The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has a lot of downsides. It leads to thousands, even millions of employees all over the world jobless. It caused closures of countless establishments and businesses across industries. Nonetheless, this crisis has created a new need for consumers.
With non-essential businesses implementing work-from-home schemes to continue their operation, a lot of workers have ample time to do other worthwhile things, such as to enhance their education and knowledge through various e-learning platforms.
Throughout a person’s life, there is always something to learn. And whatever endeavor you may take, be it a new hobby or a new job, learning new skills and acquiring fresh knowledge comes in handy. There are a lot of benefits of lifelong learning.
What is Lifelong Learning
Lifelong learnings pertain to all learnings that one undergoes in a lifetime. Most often, lifelong learnings are voluntary, self-motivated learnings that take place after completion of one’s formal education.
Lifelong learning is important not only on a personal level. Even an organization and society can benefit from lifelong learning.
In an organizational sphere, lifelong learning helps the company stay abreast of any latest update on the industry. And on the societal level, lifelong learning is the key to resolving societal problems such as poverty and climate change.
9 Benefits of Lifelong Learnings
There are myriad benefits from lifelong learning. Here are some of its benefits.
Improves Mental and Physical Health
Our brain is not a muscle. Nonetheless, just like a muscle, our brain needs to be exercised for it to continue functioning at its best. According to research, with constant brain exercises like reading, playing chess, and other activities that keep our mind active, we delay Alzheimer’s and other age-related diseases.
Furthermore, even when at rest, our brain already consumes 20 percent of our body’s energy. More so when it does strenuous mental tasks. Together with better food choices and a balanced diet, you can stay physically and mentally healthy with engaging lifelong learnings.
Improves Career Quality
When we are an employee, most often our pay and value to the organization largely bank on how efficient we do our job. Employers will put more value on a worker who performs his/her job well and contribute to the company’s overall success.
By engaging in learning new things and applying that learned knowledge at work, chances are, your employer will see your importance to the company’s success. You have better chances of being promoted and an increased salary.
Helps You Learn Valuable Life Skills
Educators would agree that learning improves lives and is the key to success.No one is born with a complete set of skills. A person has to pick up skills or learn things throughout his/her lifetime to keep moving forward.
Moreover, shying away from lifelong education would make you stuck, closed-minded, and stagnant. You would be left behind in this ever-changing world, and you would not like that.
Makes You a Good Role Model
Being a person who is always hungry for more knowledge and skills to improve yourself, you will soon find that your dependents, whether your children or siblings, are inspired to imbibe the same thing you do. They will be encouraged to take the same learning path you did.
It is one of the great feelings in the world when the people you love look up to you as a role model. It is even more wonderful when the child or sibling who looks up to you accomplishes far greater things. It just makes you so proud.
Enhances Your Quality of Life
Humans are inherently curious and hungry for knowledge. To quench this thirst, we try to learn and discover new things on our own. Learning a new set of skills and life hacks not only gives us satisfaction, but it also helps make our lives much easier.
Helps Fight Boredom
Boredom is more likely to creep in the minds of people who have nothing productive to do during their idle time. Furthermore, bored people are more prone to making ill life choices with no regard for their consequences.
By engaging in lifelong learning, such as enrolling in a business school, a pottery class, or getting a master’s degree, you help yourself avoid getting bored.
Helps You Sleep Better
A person who has exercised his mind will have a better quality of sleep than someone who keeps his/her mind stagnant. As mentioned, like the muscles in our body, our brain also needs constant training to stay fit and healthy. So fire up those neurons with some learnings.
The world is changing so fast, and we all need to keep track to stay relevant. Learning new things is not something we should fear. Instead, it is something to be cherished and embraced. So, get that maximum mileage out of your life and start learning.