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From learning first aid to painting portraits of your pets and growing plants in small spaces, there are plenty of different skills you can develop from home.
Learning something new is a great way to keep your mind busy, work on your personal and professional development, and add meaning and purpose to your life.
So, if you’re looking for some inspiration, why not consider learning one of these 12 skills?
1. Learn to cook or bake
Whether you’d like to learn the basics of cooking or baking, or perfect your existing skills, developing culinary creativity can be a great way to save money and eat more of the food you love.
Cooking can also give you a greater sense of control over what you’re putting into your body, which can help you follow a healthy diet. From huevos rancheros to chicken pot pie, there’s always a new recipe you can use to learn some culinary skills.
If you’re looking for somewhere to start, why not head over to the food and drink section of our website? Here, you’ll find plenty of recipe inspiration and tips on how to up your cooking game.
Take an online cooking class
If you’d prefer a live visual demonstration, you could also consider taking an online cooking class in a cuisine that interests you. For example, with the Jamie Oliver Cookery School, you can learn how to make everything from Southeast Asian street food to Italian favourites.
2. Learn to organise your home
Your living space can have a big impact on how happy, relaxed, or productive you feel, so it can help to declutter and organise your surroundings in a way that feels positive rather than overwhelming.
For example, if you can never find anything in your wardrobe and things fall out every time you open it, you might want to avoid opening it at all. Then, before you know it, you’re wearing the same two outfits on rotation, or it’s 2pm on a Saturday, and you’re still sitting in your pyjamas! In contrast, a tidy, organised wardrobe where everything has its place can make getting dressed more enjoyable (or at the very least, not trigger a bad mood!).
Organising your living space can also help pass the time, and seeing the results can be incredibly satisfying. Taking before and after photos of any particularly disorganised rooms or spaces can be a good motivator, as you’ll be able to see what you’ve achieved at the end.
For cleaning and home organisation tips and inspiration, have a read of our articles: How to declutter and reorganise your home, 8 tips for minimalist living, and 9 ways to declutter your workspace and improve productivity. You might also find some of the resources below useful.
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
Organising consultant Marie Kondo has a great Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, which shows people how to let go of the things they no longer need so they can feel happier and freer.
If you’re someone who tends to hoard or finds sentimental value in everything, this could be a great watch.
Tips from Mrs Hinch
Sophie Hinchliffe – also known as Mrs Hinch – became a social media sensation when she began sharing her innovative cleaning and organising tips on Instagram.
Her tips are used by ‘Mrs Hinchers’ around the country, who say that they now see cleaning in a whole new way. It’s worth checking out the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips group on Facebook, where thousands of people share cleaning tips and tricks inspired by Mrs Hinch herself.
Sort Your Life Out, hosted by Stacey Solomon
Loose Woman Stacey Solomon has become widely known for her decluttering expertise, especially since the release of Sort Your Life Out, a BBC One show in which she helps families declutter and reorganise their living spaces. You can stream all six seasons on BBC iPlayer, with plenty of great tips and tricks to pick up along the way.
Take an online organising and decluttering course
You could also consider taking an online organising or decluttering course to develop your knowledge further.
Alison has some useful courses on offer, including: How to Clean and Set Up Your Fridge and Paper Organisation: Maintaining Paper Systems.
3. Improve your gardening skills
Whether you have a garden or not, there are plenty of green skills that you can learn at home to help make the most of your living space.
Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn how to grow your own fruit and vegetables, nurture a bonsai tree, or simply find out more about what’s growing in your garden.
Getting gardening equipment
You’ll be able to get hold of gardening equipment like trowels, pruning shears, compost, and seeds from most DIY stores and garden centres, especially larger ones like Homebase and B&Q. Or you can order any tools you may need online (for example, Amazon).
However, it’s also worth making the most of what you might already have in the house. For example, by planting seeds from supermarket-bought peppers to grow your own, or using an old bucket or washing-up bowl as a plant pot.
Katie Elzar-Peters’ book, No Waste Kitchen Gardening, will show you how to regrow vegetable cut-offs and scraps into harvestable, edible plants.
Growing in small spaces
You can grow plants on balconies, window sills, and patio spaces, so having a garden isn’t essential for developing a few horticultural skills.
To find out more about growing plants with limited space, you might like to read our articles: 9 tips for gardening in small spaces and 10 things you can grow in a window box at home.
