In an age where many jobs are digital, and pastimes are likewise – whether they’re videogames or workouts on hi-tech gym equipment, estranged from the real world in which you might use the fitness you build – some key life skills are falling by the wayside. Today we’re taking a look at some of the ways you can redress the balance, and make sure you still have a grasp of the physical, practical world.
Sewing on a Button
According to surveys, more than half the people in the UK don’t know how to sew a popped button back onto a piece of clothing! This is a basic skill that it’s a huge advantage for you to master – not just because you’re likely to need to sew a button onto your trousers at some point in life, but because it changes your attitude to clothes! They go from fixed items that you’re beholden to when they break to things you can repair and customise. If you can sew on a button, you can move a button to make a pair of trousers looser or tighter. If you can do that, you can repair a tear and if you can repair clothes it’s a short step to making your own!
Ordering some arts and crafts box sets could be a great way to get started and learn how to sew by providing all the equipment you need, and guiding you through a few fun started projects that’ll make needle and thread feel like second nature.
Reading a Map
In the era of smartphone navigation, you don’t need to know how to read a map – orienteering is for obsessive hobbyists only! Your phone tells you which way to walk, which way to drive and delivers early notifications of upcoming left and right turns as you listen to your next podcast. It’s a system that works perfectly, until you lose signal, or your phone loses power.
Being able to read a map and navigate effectively without a phone makes your life easier day to day, and allows for more adventures outside the day to day!
You could start by looking at a map of your area. Tracing familiar routes without the aid of your phone is a good way to familiarise yourself with the basics. For more advanced map reading, give yourself more motivation! Planning a walk in the countryside will help you understand scale, elevation, orientation and many of the symbols standard on O/S maps, and help you enjoy a day of walking without distractions from your phone.
