Lockdown hasn’t been easy for any of us. One of the biggest impacts has been on young teenagers’ mental health and wellbeing. We may feel like the days are very repetitive, especially when we don’t have the ability to meet our friends easily. However, one solution to this is just getting yourself busy throughout the days, by learning a ‘lockdown skill.’

I, myself, have recently learnt how to juggle 3 balls as a ‘lockdown skill’. This skill is surprisingly fun and builds up your hand co-ordination very quickly. The best thing that I find with juggling is that it distracts you from your thoughts and allows you to relax and just enjoy yourself. Learning a skill has also been incredibly useful in improving my self-discipline and perseverance as the skill didn’t come to me straight away and I had to overcome failures again and again. Overall, learning a skill can prevent boredom and gives you something interesting to do while stuck at home.

Additionally, many skills may actually come in handy later in your life or just be quite practical! For example, learning a new language or basic DIY is extremely useful.

A particular skill that many people across Britain have been trying out more is cooking. This is an invaluable skill and what better time to learn it now when you have more time to practise at home! For example, West London secondary school student, Alpha, explains ‘I have started to learn how to cook during lockdown.’ He continues that ‘I think [it] has benefited me as it is a skill you need to know and it is also a creative skill.’

Furthermore, it is good to remember that you don’t necessarily have to learn a specific skill, but rather just rekindle your passion for something you enjoy. This could be something like spending more time doing arts and crafts.

One of the most frustrating things that prevent most from learning a skill is that it takes so long and requires huge amounts of patience. It may be hard to concentrate for so long, but in the end, the satisfaction and joy of learning a new skill will all be worth it.

So, go out and find a lockdown skill to keep you occupied through these difficult times!