Change can be scary as it breaks old habits and routines and can often lead to new experiences or paths in life. Actually change stimulates your brain to keep working and adapting. Physical change and improvement comes about when you try a new activity. Trying something new can be invigorating and often gets out of the rut you’ve been living in, whether you know it or not.
Putting your mind to learning a new skill or technology is the perfect tool to keep your mind active and young. You can start by trying our GrownUps memory games. Learning creates enthusiasm for something new and out of the ordinary. Something exciting to fit into your day-to-day life…
Challenge yourself mentally
– Learn a new language – the beauty of learning a new language is that you will also learn more about your own in terms of grammar and the origin of words. Enrol in a language school or with a local teacher, learn online with the help of a virtual tutor or try audio tapes and books. Find what methods suits you as everyone learns more effectively in various ways. If you learn with a friend, you will create a new social outlet and have someone to practice and do homework with!
– Volunteer your time to help others. This can be as little as a few hours to a few days a week. Volunteering your time to help out those less fortunate than yourself is a great way to spread some community spirit, do something selfless that helps others in return as well as something that mentally stimulates and challenges you.
Challenge yourself physically
– Take up a new sporting hobby such as tennis. Joining a tennis club for example is the perfect way to learn a new skill in the physical sense. Not only that, but it’s a great way to meet people away from your regular spots. This will challenge both the body and mind, and a bit of friendly competition is always good for the soul.
– DIY. As you retire you inevitably spend more and more time at home, so the chances of finding areas of the house to fix or projects to begin is always food for thought. A great way to challenge yourself is to learn the basics of DIY. Find a local short course in carpentry or plumbing, youtube a series of lessons or get help from a friend or neighbour. If you really find yourself excelling, why not start up a local part time handyman business, and put your new found skills to the test.
Learning something because you want to, not because you’re told to do it, is so much more fulfilling. Sign yourself up to something new and challenging today and see the difference in how it improves your life.