Many people nowadays fall prey to depression and are not very happy with their lives. One of the things that can lead to that is the fact that people often don’t feel like they are experiencing progress. Falling into the habit of regularly learning new things can be a key factor in people achieving a higher level of happiness. That’s why it’s a very good idea to develop a lifestyle that fosters lifelong learning that is going to last after you are done with your formal education.
Take up New Hobbies
The best way to ensure that you would learn something new is to force yourself to put it into practice and taking up a new hobby does that extremely well. No matter how specialized the hobby is, in order for you to make it a part of your life, you’ll simply be forced to do some learning the most organic way possible. On top of this, taking up a new leisure activity on regular basis forces you to expand your personal horizons and meet new people to learn from every time. Of course, the idea here is not to constantly jump from activity to activity but to start something, to take the time to master it to a certain extent and then to move on to the next one.
Always Carry a Book or an e-Reader
Sometimes you don’t need to run after a routine or to chase after knowledge consciously. Sometimes you just need to make knowledge readily available and let life itself do the rest. For instance, you can make sure that you always have book to read on you. That way you will be able to turn every planned or unexpected instance of downtime into a pleasant reading session. And if a paper book is bit too bulky to constantly lug around, technology can come to the rescue with a slim and light e-reader that could be loaded with hundreds of e-books all for your impromptu reading pleasure. If even that’s too much, you can always have something to read preloaded on your smartphone.
Become a Tutor
Another great way to really understand something thoroughly and in depth is to be forced to teach it to somebody else. If implemented on regular basis, this could keep your mind sharp for decades to come. If your lifestyle allows for it, becoming a part-time tutor might be extremely rewarding and pleasant. It’s a wonderful source of new acquaintances and you will be surprised how easy it is to find tuition jobs using the modern technological marvel known as The Internet.
Listen To Podcasts and Audiobooks
As jobs and other responsibilities become more and more demanding, it might become increasingly difficult for you to find the time to learn new things. Our hectic lives can sometimes keep us too busy to set aside any time for hobbies, reading or tutoring, but there is still a way to make sure you learn something new every day. With the current ubiquity of podcasts and audiobooks, your smartphone and headphones can become a never-ending source of new knowledge even if you appear to be busy 24/7. All of us do chores that do not require our undivided attention, so while taking care of them we could be pugging in our headphone and listening to a science podcast or to an interesting author narrating their own book for us.
Help Friends with Problems That Require Solutions
Lifelong learning is not just about gaining new knowledge or skills; it’s also about challenging yourself and overcoming adversity in a productive way. You are inevitably going to face the difficulties your own life presents, but you can also make yourself available to help others. Besides being a valuable friend, searching for solutions of problems is great mental gymnastics.
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