While we’ve all become familiar with Skype meetings, Facetime chats, and Zoom webinars, many people are finding the latest tech connectivity options allow for even wider personal use — for example, learning a new skill or hobby online with friends, or seeking inspiration from hopeful music. Ready to expand your horizons? Then you’re in luck! This article offers some great ideas to help you get started.
Connect Virtually
Chances are, you have friends and family members spread across the country, or even the globe, who you don’t see in person very often. Getting together in a virtual setting for a shared self-development activity can create new ways of bonding, learning interesting skill sets, and even taking a collective focus on a particular hobby.
Take Up An Instrument
Have you always wanted to play the guitar? Do you wish you stuck with piano lessons when you were 12? Maybe you still have a saxophone from the high school marching band in the closet collecting dust. Perhaps you attended a symphony performance and it inspired you to learn the violin. It’s never too late to acquire music skills, and online instruction provides a number of tools old school music lessons didn’t – like the ability to pull up music on a tablet or record your lessons and revisit them to look for improvements. You might even be able to find a gently used instrument online
Learn To Garden
Whether you’re interested in growing hot house orchids or want to become a backyard farmer as a way to live healthily and sustainably, chances are you can find an online program to help you do it. There are plenty of sources to help you learn about what grows best in your region, and what kinds of soil, nutrients and water, and sunlight various plants need. You can also become familiar with what is poisonous and what has medicinal properties, and even get insight into how you can safely process and preserve the food you’ve grown. Even if you over-produce, you can share with neighbors and some types of food banks.
Advance Your Cooking Skills
Ever wanted to learn how to prepare a fully vegan meal? Maybe you have a favorite cuisine from a favorite country you’d like to learn to make? According to She Knows, whether you’re looking to learn exotic cooking styles or want tips on healthy meal prep, a virtual group cooking class can be both fun and educational. All you need to do is set up your laptop or tablet in your kitchen and follow along. Programs are available for beginners all the way through master chefs. You can even lift a glass of wine and toast your friends and instructor!
Get Physical
Online exercise programs are a new twist on live fitness classes and old-school workout videos. You can participate in everything from spin classes and kickboxing to yoga and meditation. The great thing about working out with friends in a virtual environment is the camaraderie, the group support, and the standing time commitment to improving your health through increased physical activity. You’ll also be in the virtual “front row” of every class, which can be helpful when you’re trying to learn new techniques or mimic movements or poses.
Learn A New Language
As the pandemic-era international travel restrictions ease, you may be ready to finally take that overseas trip you’ve been planning for. So why not take this time to learn a new language? Not only will this type of program stimulate your brain in new ways, but it will also allow you to fully immerse yourself in local culture when you travel abroad. You might even consider a program that teaches you a bit about the people, the history, and the traditions behind the language. Doing this with friends can be great fun – especially if you start planning a group trip where you can use your newfound skills.
Learning new skills is not just fun, it can help you feel a sense of achievement and even start a profitable business. It also provides a much-needed social outlet, especially if you live in a remote area, have been working from home, or are unable to get out much. Rally your best group of friends to participate with you as a bonding experience, or meet new friends by joining an existing group solo!
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