For all the useful education we get at school, there can be some major gaps in our knowledge when it comes to practical life skills. If no one has ever taught you how to bleed your radiators or be a good public speaker, you can go through your entire adulthood avoiding doing them simply because you think it is too late or too much effort to learn them now. However, many of these abilities are much easier to pick up than we think. Here, experts share 20 life skills you can learn in less than 20 minutes…
How to make a good first impression
“Most people know the basics: arrive on time, make eye contact, dress well. But if you truly want to make a great first impression, it’s about how you make someone feel. Think back to the people who have left a lasting impact on you. It wasn’t just their words or appearance – it was the way they made you feel seen, valued or at ease.
“So, before an important meeting, date, or interview, take a moment to visualise how you want it to go, and what it is that you want them to feel. Imagine yourself walking in with ease, chatting naturally, and bringing warmth and authenticity.
“This visualisation trick is a great way to calm your nerves, as your brain believes you have already been in this situation and sends signals to help you feel more at ease.” Jo Irving, empowerment and transformation coach
How to locate your stop tap
“Knowing the location of your stop tap is essential for handling plumbing emergencies. Typically, it is found under the kitchen sink, in a hallway cupboard or near your water meter. In older homes, it might be located outside, near the property boundary.
“Once you have located the stop tap, turn the valve clockwise to stop the water flow in case of a leak or pipe burst.
“Familiarising yourself with its position can save precious time during emergencies, and knowing how to quickly access and operate it is an essential skill for home maintenance.” Calvin Bannan, founder and director of CB Heating & Plumbing Services
How to be a better public speaker
“If you struggle with public speaking, you can improve with a few simple techniques. Start by using strategic pauses to eliminate filler words and add impact. Lower your pitch slightly to avoid sounding uncertain, and emphasise keywords to keep listeners engaged.
“Replace weak phrasing such as ‘I think’ with stronger alternatives such as ‘I recommend’. Maintain steady eye contact using the three-second rule and adopt a confident posture with shoulders back and feet grounded.
“Before speaking, take a deep breath, straighten up and slow your first sentence. A little preparation makes all the difference.” Sarah-Jane McQueen, chief operating officer of CoursesOnline
How to fit more into a suitcase – without creasing your clothes
“Maximising the space in your suitcase without creasing your clothes starts with being clear about what you truly need. Begin by editing your choices – focus on versatile pieces that work together.
“Use containers such as packing cubes to group similar items, keeping everything organised and easy to find.
“Roll softer fabrics to save space, and carefully fold structured clothes with the interlocking method to prevent creases: lay the garment flat, fold sides toward the centre, then fold the bottom up to form a long rectangle. Fold in half, then stack vertically, with each piece slightly overlapping the next.” Helen Sanderson, author of The Secret Life of Clutter
How to do CPR
“If you suspect an adult is not breathing, ask someone to call 999 and get a defibrillator. Then start CPR, giving 30 chest compressions using the heel of your hand on the centre of their chest, with your other hand on top, interlocking your fingers. Press down about a third of the depth of their chest – 5-6cm – with approximately two compressions per second. After 30, give two rescue breaths by tilting the head back, pinching the nose and with a seal around the mouth blowing in approximately one second per breath. Repeat this 30:2 process until medical help arrives.” Jo Talbot, spokesperson for Royal Life Saving Society UK
How to improve your mood
“People tend to focus more on the negative, which can be draining and have an impact on wellbeing. Even during difficult times, noticing the good can strengthen our ability to cope. A great way to start is with the “Three Good Things” exercise, which involves identifying and reflecting on three things that went well or are bringing you happiness. Over time, this simple exercise can help you to focus on the positives, improving both mood and overall wellbeing.” Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper, research psychologist
How to bleed your radiators
“If you hear gurgling noises coming from your radiators, or if they take longer than usual to heat up, you need to bleed them. Doing so helps to remove trapped air, improving heating efficiency.
