Susan recommends doing something for yourself
From enjoying your favourite hobby, to learning something new or simply taking time to relax, it’s important to do things that make you happy. Setting goals and learning new skills can be a great way to meet people, build self esteem and feel a sense of achievement.
When was the last time you did something for the first time? Or learned something new? Learning and developing new skills and doing things that give us a sense of achievement can be good for our mental health. I have recently decided to take up learning to play the guitar; this was a dream of mine many years ago and although the intention was there and I went as far as buying a guitar, regrettably my pristine guitar has sat in the corner of my room for many years accumulating dust.
Learning and developing new skills and doing things that give us a sense of achievement are good, especially if we are feeling stressed. By continuing to learn throughout our lives we can boost our wellbeing, self-esteem, and sense of purpose. What’s more, research shows that learning new things can increase satisfaction and improve our chances of getting the most out of life. There is also the social side of things, learning can help us connect with others and is a great opportunity to build relationships with new people giving our wellbeing even more of a boost.
Learning doesn’t have to mean lots of pricey qualifications. Classes and formal courses are fantastic opportunities but there are plenty of other ways to bring learning into our life. Even small targets like reading a chapter from a book can give us a feeling of achievement. Learning to play a musical instrument can have a fantastic impact on our wellbeing. Local classes, groups, and online tutorials are easy to find. You could even visit the gallery or museum – learning about art can be a valuable life experience. Perhaps you’d even like to try your hand at art yourself! Self-guided learning counts too, setting yourself a project such as DIY, painting, or crafting – it’s easy to find free tutorials for almost anything online. Maybe you’ve got an old hobby that you’d like to brush up on or fancy a new challenge – anything from knitting to computer programming. Evening classes are a great way to pick up practical skills like languages, cooking, mechanics and loads more.
We don’t need to become an expert at learning things, finding something that interests, and you enjoy can be rewarding. But just remember to leave time for relaxing, like reading, watching TV, having a nice bath and so on. We don’t always have to fill our time with activities, it is also important to give ourselves a break. Time spent doing nothing can help us to think more clearly and be more productive in whatever we choose to do next. Anything we choose to learn can have a big benefit to our wellbeing. And, if like me, there is something you stopped doing or wanted to try, perhaps today is the day to start doing something for yourself!!
Adapted from www.nhs.uk 02/06/23
