Although government guidelines are starting to ease, social distancing is still very much in place and many of us are still spending much more time at home than we usually would.

Most of us have dreamt about one day having space and time to be able to learn a new skill. Maybe you’ve always wanted to develop your gardening skills or learn to draw.

Well, now could be the perfect time to dig out your paints, get creative in the kitchen, or learn your Rhododendrons from your Chrysanthemums!

Learning a new skill is a great way to keep your mind busy, work on your personal or professional development, and have some fun.

With that said, here are five skills that you can develop at home during the lockdown and beyond.

Learn to Bake

Baking can be a great way to explore your creativity and relieve stress – not forgetting that you’ll get a tasty treat at the end of it! Since the lockdown began, experienced bakers have been taking to social media to share their baking tips and recipes and help people across the nation find joy in the kitchen.

Classes run by Bread Ahead Bakery in Borough Market, London, usually sell out fast. But you can now join in with free live baking classes over on their Instagram page. They’ll show you how to create mouthwatering bakes such as brownies, bagels, and shortbread.

If a live class isn’t for you, then you could consider taking an online course. For example, if you’re keen to develop your bread making skills – so you can make more complex loaves like sourdough – try Udemy’s selection of artisan bread making courses that will show you how to do this.

Learn How to Cut Your Own Hair

With hairdressers still closed under government guidelines, by now you might be in need of a good trim. While it’s not usually recommended that you try to cut your own hair (or the hair of someone in your household!), if you’re feeling brave and can’t wait until hair salons reopen, then you could develop some of your own hairdressing skills at home.

The most important thing to remember when you’re learning to cut hair is to take your time. It’s not something to be rushed or done in bad lighting when you’re tired at the end of the day.

YouTube has a number of easy to follow tutorials that can help you learn to trim your tresses at home. At Rest Less we selected some of the best ones and added advice from hair stylist and tutor Glenda Cresswell. Be sure to take in as much information as you can before you give it a go yourself!

Learn to Paint or Draw

Both drawing and painting take a great deal of time and concentration – especially when you’re learning the basics.

A few months ago, you may have been too busy rushing around to even consider sitting down with a paintbrush and blank canvas. But lockdown has given many of us more time to engage with mindful activities.

If you’re interested in learning how to paint, then consider heading over to WowArt’s YouTube channel where you can take part in fun daily painting challenges.

These are quick and cheerful, will help you to build your confidence with painting, and give you a chance to practice and develop your skills.

To work on your drawing skills, you could enroll in Drawspace’s ‘Get started with drawing’ course. It’s completely free and will show you how to prepare for your drawing journey, develop your technique and build a portfolio of drawings that you can feel proud of.

Learn Some Gardening Skills

When we’re stuck at home, nature can help to keep us sane. Research has shown that being close to nature can help us feel happier and more connected to life. For this reason, there’s never been a better time to hone your green skills – whether you have a garden or not.

If you don’t have a garden, or your outdoor space is very small (e.g., you have a balcony, patio, etc.), then you’ll still have plenty of opportunity to grow your skill set!

Vertical Veg’s website offers tips and tricks on how to grow plants in containers in small spaces.

If you’re looking to develop your outdoor garden skills, then you could consider taking an online gardening diploma, which is CPD certified.

Alternatively, the Royal Horticultural Society website is packed with free information and advice on how to grow and maintain houseplants and gardens year-round.

Learn a New Language

Learning a language can increase your cultural awareness, advance your career, and make travelling much more interesting and enjoyable. The learning process itself can also be a lot of fun and is great for boosting your memory and keeping your brain sharp.

One of the many reasons that people are put off of learning a new language is because there’s so much to learn, that sometimes the task can seem overwhelming. If this sounds familiar, then it’s worth downloading the Duolingo app.

Duolingo is a fun and free interactive way to learn language skills in small manageable chunks. An independent study carried out by the University of South Carolina and the City University of New York showed that 34 hours of Duolingo (on average) is equivalent to a full semester of language education!

Or, if you’d prefer to learn in a more structured and in-depth way, then you could consider taking an online language course. You can work at your own pace, in your own time and will usually receive a certificate upon successful completion.

Are you learning any new skills during lockdown? If so, how are you learning them? Please share the ones that brought you most fun and were worth the time.

I watched my in-laws’ tidy bedroom closets fill with suitcases and clothes after each of their parents died.

