Category: Enjoy

8 New Skills you Should Consider Learning in 2021

This year, we have all had a lot of free time to play around with. For most of us, we have been filling this time with watching as much Netflix as possible and pigging out in front of the TV. However, you can only do these things for so long before you start to feel as though you are wasting your time. We recommend that you use your spare time to learn some valuable skills that you can take forward and use to improve the quality of your life. Here are 8 new skills you should consider learning in 2021. 

A New Language 

If you have found yourself with a lot of spare time on your hands, then a very useful skill that you could pick up is learning a new language. Many people believe that once you reach a certain age you can no longer learn a new language, this really isn’t the case. Learning a new language will open you up to a world of opportunities. You will be able to communicate with a vast amount of people and you will also be open to many more job opportunities.  

If you are wanting to travel once the craziness of the pandemic subsides, then you will be able to test what you have learned and go to a country that speaks whatever language you choose to conquer. 

Self Defense 

Self-defense is an extremely valuable skill, but it is something that not many of us know. Unfortunately, the world can be a dangerous place and we are all at the risk of potentially being hurt by someone who does not have the best intentions. 

 You can learn self-defense by watching youtube videos or attending classes. You can also educate yourself on equipment that you can purchase in order to protect yourself, such as alarms and pepper sprays. If you are someone interested in purchasing pepper sprays, you can always read Guardian pepper spray reviews online. 

Organization 

A skill that we would all like to have is organization. Being a well-organized person will make your life much easier, as an organization is a key to efficiency. If you are someone that is currently working from home, then you may have become overwhelmed by paperwork or remembering deadlines and meeting dates.  

Figuring out how to stay organized and keep track of any engagements you have will mean that you can focus on the things that matter without worrying about missing something or losing anything important. 

An Instrument  

Another great way to invest your time is by learning a new instrument. Playing an instrument is one of those things that everyone wants to be able to do, but not many people can. There is something therapeutic about being able to play an instrument and it is a great creative outlet for any of you with hectic lives. 

Learning an instrument can also help improve your memory as you create brand new pathways within your brain which will encourage you to be able to pick up new skills much easier. 

Car Repairs 

Not everyone that drives knows how to fix a problem with their car. This is perfectly normal, as not everyone was taught the ins and outs of cars while growing up. Due to a lack of knowledge, many of us invest thousands every year in enlisting the help of a mechanic.  

In order to save yourself some money, you should learn the basics of car repairs. Figuring out how to fix easily fixable problems will mean that you won’t have to keep going to and from a mechanic for help, which means you can invest your money in items that you actually want. 

Gardening 

As the sun is starting to come out, you may be spending a lot more time in your garden. While in your garden, you may have noticed your neighbors getting down to a little gardening. Why not develop a green thumb yourself?  Gardening is an extremely relaxing activity that keeps your brain busy.  

You can also plant and grow your own produce, which means you can save money on buying fruit and veg that can be easily grown at home. If your garden is looking a bit plain, you will be able to make it a bit more colorful with the introduction of flowers and trees. 

Dancing 

Sometime in the near future, nightclubs will be opening once again.  Some of us are a bit behind on our dancing skills, so why not use the time that you have now in order to teach yourself how to bust a move on the dance floor? 

Dancing is not only extremely fun, but it is really good for your body. If you want to stay fit but don’t want to hit the gym, then taking a few dance classes may be for you. 

Survival Skills 

If you are someone that loves to watch survival shows, you may have learned a few tricks. Though you may think you would know what to do in a survival situation, you never really know until you put your knowledge to the test. If you really want to see if you can make it in a survival situation, why not test it by heading out on a camping trip and seeing if you are capable of surviving by making a fire and even hunting for your own food.  

Stress Busting: 8 Ways to Reduce Day-To-Day Stress

As humans, it is natural for us to experience regular stress. With the current state of the world, it would be impossible to remain stress-free. With global warming, a global pandemic, and the questioning morality of those in control, it would be weird for someone to not experience stress right now. For some of us,  the stress of daily life can be disruptive to the daily schedule, so it would make sense why so many people are set on trying to reduce the stress.   

Trying to reduce your stress levels is easier said than do and some of you may not know where to even start. Don’t worry, we get it. Here are 8 ways to reduce day-to-day stress.  

Don’t overdo your workload  

One of the main reasons why stress is such a big problem these days is because we are a generation of overworked. With the increased economic stress of the world and the uncertainty associated with employment, many of us feel the need to overdo our workloads to feel as though we are contributing to society and climbing the social ladder.  Though it is commendable to want to achieve good things, it is important that you don’t take on more than you can handle. This will only lead to you burning out and could even potentially ruin the quality of what you do manage to get done. Decreasing the work you do will mean less stress and more productivity.  

