Learning a new skill has a host of benefits. The most important of which is making you happier. You become happier because you become more confident with each new skill learned. That confidence enables you to try new, harder skills. And mastery of new skills gives you satisfaction and experiences that enrich your life. From new physical skills like dancing or making pottery to mental skills like learning a foreign language or coding, learning new skills keeps you healthy, improves confidence, and diversifies your job options. It’s never too late to start, so begin your journey of learning by reading this new article, Learn a New Skill Now and Reap 4 Rewards.
Improves Brain Health and Reduces the Risk of Dementia
According to Health Navigator, “Research shows there are several ways to improve the health of your brain, and learning something new is one of them. ‘Mental sweat’ helps your brain build new cells and strengthen connections between the cells. When you learn something new, you exercise your brain, which can help improve cognitive functions such as concentration, attention to detail, memory recall, and problem-solving. Learning something new can also reduce the chance of developing dementia.”
So what is it about learning a new skill that can help stave off dementia? It could have something to do with a condition called demyelination. Demyelination occurs when myelin, the protective coating of nerve cells, sustains damage. A study released in the National Library of Medicine found evidence of demyelination in study participants with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. According to an article titled, 11 Benefits to Learning Something New by Natalie Sisson, people who actively learn new skills don’t give their brains a chance to demyelinate, and their neural pathways are ready for new impulses to travel along them.
Boosts confidence and motivation
Learning also boosts your confidence. When you increase your knowledge or achieve a goal, you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. Additionally, when you learn a new skill, you feel more accomplished, and it encourages you to learn other new skills, which speeds up your learning ability.
According to Piedmont, a healthcare organization with locations throughout Georgia, learning a new skill helps you beat boredom when learning something new and grow as a person. When you learn something new, you become more creative and inventive, you become more socially interesting, which attracts others.
Improves social connections
The greatest predictor of long-term happiness is social connection. Improving social connections is often a byproduct of learning a new skill. Learning new life skills is often done in a classroom setting, fertile ground for meeting new people with shared interests. Along with shared interests, everyone is sharing the same learning experience, which promotes a sense of belonging.
For example, dancing or cooking often brings students together in a classroom setting. An instructor demonstrates or teaches a new technique, and then the students practice it together. Learning new skills in this way has a host of benefits.
- Eases Loneliness
- Promotes Collaboration and Community
- Improves Interpersonal Communications Skills
Better Career Options
Learning a new skill that complements the skills you need for your job will lift your career opportunities. The new skill could become a new service offered to clients. For your company, this results in a new revenue stream. For you, it means more job security and a chance for a promotion and pay raise. More importantly, learning a new skill shows you are taking initiative, and co-workers and management can trust you with additional assignments. In addition, it shows you are capable of change and growth. These days, most jobs are constantly changing, and developing a new skill will help you adapt to the ever-changing work world.
According to Indeed.com, the best new skills to learn to advance your career include:
- Basic Coding
- Data Analysis and Statistics
- Foreign Language (Chinese, Spanish, French)
- Project Management
- Social Media
If you are retired, learning a new skill, such as building websites, can turn into a part-time freelance opportunity and a new stream of income.
Something New at Naturally. . .You!
Naturally You encourages everyone to dedicate themselves to learning new things. Lifelong learning brings new skills, as well as better health and wellness. As you can see, if you learn a new skill, you can reap four rewards. New things are also happening at Naturally You. Along with our body wraps, superior line of CBD products, and detoxification programs, we are now offering collagen supplements. Our Sparkle Wellness collagen products have a positive impact on all collagen structures within the body. We have skin, joint, and muscle formulations and for more information, contact me today at 813-505-9815.