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These past few years have been a bit of a rollercoaster, and no doubt you’ve learned to prepare for only one thing: change.

What better way to put that adaptability to good use and commit to a new skill or hobby? Learning new things is proven to be good for your brain and can be even more fun when shared with friends. We’ve put together some ideas to get you started.

If you have...

15 minutes: Learn to count in another language

Learning a new language is challenging – but counting is as easy as un, deux, trois. Numbers are essential in any language and are a good place to start if you’ve always wanted to learn.

They can come in handy when ordering in a café on your next holiday, or just give your brain a mini workout while you’re on the way to school or work.

Why not pick five of your target languages and memorise how to count to 20 in each, or choose one and get all the way to 100? Get started with Bitesize and learn in Irish Gaelic, Welsh, Mandarin and more.

One hour or an afternoon: Sew a collar

The eco-conscious TikToker may have charity shop-scouring down to a fine art, but there are plenty of ways to transform your wardrobe without cutting into your clothes or your budget. Making accessories that you can mix-and-match is one way to keep an outfit fresh.

For example, you can make a collar in every shape and style using an old T-shirt or even some card paper. A Peter Pan collar is a nice and easy style to start with - simply draw it on whatever material you've decided to use, but on the back, so the outlines won't show on the finished product. Cut it, decorate it as you wish, et voilà! Your unique collar is ready to peek out of your cosiest jumper.

Even if it’s not your style, detachable collars make the perfect gift – a stiff pointy collar is a must for Wednesday Addams wannabes, whereas a frillier affair would suit your cottagecore pals. You don’t need to be a sewing expert either as a basic collar only requires a few stitches, or can be held together with some sturdy glue.

One week: Bird and wildlife watching

With technology keeping us all connected, it’s easy to slip into the habit of staying indoors. Why not get back in touch with nature and take up wildlife spotting? The best part is you can start from home before you venture out and you don’t need a garden – there is plenty of wildlife to be seen even in urban areas.

Birdwatching has been compared to meditative practices as it lowers the stress hormone cortisol. See how a week of spotting on an outdoor walk makes you feel – it may even improve your reaction times as you need to be quiet and quick to spot shy animals.

One month: Stargazing

Not to be confused with astrology (think tarot and star signs), astronomy is the study of celestial bodies and outer-space phenomena.

You don’t need any fancy equipment or textbooks to get going, you can simply look up at the sky. Tracking the Moon’s phases is a good starting point - a lunar month lasts around 29.5 days and starts with a new Moon, when the Moon is not visible at all. We also have a quick and easy introduction on how to navigate the night sky.

If you like creative note-taking, combining your astrology journey with bullet journalling is a fun and aesthetic way to keep track of your new hobby.

One year: Video editing

Maybe you’re already a master of Tiktok transitions or have always wanted to dabble in film making but don’t know where to start. The terminology and software may look intimidating, but basic video editing isn’t too difficult to learn. Many software programs today have tutorials and shortcuts to make it easy and fun to pick up. If you practise for a year, you might be astounded at how far your skills and creative style come on.

Editing is a growing industry and could make you more employable in future: many of your favourite Youtubers probably started out editing their own videos and now commission other people to save time and produce more content. It's also a crucial art in the film industry and can be what makes a film award-worthy.

To get started, you will need to decide on an editing software to use. There are many free options, and a lot of popular brands offer a free demo before you commit to using them. Then all you need is some footage, as well as some time and patience. You can get started with Bitesize's Other Side of the Story and learn basic video editing skills, and progress to advanced editing skills.

This article was published in December 2022