument before, start small with learning the different notes and how to read music. Think about it as a music class in elementary school. When you get the base knowledge, you can translate that to a variety of instruments! Maybe you have a piano at home—start there. If you don’t have any instruments, watch videos and follow along the best you can.

Learn a new language

Learning a new language is always a good idea. More than ever, companies and organizations are becoming more intercultural. You’ll consistently meet and deal with people from different backgrounds. Though they may not speak a different language, it is always a good idea to expand your knowledge. Refresh the memory of secondary language courses you took in school or pick up a new language. It’s a useful skill that you can take with you anywhere—try out Rosetta Stone or Duolingo!

Learn about a specific industry

Maybe you were an English major and have been debating whether to get into the law world. Take this downtime as an opportunity to decide if that’s something you’re interested in. For example, you can learn about common courtroom terms or decide whether you’d want to be a prosecutor or a criminal defense attorney. No matter what industry you’re fascinated with, now is the time to learn more about it and see if that’s something you’re truly interested in!

Read self-development books

Self-development is a skill, believe it or not, that a lot of people don’t care to refine. However, it’s a skill that many people need if they want to succeed and grow personally or professionally. You may not be able to get out to leadership classes or the like, but you do have time to read. Order some self-development books online, read them online—you could even start a book club. The more versatile the books you choose, the more well-rounded your self-development experience will be.

Become a better cook

Lastly, learn to become a better cook! It may not advance your professional life, but it’s quite beneficial for your personal life. When you start improving your skills in the kitchen, you’ll find yourself eating healthier and better meals overall, simply because you enjoy being in the kitchen. Start with easier meals and then build from there.