Add to this the odd table, chairs, hutches, and antique Victrola that migrated to the basement family room, which transformed into a maze you’d see in an episode of Hoarders – the couch piled with boxes, the TV pushed into a corner and covered with grandma’s quilted bedspread. The remote lost forever.

Everyone is different when it comes to living with material things. When family treasures are involved, it is especially important to respect our differences; they don’t define who we are as human beings.

For instance, I’m easily overwhelmed when surrounded by too many things. A minimalist by nature, I function better with fewer things in my life.

Others find comfort surrounded by things that hold memories of those they loved. Neither is right or wrong. There is no moral high ground.

There Is a Tipping Point, However

Too often, we keep things tucked away in storage boxes only to think we can forget about them. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Sorting through a loved one’s belongings can evoke an undercurrent of delayed grieving or guilt. We may end up thinking we’re a terrible person if we choose to say we actually don’t want to keep Aunt Myrtle’s coffee table or porcelain figurines.

There are some heavy “shoulds” that arrive with the boxes and furniture, however. And, there comes a time when it serves us to question why we’re hanging onto stuff that sits somewhere in our house and might get looked at once a year. Maybe.

Our Hearts Are the Memory Keepers

In the midst of tending to the treasures, it’s important to remember that our hearts hold our memories forever. To recall how that person made us feel, the echoes of time spent together, and what they handed down doesn’t need to take up space with things.

Our hearts hold their memory – the legacy of who they were and who we are because of them. The true treasure of who they were to us. And what we were together.

It’s important to hold this truth and give yourself permission to let go of what was left behind in terms of material possessions that have become burdensome.

Here are my 5 tips for tending to the treasures:

Pick a Favorite

You may have a family member who collected multiples of the same items to dust, illuminate, and delight in. Think Hummels, collector plates, teapots, salt & pepper shakers – you name it.

Consider saving a favorite item from a collection and let the others go – to a relative or someone who you know will enjoy them.

Take Photos of Objects as a Remembrance

Instead of keeping lots of items from your dearly departed, take photos of the objects they cherished the most. Those photos can be shared with other family members and can be stored online freeing up space in your home and theirs.

There are companies (or a tech-savvy relative) who can digitally archive your family photos, slides, and old videos.

Make It an Event

Gather family members to go through the photos, boxes, and closets through an event to share memories, laughter, and even tears. Everyone can leave with a fresh reminder of their connection to each other, having had a time to remember those who shaped them.

Connect via FaceTime or Zoom with those too far away to attend and have a box ready for any items they may want sent their way. Others can leave with boxes in hand. You know they’ve had their chance to take what was meaningful to them, making it easier for you to pass along what wasn’t wanted.

Take Time to Think About the Person

As you remember your loved one, you may be inspired to think of creative ways to find new homes for their things. If they loved animals, then perhaps donate their things to a local thrift shop whose proceeds support PAWS or other animal rescue facilities.

Take Your Time, But Vow to Begin

If you have a lot to tackle, and feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume to manage, remind yourself you don’t have to do it all at once. Determine a good starting point. Something that feels less daunting.

Set aside time on your calendar and set a timer for an hour (or even less) and begin. One closet shelf, one box, one drawer. Reassess how you feel when the timer rings. Give yourself permission to stop, or, if you’re feeling good, set the timer again and keep going.

Give yourself permission to let go of the stuff. It’s okay to let go of things. Really. Let go of feeling guilty or judged by others as being uncaring, ungrateful, or cold-hearted if you don’t hang on to things.

Let go of feeling like you have to take keepsakes because yours was the logical place for everything to go. Make room for what is actually yours.

A friend shared the story of his father-in-law shipping most of the furniture from the family home to theirs as he was down-sizing. Asked how they liked the furniture, my friend said to his father-in-law, “Well, our place looks just like yours now.”

We need room for our own tastes and likes to be in our homes. Keep the true treasures that you absolutely love and will take pleasure in having.

Use the fine china, the silver, the gold rimmed drinking glasses deemed special-occasion-only status. Let other pieces take root and enhance someone else’s life.

Trust your heart to hold the memories.

How do you keep the belongings of loved ones who have departed this world? Are your closets full of other people’s things? Have you done a clean-up? Please share your thoughts and best practices, and let’s have a conversation!