Patch also offers a selection of helpful videos on their YouTube channel that can help with things like choosing the right indoor houseplants.
Developing gardening skills
If you’d like to work on your general horticultural skills – for either personal or professional development – head over to the gardening section of our website. Here, you’ll find everything from year-round gardening guides to information on the best gardening tools.
Alternatively, you can find a wide range of gardening courses available online. For example, this Getting Started with Botany course from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
4. Learn IT skills
If you’ve been meaning to get to grips with artificial intelligence (AI), set up a LinkedIn account, or learn how to code, now’s as good a time as any to get started.
The busy nature of our everyday lives can make it difficult to sit down and truly focus on learning new skills. And this, coupled with the fact that technology is constantly evolving, may leave you feeling a little left behind. So why not spend some time catching up?
Plus, if you’re in the market for a new job, developing some digital skills could also give your CV some extra points.
Artificial intelligence (AI) skills
AI is evolving quickly, and it’s already becoming part of everyday life, from the virtual assistants on our phones to the tools many employers now use at work. You don’t need a technical background to get to grips with it, and a basic understanding can help you feel more confident, whether you’re job hunting or simply curious.
A good place to start is by having a go with a free AI chatbot, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot or Claude. You can use them to draft an email, summarise a long article, plan a trip or get help brainstorming ideas. The more you experiment, the more you’ll get a feel for what they can (and can’t) do, and how to word your questions to get better answers.
If you’d prefer a more structured approach, there are plenty of beginner-friendly courses available online, for example, LinkedIn’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course.
Social media skills
Social media offers benefits like keeping you connected with friends and family, and helping businesses reach a wider audience.
There are plenty of courses that’ll teach you how to use social media for marketing purposes; for example, how to create a YouTube channel, become a social media influencer, or create a content strategy on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
You might also find our articles, How to set up a LinkedIn account and How to use TikTok – 11 steps for new users, a useful starting point.
Coding and computer science
Learning more about coding or computer science in general is another good online skill to learn from home. If you’re interested in getting to grips with anything from algorithms to debugging programs and how to write clean code, there are plenty of courses available online.
For example, Khan Academy offers a chance to try an hour of coding online where you’ll learn some basics.
5. First aid training
First aid training is one of the most valuable skills we can learn, but it’s surprising how few people have these skills.
Many of us would love to know more about first aid but simply never got around to learning, or have forgotten what we once knew. So, if you’ve got some spare time, why not develop your knowledge online? Although it’s worth bearing in mind that, to become a qualified first aider, you’ll need to undertake some practical training, too.
Explore free first aid resources online
The British Red Cross offers several free resources, including videos and guides that can help you learn how to respond to different health emergencies, including what to do if a person is choking, not breathing, and/or bleeding heavily.
Note: First aid skills, like resuscitation, should never be practised on real people, as you could cause harm. You should wait to practise in a simulated environment on a practical, supervised training course.
6. Learn to dance
Are you happiest when you’re dancing? If so, why not think about taking a few lessons to develop your talent? Learning routines and finding out more about different dance styles can be a fun way to pass the time and keep your body and brain active.
Physical activity stimulates your brain to release endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. Dancing can also help improve cognitive function and prevent mental decline. Plus, it’s a good way to stay fit and burn some calories, too.
Take an online dance class
To hone your dance skills, you could consider following YouTube tutorials that break down different styles and techniques.
For example, you can learn African dance over on Kukuwa Fitness, ballet on the Ballet Based Movement channel, and ballroom on Ballroom Mastery TV.
To find out more about different dance classes, why not read our article: 11 online dance classes for beginners?
7. Learn how to cut your hair and trim your beard
Cutting your own hair is a skill to try at your own risk, and shouldn’t be rushed. However, if you get it right, you can save yourself time and money.
YouTube has plenty of helpful video tutorials on how to cut your own hair, covering different hairstyles, lengths, and textures. By watching a few different techniques, you can assess which method will work best for you.
If you live with someone who needs a beard trim or haircut, you could also consider learning these techniques to use on them (if they’ll let you, of course!).
For more advice, you might like to have a read of our article: How to cut your hair at home.
Take an online hairdressing course
If you’re interested in taking up hairdressing as a profession, now could be a great time to develop your skills through an online course.
You can find out more in our guide: How to become a hairdresser.
8. Learn the skill of optimism
Many people are surprised to know that we can learn optimism, as it’s often assumed people are simply born with it.
