With the government announcing a third national lockdown, many Brits will be spending a lot more time at home over the coming weeks.
If you’re looking for something to help you pass the time, watch and sunglasses specialist, Tic Watches, has put together a list of five new skills you can learn without leaving the house.
1. Learn a new language
The US Foreign Service Institute estimates that it takes roughly 480 hours to become fluent in a ‘Group 1’ language, such as French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and Swahili1.
With Brits spending an average of 19 hours per week on their phone, spending as little as two hours a day learning a new language will set you well on your way towards being able to speak it with confidence. Experts estimate this extra skill could even earn you a 2% pay rise2.
Apps like Duolingo make it easier than ever to learn a language in your free time and allow you to put that screentime to good use.
2. Train to become a yoga teacher
Teaching the art of yoga can be very rewarding and it can take less time than you think. The first level of certification takes a minimum of 200 hours3. This generally takes three to five months on average, however it also works out to be six hours a day for a month, if you wanted it to be more intensive. Alternatively, spending two hours a day learning yoga would allow you to complete this course within three months.
3. Learn to knit
Spending time learning a new skill like knitting is a great way to productively pass the time, and what’s more, it provides several health benefits.
It takes roughly 20 hours for a beginner to learn to knit a scarf from scratch3, meaning that this can be done in just over a week, if you swap phone time for knitting.
What’s more, knitting can provide you with a sense of achievement, and has similar qualities to meditation, meaning that it can be a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. For older people, knitting can also help slow cognitive decline, and improve dexterity.4
Spending two hours a day knitting would allow you to knit a scarf over ten days.
4. Read a new book series
Many people love to read, but often say they don’t have the time to do it as much as they’d like. However, now may be the perfect time to tick off some key titles you’ve been meaning to get to.
It takes around 98 hours to read the entire series of A Song of Ice and Fire, (the Game of Thrones series), 60 hours to read the Harry Potter series, 26 hours to read The Lord of the Rings and 20 hours to read War and Peace5.
Reading one of these works of literature instead of staring at a screen allows you to pass the time in a much more rewarding way.
5. Learn to code
Coding is a well sought out skill by employers and it can take only 140 hours6, to get a good grip on the knowledge.
Putting aside two hours a day to learn to code will allow you to learn the basics in just 10 weeks.
Danny Richmond, Managing Director of Tic Watches, said: “There’s no right or wrong way of spending time during lockdown – it’s a stressful and frustrating period for all. But if people are looking for new hobbies or skills to learn while stuck at home, hopefully our list can be of some use.”
For more skills people can learn during lockdown, visit: https://www.ticwatches.co.uk/blog/2020/04/8-useful-things-to-do-with-your-time/