LIFE often follows a well-trodden path of education to a certain level, getting a job which we may or may not be happy with, and continuing in this role due to financial commitments until retirement.
Yet life does not have to be like this. The opportunity for self-improvement exists at any age. There are thousands of resources to teach you anything from how to cook better to learning a new language.
Much of lifelong learning is focussed on improving your chances in the working place. The argument for continued professional development is strong. Approximately half of technology is redundant ten years later. Those hungry for learning can expect to earn far higher salaries than those who for whatever reason get stuck in a role.
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Yet this is not an article on how to boost your financial standing, but more on how lifelong learning, in any form, will help your health and wellbeing..
Lifelong learning outside of the workplace can happen at any point in life. It is often fuelled by a desire to achieve something that you would not normally get the opportunity to experience.
It goes without saying that you will not get to your goal without at least a basic road map, and an understanding of your objectives. The desire to be able to climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath is very different to the aim of completing a marathon.
While I have cited the example of getting fitter, it has been shown that mental stimulation improves physical wellbeing and vice versa. Those who pursue lifelong learning seem to make healthier choices in general, which has a positive effect overall.
Lifelong learning helps you stay connected. Who could have imagined how the technological landscape would have changed over the last 20-30 years. Without at least a basic understanding of these things, we risk not only vulnerability and over reliance on others, but also the risk of not staying in touch with our loved ones and friends.
Stimulation of the mind and body reduces anxiety and depression. While it cannot prevent cognitive decline or dementia completely, it may reduce the risk, or delay the time when symptoms of these begin.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing the individual as well as society is the perception that there is a time for learning, and that at a certain point in life you are done with it, or that there is nothing to be gained. Not only is this wholly untrue, but it may promote a feeling that with advancing years, you are less use to others.
The years after retirement can be as productive and enjoyable, if not more so than those spent working, with advantages for both the individual and society.
If you keep learning, you always have something you can give back.
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