The Benefits of Lifelong Learning

Lifelong learning has numerous benefits for both your personal wellbeing and career prospects. Here are just some of the reasons to take up something new.

Learning is something many of us only associate with school, but continuing to pick up new skills throughout life can be hugely beneficial. As September is Festival of Learning Have a Go Month we thought we’d look at why lifelong learning is such a good idea.

What is lifelong learning?

Lifelong learning can encompass everything from taking up a new hobby to pursuing a formal qualification. It might be something that you do for fun in your spare time or as part of your continuous development at work. Some people prefer the self-taught route, others would rather join classes or formal courses – but it all falls under the same umbrella.

Whether you decide to learn a new language, take up a sport, join an online course or start a new hobby, the skills you learn are often transferable into many areas of life.

What are the benefits of continuous personal development?

Personal fulfilment: when you achieve something, it gives you a sense of satisfaction, purpose and agency which is very important for your mental wellbeing and self-confidence.

Better career prospects: the more personal and professional capabilities you acquire, the more likely you are to achieve your career goals.

Improved focus: concentrating on learning something new focusses your mind. This not only helps keep your brain healthy but can provide a positive distraction from day to day problems.

A healthier brain: keeping your mind active and engaged can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline, especially as we age.

Improved motor skills: A physical activity can help improve your motor skills, spatial awareness and physical health.

A more positive outlook: working towards goals, accomplishing something new and doing activities that enhance your personal or professional abilities can give a huge boost to your mental health.

Motivation: we all get stuck in a rut sometimes, but learning a new skill can give us a renewed zest for life and the motivation to pursue the things we enjoy.

Stronger social connections: whether you make friends with the person who runs the local hobby shop, meet fellow learners online or join a class in person, learning helps you widen your social network and connect with likeminded people.

How can I get into continuous learning?

A good place to start is to sit down and think about your personal and professional goals. Once you’ve identified your passions and professional ambitions, make a list of them. Then you can form a plan of how to achieve them and how much time you’ll be able to devote to your development. If it’s a new activity to enjoy in your spare time, an internet search for local or online groups, classes or communities can help you see what’s around. You can also click here for information on adult learning opportunities in Bromley.

If you have work goals that you want to achieve, why not talk to your employer to see what training might be available? If a complete career change is on the cards, identify what you really want to do and get searching online or ask your nearest careers advice centre. If you live in the Bromley area, you can find some useful employment and careers advice here.

Are you interested in a career in home care?

Continuous learning is something we value highly here at Bluebird Care Bromley. Training is integral to what we do in order to keep our customers safe and give our staff the skills and confidence to provide the very best standard of care. If you’re considering a career in care, why not get in touch or check out our careers page? You’ll not only learn incredibly valuable life skills and gain formal qualifications – you’ll start one of the most rewarding careers there is!