 

Introduce CBD to your routine  

A new trend that you may have noticed taking off in the last few years is the use of CBD. CBD has been proven to relax the muscles in your body and also alleviate your mind of excessive stress. CBD can be introduced into your schedule in many ways, in fact, you can purchase disposable vapes that allow you to vape CBD oil. You can also buy CBD oil that can be put into your food. However you choose to take it, we recommend doing it at the end of your evening so you can wind down and enjoy a full night of sleep. As you all know, sleep is extremely important for the function of your brain, so the more sleep you get the better. 

Take time to do things you enjoy 

We can all get so overwhelmed by external issues that we forget to focus on taking the time to do what we enjoy. Enjoying at least an hour a day of wind downtime has shown to significantly reduce your overall stress levels. The body also releases oxytocin and dopamine when we are taking part in tasks that we enjoy. These chemicals create that ‘happy feeling’ that we all long for. These chemicals will overpower feelings of stress and give you some time of relief during an exceptionally stressful time.  

Spend time with the company  

Many people do not know that isolation can be a large factor behind feelings of stress. When we are alone we are often left with nothing but our thoughts, which makes many of us hyperfocus on the sheer amount of responsibility and jobs we have to carry out. When you are alone, it can be hard to distract from focusing on these thoughts. However, when we decide to spend time with the company, the brain becomes more preoccupied with interaction with other humans, which can be a much-needed break from thoughts of responsibility. Spending time with friends also increases the probability of laughing, which once again encourages the release of those happy chemicals that we all love.  

Go out for nice food 

Though this may not seem too obvious, treating yourself to some delicious food can actually be a great way to relieve any stress. Partaking in tasty food stimulates feelings of pleasure within the body and can lead to an improved mood.  It is not only the food that can help, being in an environment that you are not constantly exposed to can be very beneficial to your mood as it will give you an escape from the thoughts of your daily tasks. Not having to think about these tasks will mean that you can think about other things, such as hanging out with friends and relaxing. 

Take time to have a creative outlet  

Though you may choose to just unwind and watch Tv after a long day, it is recommended that you take the time to find a creative outlet. There is a reason that adult coloring has become so popular over the years, focusing on something relaxing can allow you to unwind without any problems.  Creating something will also give you a sense of achievement that will alleviate any feelings of pressure and stress. Doing something creative is also just very refreshing when compared to having to complete the rest of your responsibilities.  

Sleep Enough 

Arguably one of the most important yet most neglected ways of reducing stress is ensuring that you get as much sleep as you possibly can.  It is recommended that the average human should have at least eight hours of sleep a night, this will make sure that the brain is well-rested enough to be able to process the stress of completing everyday tasks. Your body also needs to recover after a long day of tasks before waking up and having to deal with more, so be sure to have an early night when you can.  

Why Board Games are a Great Way to Stay Mentally Fit

Doing activities that promote healthy mental health has never been more important, with so many people all over the world currently finding themselves bored or with nothing to do, activities like playing board games offer relief from this boredom by providing entertaining mental stimulation. The great thing about board games is that they often have ways of teaching you something whilst hiding it in a  fun concept, this has been proven to be one of the most effective methods of teaching as it encourages you to have fun whilst learning something new. Apart from board games, if you do sports at home regularly, it helps to improve your mental health.

 

Spend Time With Loved Ones

With mental health having strong links to a person’s emotional state, one of the biggest mental benefits of playing a board game would have to be the fact that it makes you spend quality time with a friend or family member. If you are feeling down or you feel your mental health is in a negative state one of the best things you could do is to sit down and spend some quality time with a loved one, small experiences like these often help and may even encourage you to talk about your problems whilst you play.

 

Maths Within Board Games

You will be surprised to know just how many board games actually require mathematics style skills, some in a very subtle way and others rely heavily upon maths in order for you to be able to play. Games involving dice require the player to be able to do simple adding and especially for younger children, this is a very good way to sneak teaching into playtime. Other games like backgammon and connect four have elements of maths to them also, playing games like these has been proven to encourage good mental health as it occupies and stimulates the mind in a situation where you could be doing nothing. Using maths in board games is also a great learning tool for young children, gently encouraging them to learn more about maths in a relaxing and easy-going environment, which often gets the best results.

 

Scrabble

Scrabble is a classic family board game consisting of players finding space for words created from their given tiles, each letter used is worth a number of points with the obscure letters being worth more. This game has been around for quite some time with many experts looking at whether or not this game impacts mental fitness, after extensive research the fundamental concept of the game is to encourage children and families to share words that they are familiar with.

This is a great method of getting children to learn new words as they are having competitive fun as well, widening your vocabulary is a great way to keep mentally fit as you are learning new things in a way that is natural and not forced. If you find that you are becoming too advanced for classic scrabble you may want to think about playing scrabble go cheat, this takes the classic scrabble format with a modern twist, this game is playable online and would be great for those who wish to be challenged even further.

 

Occupying the Mind

A final reason why board games are great for mental fitness is that they offer an escape from the negative aspects of your life, in moments where you feel that your mental health has dropped one of the best things that you can do would be to take your mind off what is affecting you. Board games are a great way to occupy the mind and spend some time with family, doing this can help you to forget about what is making you feel bad and improve your mental state.