The pandemic has hit many states in the US. Many of these states went into lockdown, with many businesses temporarily closing their doors. Many services were closed during the pandemic as well. Restaurants, bars, and theaters are closed to the public, and only essential services such as healthcare, banking, and basic sanitation services are open. With some of these services slowly opening their doors this year, it is still a risk to visit them, considering that the virus hasn’t been entirely eradicated.
Thankfully, some services we need can be learned and done at home. They are great activities to be integrated into your lifestyle, and they may even help with your career in the future. Here are some great tools and skills to learn and have during the pandemic.
Sewing
Sewing is an excellent hobby to practice and master. It’s a versatile skill that can help you create and fix things. It’s also great during the pandemic because of the dire need for face masks and other personal protective equipment.
The facemask industry nearly doubled its size last year, from earning only $79 million in 2019 to $166 billion in 2020. That’s a compound annual growth of a staggering 53%. Such change is something that no market has ever seen before. It’s also the prime reason why so many people are getting into sewing.
During the start of the pandemic, face masks were limited in number. Not everyone could buy face masks, so many people locked in their homes have taken the liberty of sewing their own face masks. Cloth face masks may not offer the same protection as disposable medical face masks, but they offer enough protection for everyone practicing social distancing. People in many US states are also required to wear face masks when going out. It can be quite costly to buy boxes of disposable face masks, so making your own is not such a bad idea.
Sewing machines and kits only cost a couple of dollars, and you can learn how to make your own face mask on the internet. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can start adding your own designs. You might even be able to snag a couple of dollars selling some of them on the internet. The market is ridiculously high, and everyone needs a face mask. Additionally, after the pandemic, you can use the skills and tools you’ve gained from sewing to fix your clothes. You can even readjust the size of your jeans to fit you perfectly. There are just too many lifestyle benefits from learning this skill that you shouldn’t miss out on it during this pandemic.
Barbering
Let’s be honest here. The quarantine lifestyle has made us lose our image. I mean, no one is really going out anyway, and barbershops are closed, so what’s the point of cutting our hair? Well, there are many health benefits in keeping your hair trimmed and short, even if you’re not going out as often. It gets rid of split ends, promotes healthy hair growth, and removes existing hair issues. Learning how to cut your own hair can improve hand dexterity and control, which is essential for almost any job out there.
So to start, you’re going to need the best tools for the trade. Getting the best scissors should be on the top of your list because these shears can definitely last you a lifetime. Moreover, these shears are great for making precise cuts. They are also a lot safer because you wouldn’t be using too much force to cut your hair.
To learn essential barbering skills, you’re going to have to practice. Thankfully, you have a lot of time during this pandemic. Start by buying an old mannequin (some shops may even give it to you for free) and some wigs. Place the wig on the mannequin and start cutting. Through this, you’ll begin to see the impact of every cut made in different areas of the hair. Once you’re comfortable enough, you can start cutting your own hair. Remember that the hardest cut is the first cut you’ll make. The rest will be as simple as pie.
Barbering can become an essential skill even right after the pandemic. You would spend less money on grooming when you can start doing it yourself. Additionally, you can make it as a side-hustle to earn a couple of bucks.
Cooking
We all miss restaurants and high-quality food. At this point, you might be getting tired of eating the same canned goods you’ve been buying ever since the start of the pandemic. Those can also be quite unhealthy once you’ve eaten them for quite some time. So maybe it’s time to learn one of the essential skills of survival: cooking.
Cooking requires a couple of tools that you might already have but never used in your apartment. But not everyone has a chef’s knife. You’re going to need that. You might think it’s not an unnecessary expense, but trust us, a chef knife is going to save you a lot of hassle in the kitchen, and much like shears, they can practically last a lifetime.
When it comes to learning how to cook, the internet is your best friend. Start with simple dishes and make your way up. Remember to always experiment and discover flavor profiles you might never have tasted before. Cooking is an art, and it takes time to master, but it is one of the most rewarding skills you can ever learn. Additionally, you can make a career out of it during the pandemic. You can even make a career out of it now. Take-outs are becoming a big hit in many states, and you can certainly be a part of that.
This pandemic has taught us that we have a lot of time to spend learning new skills. It’s taught us that despite the closing of many businesses and services, we can start anew. By developing these skills, we can create a road for each of us to a brighter tomorrow.