“Start by turning off the heating and letting the system cool down. Using a radiator key, place a cloth beneath the valve and slowly turn it counterclockwise. Air will hiss out, followed by water. Once water flows steadily, close the valve tightly.
“This simple process prevents cold spots and ensures your heating system works optimally. It takes only a few minutes per radiator, making it a quick yet effective way to boost heating performance.” Calvin Bannan
How to be more confident
“Confidence follows action, not the other way around. So, if you’re waiting to feel confident before doing something, don’t. Take the action first, and the confidence will come. If you need an instant confidence boost ahead of something which is making you feel nervous, bear in mind that fear and excitement create the exact same physical reaction – a racing heart, adrenaline, heightened alertness The only difference is how you label it. So instead of saying, ‘I’m nervous, I can’t do this,’ tell yourself, ‘I’m excited, I can’t wait.’ This shifts your brain from panic mode to a state of readiness.” Jo Irving
How to be a better budgeter
“To be a better budgeter, start by reviewing your income and expenses. Jot down essentials such as rent or mortgage, bills and food spend. Use a free budgeting tool or a simple spreadsheet to track spending and see where your money goes. Adopt the 50:30:20 rule – 50 per cent for needs, 30 per cent for wants, 20 per cent for savings or debt. Then automate savings and bill payments to avoid late fees. Finally, review your budget weekly and adjust as needed to stay on track.” Matthew Sheeran, money-saving expert at Money Wellness
How to remove a stain
“When it comes to stains, the faster you can treat it, the better chance you’ll have of removing it. Grab a clean cloth, sponge or tissue and try to absorb any excess liquid. Always dab, and avoid rubbing, which can push the stain deeper into the fabric.
“Stains on clothes, such as coffee and drink spills and make-up marks, often happen when you’re out and about. For that reason, I always make sure I have tissues and a hand sanitiser gel or liquid in my bag. The main ingredient in most hand sanitisers is alcohol, so it works well on most things. Blot any stains as soon as they happen and then apply the hand sanitiser, letting it sit for five minutes, before rubbing the area and then washing as normal when you get home. Hand sanitiser is safe to use on many fabrics, but avoid on wool, rayon, silk or acetate.” Anna Louisa, author of The 5 Minute Clean Routine
How to change a tyre
“Put the car into first gear and make sure the handbrake is engaged. Get all the items you need, including the spare tyre, jack and wrench, usually kept in the boot. Loosen all the wheel nuts by turning them anti-clockwise, and locate the car’s dedicated jacking points – consult your handbook to see where these are.
“Insert the jack and wind it to raise the car until the flat tyre is a few inches off the ground. Remove the wheel nuts and take the tyre off. Put the spare tyre on the hub and align the holes and tighten each nut with your fingers. Lower the car using the jack, and finally tighten the wheel nuts with the wrench.” Kev Field, instructor at Confident Drivers
How to recognise a scam
“Scammers use various tactics to steal money and data, but there are some red flags to look out for. First, watch for suspicious sender addresses at the bottom of an email, as well as generic greetings, urgent or threatening language. Poor grammar or American spelling may indicate AI-generated scams.
“Always double-check the sender’s email for authenticity and avoid clicking unexpected links and attachments or run them through a link checker first (such as nordvpn.com/link-checker).
“Legitimate companies rarely request passwords or banking details via phone or text. If speaking to someone, be cautious of robotic-sounding voices, as scammers increasingly use voice cloning to appear trustworthy.” Adrianus Warmenhoven, cyber security expert at NordVPN
How to stop a nosebleed
“If you have a nosebleed, tilt your head forward to avoid swallowing blood. It can feel natural to tilt your head back, but this should be avoided. Pinch the soft part of your nose and breathe through your mouth. Do this for up to 10 minutes.
