Mindfulness Mode

Learning and mindfulness are closely related. Some of the benefits of learning new skills and new ideas are:  it gives you motivation, helps beat boredom, boosts confidence, keeps you healthy, helps you be flexible, can benefit others, and learning can boost your happiness levels.
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Here are 7 Ways Learning New Skills or New Concepts Can Help You:

1/ Learning Feels Good

Wordle and similar puzzles have become incredibly popular. This is because we enjoy learning and love the rush of adrenaline when we succeed at solving a puzzle or accomplishing a challenging task. Allow yourself to enjoy these kinds of winning experiences. The good feeling can be shared when we get together and play games with family and friends. There are more and more games being created every year, and they can help us satisfy a particular human need. Three new games came into our home this Christmas, and every one of them contributed to this feeling of pleasure as I learned how to play them with my family and friends.

2/ Creates New Neuropathways

When you are learning something new, does it feel like your brain is using extra resources? Do you feel as though your brain is using more energy than normal? That feeling is what results from new neuropathways being carved out in your brain. We’ve been hearing about this concept for quite a while now, and you can test it out for yourself by learning a new skill, a game, or solving challenging puzzles. Pay particular attention to how your brain feels as you are learning this new material. I think you’ll agree, it’s important to give your brain new challenges every day.

3/ A New Perspective On Life

When I was 37 years old, I decided I wanted to learn downhill skiing. This was a skill I had always admired, and now I was determined to be a downhill skier myself. Not only was this an exciting venture, but it definitely gave me a new perspective on life. Standing at the top of a long, steep hill, and looking down at the valley where I would be skiing, gave me a completely new perspective on life. As I became better at skiing, I was aware that I began to feel different about my life. I felt more confident and more accomplished. This feeling drifted over to other aspects of my life as well. I was having more fun and had more to look forward to as I planned future skiing trips and even short skiing adventures.

4/ Staves Off Senility

I believe that keeping your mind active and robust is one way to help stave off senility. My great-grandmother and my grandfather both lived well into their 90s, and I can remember my grandfather always making an effort to learn new things, he had a great sense of humor and was always conversing with nurses, support workers, and visitors after he moved to a nursing home. I frequently played favorite songs for him on my accordion, and he was always eager to learn all about what was happening in my life. He was curious and was constantly learning new things.

5/ Creates A Winning Mindset

Being a lifetime learner can help you live with a winning mindset. Everything is perspective. Some people find it easy to focus on the negative and be immersed in a lot of bad news. It’s one thing to be a realist and be aware of what’s happening in the world, but when you focus too much on the negative, it can take over your outlook. Having a doomsday outlook doesn’t feel good for most of us. I’d prefer to choose to learn new skills and fresh ideas every day because I believe that contributes to a winning mindset.

6/ Helps Combat Depression

If you are suffering from depression, please see a professional. My mention of depression here is not referring to clinical depression, but instead that state where you feel down, discouraged, and you generally lack motivation. For me, there is nothing better than setting out to learn a new skill when I’m feeling down. Sometimes I have to give myself a huge push to make it happen, but once I do, I feel a lot better and am happy that I gave myself that necessary shove in order to move into a better place. I’m well aware that sometimes it feels impossible to do what I’m describing, but hang in there. Keep moving forward. Listen to podcasts, read books, learn crafts or how to cook a new recipe, or even write a journal entry. These are only a few examples of how to use learning and mindfulness as a way to stay on top of things and move forward.

7/ Increases Connections To Others

I notice that when I get discouraged, I feel like I want to crawl into a hole and hide. I have to fight that urge and force myself to get out and be with people. At the same time, learning new skills gets me motivated to reach out to others. As a result, I feel more upbeat, and my life is more satisfying. How about you? Is this true for you? I’d like to hear from you as to whether you believe that learning new skills increases your connections to others. I’ve found this to be true when I travel to conferences, and not only am I learning new information, but I get excited about meeting all kinds of new people. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com – Let me know if you believe that learning new skills increases your connections to others. I’d love to have you share some examples that I can mention on the show.

 

Suggested Resources

• Book: Bernstein: A Biography by Gebundene Ausgabe
• Book: The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance by Josh Waitzkin

Related Episodes

• Learn How To Shift; Amy Scruggs
• Sink Into The Space of Mindfulness With Sheikh

• Get Wired For Joy and Broadcast Your Happiness Explains Michelle Gielen

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? Peace is within your grasp. I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘Transition' in the subject line. We'll set up a zoom call and talk about how you can move forward to a better life.