Master a Skill in Quarantine

One of the best ways to make use of your spare time in this quarantine is to learn a new skill.

Just think about the most successful people in the world. Those who consistently succeed are those who are best at learning new skills

Successful people make the commitment to dedicate their spare time in the pursuit of learning (instead of vegging out in front of the television.) And they stick to their promise of learning.

The Top 7 Benefits of Learning a New Skills

People learn new skills for a variety of reasons. Sometimes you need new skills for your job to keep up with technological advances or to take advantage of newly developed techniques. When you learn a new skill, it has benefits that go way beyond the actual skill learner. Here are some of the biggest benefits of learning a new skill – no matter what that skill is.

1. Your brain chemistry changes-

The white matter in your brain is called myelin, and it helps improve performance on a number of tasks. The more people practice a new skill they are learning, the more dense the myelin in their brains becomes, which helps them learn even better.

2. Your learning speed increases-

Learning a new skill helps you learn things faster over time. By stimulating neurons in the brain, more neural pathways are formed and electrical impulses travel faster across them as you attempt to process new information. The more pathways that are formed, the faster impulses can travel.

3. You make connections between skill areas-

Part of learning a new skill is connecting that skill to information and skills you already know. Prior knowledge helps people relate to new information and build on existing knowledge, which makes it easier to learn even more new skills.

4. You become a more interesting person-

Well-rounded individuals have an easier time relating to others and have more things in common with them. Being a more interesting person will draw others to you and improve the quality of your life as your relationships improve and deepen.

5. It fights boredom-

Learning new things keeps your interest level high so you don’t get bored as easily. Doing the same things over and over again can quickly become monotonous, but learning a new skill breaks that cycle of monotony and prevents boredom from setting in.

6. You adapt better to change-

When you learn something new, your mind and your perceptions change, which in turn makes it easier to adapt to the inevitable changes life always tends to bring. Adapting to change is a skill in itself, and the more varied your life experience is, the easier it is to adapt to change.

7. You could stave off dementia-

People who learn a new skill are less likely to develop dementia, which has been linked to demyelination of your brain. People who actively learn new skills don’t give their brains a chance to demyelinated, and their neural pathways are ready for new impulses to travel along them.

Sometimes you can learn a new skill independently or informally, but often the best way to learn a new skill is to take a course. Central Connecticut State University offers continuing education courses that allow people to learn new skills and more fully develop their existing skills, both for their careers and to develop their own interests. Join our mailing list to see what courses are coming up in the near future.

Here is a list of five valuable things that you can learn in your quarantine time-
1. Speed Reading –

How much more work could you accomplish if you were able to complete all of your required reading in one-third of the time? Or even half the time?

Speed reading is basically learning to understand the fundamental principles of the human visual system, allowing you to eliminate inefficiencies in your reading and increase the speed at which you read while also improving your retention.

2. Speak a New Language –

You’ve probably heard this before…

Learning a new foreign language can provide a number of amazing results in your life.

You can use language learning to:

Travel to fun places and actually speak to locals
Challenge yourself to learn something fun
Advance your career opportunities
Now, the challenge with learning a new language has always been how to find the time and what learning platform to use.

3. Learn How to Draw –

Drawing is actually a basic skill that we were all born with. While we have to be taught to read and write, people are actually born with the natural ability to draw.

Drawing is essential for human survival because it is a form of communication that everyone can understand, no matter what language you speak. Toddlers begin drawing before they start to read or write and continue to do it throughout life.

4. Photography –

A criticism that is often heard today is that people spend too much time taking pictures of their experiences instead of living them. However, the photographs play an important role in allowing people to hold on to memories and show the rest of the world a peek into their lives while also telling a story.

Everyone should learn some photography because it provides several benefits. It is a fun hobby and can help you grow as a person by cultivating creativity.

In the photography masterclass linked below, you can learn a complete guide to photography with 15 hours of training. It will teach you everything from understanding how your camera works to what gear you will need. It will also give you tips for selling your photographs.

And if you want a quick overview of the photography basics, this video tutorial covers specific elements like ISO settings, aperture, and shutter speed.

5. Master Photoshop –

Everyone should know some Photoshop basics. Learning Photoshop is an important tool if you want to work in graphic or web design or even just use it at home for your own pictures. Because it is such a valued skill, it is great to be able to add to a resume as well.

It is also important to learn Photoshop if you work in a hands-on marketing role. For example, if you create flyers, email newsletters, or brochures, knowing Photoshop will help you optimize your creations and retouch your images. Photoshop actually offers some resources to get you started.

But if you want a bit more “hands-on” training. The course linked below gives over 30 hours of video training that will make you a Photoshop expert.

Once this quarantin ends, you can put these new skills to good use and apply it at your job and show off your new skills to everyone, thereby impressing everyone around you.