“You can apply frozen peas wrapped in a cloth or ice pack to the bridge of your nose, which can help with slowing blood flow. You should go to A&E if the bleeding lasts for more than 10-15 minutes or it is accompanied by dizziness, weakness and difficulty breathing.” Abbas Kanani, pharmacist at Chemist Click
How to repair damaged clothes
“Don’t throw away something just because it has a tear or hole in it. Start by cutting out a square or rectangle of cotton that extends beyond the perimeter of the damaged area by at least an inch all the way around, then pin this to the underside of the garment so that it is centred over the rip. Using a heavyweight thread, make rows of large running stitches, working horizontally across the patch. Wear it many more times with pride.” Jenni Smith and Kay Walsh, authors of Menopause Makes (out on 14 March)
How to learn the basics of a language
“You might find yourself at the airport before realising that you don’t know a single word of the language spoken at your destination. Don’t worry – there are still things you can pick up.
“The key is not to get lost trying to memorise long, drawn-out phrases. Instead, try to focus on 10 commonly used words that will come up often, such as table, eat, drink, weather, time and basic numbers. Context is key: if you know keywords and some of the most common phrases, you will be surprised at how much of a conversation you can intuitively grasp.” Noël Wolf, linguistic expert at language platform Babbel
How to form a new habit
“It’s one thing to decide on a new habit and another to embed it. Make it top of mind in your daily life. This is a micro-decision that builds long-term benefits. Schedule exactly when and how you will build that habit, note your progress daily and record the wins for motivation. If you slip, understand why and get back on track without any unhealthy self-talk, and stay positive.” Maureen Adams, career and executive coach
How to manage your time better
“The key to managing your time is your mindset. Decide what matters most and push out other deadlines. You can even outsource activities. Always think about when is the best time to tackle certain tasks – don’t try to do demanding ones first thing if you are not a morning person, for instance.
“Try colour coding your calendar – yellow for holidays, say, green for personal development, red for meetings and so on, and use low-cost tools that can boost productivity, such as Calendly for appointments and Otter.ai for transcription.” Maureen Adams
How to harness tech shortcuts
“Utilise computer shortcuts to save time, such as: Ctrl + C to copy selected text, Ctrl + X to cut, Ctrl + V to paste, Ctrl + Z to undo the last action, Ctrl + Y to redo, Ctrl + A to highlight everything on a page, Ctrl + F to open the search bar (Ctrl is Command on a Mac). If you are sick of typing the same things over and over again, such as your email address or certain phrases, try text replacements, which instantly expand abbreviations into longer text, like conjuring up your email address when you type ‘@@@’, or ‘Hi love, I’m on my way home now’ when you type ‘omw’. Get creative, and set up as many as you can remember. It’s in Keyboard settings on a Mac/iPhone, or use Beeftext, free on Windows.” Will Francis, tech and AI expert
How to take better photos
“To take better photos on your phone, experiment with lighting. Adjust the exposure by tapping the screen and sliding the sun icon up or down. If you or your subject are backlit by the sun, lower the exposure for depth and turn on the flash to illuminate the subject. You can also hold a white card or foil underneath to bounce light for a beauty effect, or use other people’s phone torches – ask them to direct the light on your subject and move it around to find the most flattering shadows and highlights.
“Play with framing for a more artistic or interesting photo – subjects don’t always have to be centred. Many people also overlook perspective when trying to take a photo. Move around your subject and experiment with angles.” Rachell Smith, portrait and fashion photographer
How to make a fire
“To light a fire, start by choosing a safe, dry location away from trees and flammable materials. Gather three types of fuel: tinder (dry grass, leaves, or paper), kindling (small sticks) and fuel (larger pieces of wood). Create a fire structure such as a teepee or pyramid. Place tinder in the centre, then arrange kindling above it. Use matches, a lighter or a fire starter to ignite the tinder. Gently blow on the flames to help them grow. Gradually add more kindling and then fuel wood as the fire strengthens. Always keep water nearby and fully extinguish the fire afterwards.” Matt Gaskell, conservation biologist and expedition leader
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