How to make the most of a lockdown
It seems so long ago, that we used to be able to go out freely; going to work and meeting friends seems like a distant memory now. As a vaccine or cure for the disease known as COVID-19 remains unlikely to be fond any time soon, it has presented to us some lifestyle changes which can feel somewhat forced. However, the reality is that if we are to “flatten the curve’, staying home is necessary. This has left most people without any regular school, university or job schedules.
It is easy to succumb to our innate nature to use this as an excuse to be lazy and lie in bed or on the couch all day. This amount of free time, however, is the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill or brush up on an old one. I know that everyone has been hearing this throughout the lockdown but what I hope to do through this article is to give you a few tips on how you could try to find a new passion or become a master at an existing one.
First and foremost, you do not need to do what “everyone is doing”. Everyone has a completely unique brain, personality and mindset. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another person. This is the time to try different things and discover your hidden passions. Don’t let what is being posted on social media limit your imagination.
Another important thing is to not give up. If you do find something that catches your interest, do not let it go. Each and every skill takes time and patience to develop. Nobody can make the perfect painting or bake a delicious cake or sing the perfect high note in their first try. Keep digging into your passion and give at least an hour or two every day to develop this skill.
The last tip I want to give is on how to find the resources to develop a skill. For this, the solution is simple: turn to your phone or laptop. In today’s day and age, technology has advanced so much that it is very easy to find online tutorials, some of which are even free. Some of the websites which I have used and include free courses are Udemy, EdX, Coursera and many more. Some of these courses have optional paid certification which in some cases can even be used for college credit. If you are looking for something a little less “professional”, YouTube is by far the simplest and most convenient option hosting thousands of videos of tutorials of everything from baking to coding to music and almost anything else you could think of.
In conclusion, I would just like to say that the possibilities to make the best out of this unfortunate circumstance are endless; all thanks to the power of the internet. So, get up from that couch and help yourself grow as a person and make sure that you do not regret wasting so much free time that we all once used to dream about.
Written by - Akshaan Garg