March 15, 2022

Being an adult is all about stepping into the real world, figuring out how to live our lives peacefully, and focusing correctly. Tons of life skills will help you become a respected person for yourself, your loved ones, and society.

Most of the life skills you need to master are related to housekeeping, general hygiene, personal grooming, social skills, survival, and self-awareness. But that’s not all. There’s plenty more you can learn every day to become a better human being.

Not all life skills for adults are ones everyone should know about. You might need to pick up a few extra skills based on your way of living and profession. However, certain skills are required to live a decent life. And there are catered programs available to help you garner those habits, bit by bit, every day.

18 Essential Life Skills You Must Learn

If you are determined about self-improvement but not sure where to begin then here are 18 essential life skills that everyone should learn.

1. Cooking and Cleaning

Cooking is a must-have skill that should be in your repertoire as an adult. Whether you’re living in a dorm, your apartment, or maybe you like eating outside; the ability to whip up some quick meals is a life-saving skill that will help you a lot.

Cleaning is also an essential life skill that every mature adult should be able to do. Basic housekeeping skills include doing your laundry, keeping your room clean, and making your bed for the night.

Everyone, from teenagers to adults, needs to learn to keep their house tidy. Learning to keep your stuff organized is the most precious gift you can give yourself.

2. Repair Works

Do it yourself, or DIY, is the new buzz in town. If you just learn some basic skills, DIY will save you a lot of effort and money.

We’re not telling you to become a professional electrician or plumber. But having a few skills will save you a lot of cash on fixing minor household issues. Moreover, nothing feels better than repairing your stuff and feeling proud of doing so.

3. Using Kitchen Appliances

Learning how to clean your refrigerator properly and learning about the proper usage of all your kitchen appliances will save you a lot of hassles. If there’s something in your kitchen that you find too complicated to use, invest some time in learning to take advantage of the tool.

It’s a tool, and it’s supposed to make your life easier, not the other way around! Understanding the settings for your blender, microwave, food processor, etc., can remove a lot of clutter from your kitchen.

4. Cleaning your Toilet

Many people are not interested in learning how to unclog their toilet or clean it properly. But believe us, there will be some time when you will thank yourself for investing your time in learning the skill.

You can find a plethora of videos on the internet about how to unclog a toilet or clean up a bathroom. Learning to use a plunger is never a bad thing. You never know when an emergency strikes!

5. Maintaining your Hygiene

No one wants to be near a person who looks and smells gross. It lowers your overall confidence and makes you undesirable to many.

Learning how to clean yourself, iron your clothes properly, which perfume to use, which type of watch will suit you, will take you a long way in social acceptance.

6. Washing your Clothes

No one will wash your clothes better than you. Once you realize that, there’s no going back to giving clothes to laundries.

You also waste a lot of money washing your clothes in the laundry, which you can save by spending a little time and effort by yourself. Besides, it will make you feel a lot better to wear clean clothes every day.

7. Tying your Tie

The difference between a man and a boy is that the man knows how to tie his tie. So get your hands grooving and learn how to make that knot.

And if you’re a woman, it won’t hurt you to have the skill in your repertoire. Who knows, you might just surprise your husband or boyfriend one day!

8. Staying Up to Date on Vaccinations

There are a lot of viruses, bacteria, and other disease-spreading organisms flying around in the atmosphere. Many of the vaccinations can be taken as an adult. This is especially true owing to the worldwide pandemic that we just came across.

If you want to save yourself the medical cost and the hassle of going to the hospital too often, staying up to date with vaccinations is a good idea.

9. Persuading Others

It’s an essential skill to learn how to get people to say ‘yes’ to your request. There are a few principles that you can follow.

Get people to respect you and consider your requests whenever you need something from them. Stuff like commitment, authority, reciprocity, and consistency will help you persuade people more effectively.

10. Conscious Listening

Conscious listening includes hearing what other people have to say. Make an active effort to understand where that person is coming from and their motives.

You can apply the teaching of RASA to your listening to improve it dramatically. RASA stands for the following:

● Receive: Pay proper attention to what the other person has to say.

● Appreciate: Make a conscious effort to make sure to let the other person know that you’re listening to their words.

● Summarize: Summarize your thinking to the other person.

● Ask: After the other person has stopped talking, you present your questions to further understand what they have to say.

11. Network Efficiently

Networking is one of the cornerstones of success. You need to have a strong network of contacts, ranging from purely professional to heartfelt friends. As humans are social beings, you need people to rely on, people you know that you can trust and who can help you with your work.

Around 29% of people worldwide are connected to everyone by six degrees of separation, and your goal will become one of them.

12. Basic First Aiding

Do you have any idea about what to do when someone you know has cut themselves? What do you do when someone around you has broken bones and needs emergency help?

Picking up an essential first aid book and learning that stitching or holding a broken bone is never a bad idea. Instead of panicking in emergencies, you can help yourself and others by using first aid kits.

13. Reading a Map

In this day and age of GPS and the World Wide Web, maps are becoming obsolete day by day. But if you’re looking forward to having some ideas about geography and directions, learning to read a map is a great skill.

You can also learn to identify stars to navigate and know exactly where you’re heading at night!

14. Budgeting

Being a financially responsible adult and having the ability to budget correctly is an essential life skill. Proper budgeting is the first step towards achieving what you can say is financial peace and stability.

This skill should be cultivated from a very young age and built upon throughout your life as you become an adult.

15. Balancing Bank Accounts

Keeping a fair idea of the amount of money you have in your bank is a good move as an adult. Maintain a detailed record of where and how you spend. It will save you from tremendous hassles.

Having the ability to record your finances and expenses is an essential life skill. It will keep your finances secure and your plans running smoothly.

16. Effective Negotiation

Spending some time and effort to learn how to make a compelling offer and be comfortable asking for a better deal can save you a lot of money.

Never shy away from the aspect of bargaining when you have that in your hand. Not only can you save your money, but you can also gain valuable social insights from it.

17. Apologizing Sincerely

As human beings, mistakes are bound to happen. But making a sincere apology will save a lot of relationships and make people understand your value even more. The strategy for successfully saying you’re sorry is:

● Acting quickly

● Explaining in detail

● Talking about ways to avoid it in the future

● Apologizing in person

● Making restitution

18. Respectfully Saying ‘No’

Learning to say ‘no’ at the perfect time can save you from feeling confused, guilty, stressed, and many other things.

Many of us are afraid to say no to people because we feel like it will let us down deeply. Saying no in perfect times will make people respect you a lot more. Setting up your boundaries is a lot more important than you think!

Final Words

Being an adult means taking responsibility for your actions, doing whatever is necessary, and learning to steadily set up your life to go towards your goal. Not every life skill mentioned here will help you do that. But you need to master them all for your own good if you want to become a genuinely responsible adult.

And if you need help along the way, there are specialized programs to assist you in your wellness journey. For more about improving yourself contact us or check out our other blogs. Motivate yourself to take the first step towards becoming a real human being today. Stay healthy and stay happy!