But you can learn to be optimistic at any age by practising a few techniques, such as challenging negative thoughts, keeping a gratitude journal, and visualising a positive future.
Optimism can help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety that are often caused by catastrophising, and has also been linked to better quality sleep, decreased engagement in unhealthy behaviours, and a greater social network.
If you’re interested in finding out more about optimism and how to develop it, we’ve written a guide you may find useful.
Take an online course in optimism
It’s also worth checking out Coursera’s positive psychology course. This will show you how to develop optimism, boost your confidence, and feel motivated for the day ahead.
9. Learn a language
There are multiple benefits of learning a new language, including keeping your brain sharp, feeling confident when travelling, and advancing your career.
Many of us admire others who can speak a second, third, or even fourth language, and wish that we could do the same. And with a little patience, determination, and passion, you can! Though, it’s important to choose a mode of learning that you enjoy to increase your chances of seeing it through.
Learn in bite-sized chunks
To avoid becoming overwhelmed, it can be helpful to start by using a programme like Duolingo, which you can download as an app or access on the web. Duolingo offers a choice of over 40 different languages, which you can learn through fun games and activities for just 5-10 minutes a day.
Take an online language course
If you’d prefer a more structured approach to language learning, you could complete an online course. For example, Rosetta Stone has various language classes available from Spanish to Swedish. You can study at home in your own time, at your own pace.
For more inspiration, why not read our articles: The benefits of learning a new language, 9 most spoken languages that are useful to learn, and 6 languages that are easier for English speakers to learn?
10. Learn something creative
If you have a creative streak, you may enjoy sitting down and developing a new creative talent. This could be drawing, painting, crocheting, calligraphy, photography, or something else entirely.
Creative talents like these are great stress relievers because they offer a sense of escapism and self-expression.
For plenty of creative inspiration, check out the hobbies and activities section of our website.
Take an online creative course
If you’re looking to explore your creative side, you might want to check out Skillshare. It offers a variety of free and paid classes, broken into bite-size chunks, allowing you to take regular breaks and learn at your own pace.
Whether you want to learn how to paint with watercolours, capture self-portraits on camera, or draw your pet, Skillshare has a wide range of creative learning opportunities available. You can enjoy all Skillshare courses free for the first week.
Alternatively, you might like to have a read of some of our creative guides, which can be found in our learning section. You’ll find everything from upholstery to carpentry.
11. Learn to meditate
If you’d be interested in developing some new skills, but you find it difficult to quiet your mind enough to do so, you could consider learning to meditate.
Mindfulness, which increases your awareness of the present moment through your senses (for example, focusing exclusively on what you can smell, touch, or taste at any given moment), is one of the most popular meditation techniques. It can help you develop gratitude, improve your sleep, and reduce stress and anxiety.
When we’re living in the present, we aren’t worrying about the past or future, so we tend to feel more peaceful. Our guide to mindfulness offers more information about the benefits of mindfulness, plus tips on how to get started.
Try mindfulness apps
You could also try downloading apps like Headspace or Calm. Both have hundreds of mindfulness exercises you can practise whilst doing everyday activities. Calm also has a number of useful free resources, including gratitude journal templates and mindful living calendars.
12. Learn to play a musical instrument
Music offers so many different things to so many different people. But one thing most will agree on is that when you’re lost in your favourite song and singing along in the car or the shower, you probably won’t be thinking about much else. It can help distract us from anxious thoughts and significantly lift our mood.
Take an online music lesson
If you’ve got a musical instrument at home, why not dust it off and practise a few chords? YouTube is a great place to find music tutorials from people of all levels who can break down the basics.
Alternatively, you could try getting creative with things around the house, like spoons. Or, if you’re into singing, there are plenty of videos that you can use to improve your singing voice.
To give you some more inspiration, we also have plenty of great music-related articles in the art and culture section of our website, such as 12 benefits of introducing more music into your life and 7 of the easiest musical instruments for adults to learn.
Final thoughts...
Learning new skills can be a welcome distraction if you’re feeling bored, restless, or anxious – but it’s best not to put too much pressure on yourself to master everything all in one go.
It can be helpful to start small and break your goals down into manageable chunks. Even starting with half an hour of learning a day can make all the difference to your self-confidence and how you feel at the end of the day.
For more ideas and inspiration, head over to the learning and hobbies and activities sections of our website.
Are you learning any skills at home? Or do you have any recommendations for great learning resources? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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