When we think of health and wellbeing, physical aspects like exercise, sleep, and nutrition often come to mind first. However, the roles of learning, challenge, and personal growth are sometimes underappreciated as key contributors to wellbeing. Keeping our minds engaged, embracing new challenges, and continually striving to grow are vital for maintaining mental agility, resilience, and overall happiness and wellbeing.
Learning and growth aren’t just about accumulating knowledge; they can boost our mood, help us manage stress, and give us a deeper sense of purpose. Whether you're taking on a new project at work, picking up a hobby, or exploring new ideas, continuous learning can be key to feeling more fulfilled and adaptable in life.
At the same time, today’s world offers a flood of information, much of it enhanced by AI, which requires us to develop a discerning and rational approach to what we absorb. By staying curious, questioning our assumptions, and being aware of our biases, we can make the most of learning opportunities while staying grounded. Let’s explore why learning and growth are so important for wellbeing and how to approach challenges in a healthy way.
How Learning Contributes to Wellbeing
Learning plays a significant role in enhancing both mental and emotional health. It doesn’t have to involve formal education—any form of learning, whether through new skills, hobbies, or exploring new ideas, can provide benefits. Here's how learning ties into wellbeing:
- Learning Can Strengthen Your Brain: Your brain has an incredible ability to adapt and grow which is a process known as neuroplasticity. When you learn something new, you strengthen connections between neurons, making your brain more flexible and adaptable. This kind of mental exercise is like a workout for the brain, keeping it agile and ready to take on future challenges. For instance, learning to solve a new type of problem at work or mastering a new hobby stimulates the brain, which can help protect against cognitive decline over time.
- Learning Can Boost Your Mood: Learning new things can be deeply satisfying. Each time you succeed at something new, whether it's mastering a work task or learning a new recipe, your brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of reward, motivation, and pleasure. The sense of accomplishment you get from achieving small learning goals can lift your mood and provide a sense of purpose. For example, setting a small goal to read a chapter of a book each day can give you that feeling of progress and fulfillment.
- Learning Can Help You Manage Stress: Learning new skills or solving problems can also improve your ability to manage stress. The more you train your brain to take on new challenges, the more adaptable you become when faced with difficult situations. Think about starting a new role at work. At first, it can be overwhelming, but as you learn the ropes, the initial stress tends to decrease. Over time, you build confidence, which makes it easier to face similar challenges in the future.
The Power of Challenge: Why Being Pushed Helps Us Grow
While learning can benefit our mental health, it’s often challenges that truly push us to grow. Growth happens when we step outside of our comfort zone, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. However, not all stress is beneficial, and finding the right balance is important.
The Stress Curve and Optimal Stress
There’s a balance between too little stress, which can leave us feeling bored and disengaged, and too much stress, which can make us feel overwhelmed. But right in the middle is a state of optimal stress, where we are challenged just enough to stay focused and engaged without feeling overloaded. This is where learning and growth tend to happen most effectively.
You might recall a time when you were working on a project that required all your focus; whether it was at work or even while fixing something at home. If the challenge was just right, you may have been fully absorbed in the task, losing track of time as you worked through it. That’s the experience of flow, a state where you're fully engaged and learning at your best. The key is to seek out challenges that push you slightly beyond your comfort zone, such as learning a new skill or taking on a project that stretches your capabilities.
Understanding Cognitive Biases and How They Shape Our Thinking
In the process of learning and growing, it’s important to recognise how our minds can sometimes lead us astray. Our brains often rely on mental shortcuts, called heuristics, to make quick decisions, but these shortcuts can sometimes result in errors in judgment. We also experience cognitive biases, which are systematic patterns of thinking that can affect how we interpret information and make decisions.
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman introduced the idea of two systems of thinking:
- System 1 is fast, intuitive, and automatic. It helps you make quick decisions, like choosing what to eat or how to drive home without much thought. However, it often relies on biases and can lead to mistakes.
- System 2 is slower, more deliberate, and logical. It’s what you use when solving complex problems or making thoughtful decisions, but it requires more mental effort.
Common Cognitive Biases
- Confirmation Bias: This is the tendency to focus on information that confirms your existing beliefs while ignoring evidence that challenges them. For example, if you believe a colleague isn’t trustworthy, you might only notice things that support that view, even if there’s evidence to the contrary.
- Anchoring: This happens when we rely too heavily on the first piece of information we receive. For example, in a salary negotiation, if an initial number is mentioned, it can shape the entire discussion, even if other factors should be considered.
- Availability Heuristic: This bias occurs when we judge the likelihood of something based on how easily examples come to mind. If you recently heard about a plane crash on the news, you might overestimate the risk of flying, despite air travel being statistically safe.
By recognising these biases, you can slow down and engage System 2 thinking, which allows you to reflect, gather more information, and make more informed decisions. The next time you encounter new information or a new challenge, take a moment to ask: “Am I making this decision based on facts, or am I being influenced by my biases?”
Developing a Growth Mindset: Embracing Learning and Setbacks
A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, learning, and perseverance. Psychologist Carol Dweck’s research highlights how adopting this mindset can be a powerful driver of both personal and professional growth. People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to learn rather than obstacles to avoid. They’re more likely to view mistakes as part of the learning process and are motivated to keep improving, which ultimately leads to greater achievement and resilience.
When faced with a difficult task or a setback, those with a growth mindset tend to ask, “What can I learn from this?” rather than seeing the situation as a failure. This mindset encourages resilience and adaptability, helping you keep moving forward even when things don’t go as planned.
Next time you face a new challenge, remind yourself that it’s an opportunity to grow. For example, if you’re learning a new technology at work that feels overwhelming at first, try to focus on what you’re gaining from the experience. Shifting your focus from outcomes to effort can help you stay motivated and open to learning.
The Importance of Discernment and Open-Mindedness in the Digital Age
In today’s world, we’re constantly surrounded by information, much of it AI-augmented, making it important to stay discerning about what we choose to absorb. With so much information available, not all of it is reliable, and it’s easy to fall into traps of confirmation bias, misinformation and disinformation. Developing a rational, open mind can help you navigate this complexity effectively.
- Questioning Assumptions: It’s important to question our own assumptions and remain open to new ideas. For example, if you’re faced with a new approach to a work task, it can be tempting to dismiss it because it’s unfamiliar. But by asking yourself, “What can I learn from this?” you open yourself up to new possibilities that could be more effective.
- Recognising When to Unlearn: Sometimes, what we’ve learned in the past can become outdated. Being able to unlearn old ideas and replace them with new insights is just as important as learning. For example, you might have used a particular method at work for years, but newer tools or technologies could offer better solutions. Being open to unlearning allows you to stay adaptable and improve.
- Learning from Other Perspectives: Respecting and learning from different viewpoints can deepen your understanding and help you see situations from a new angle. For instance, working with colleagues from different backgrounds or departments might give you fresh insights into solving a problem. By staying curious and appreciating other perspectives, you can continue to grow and make better decisions.
Conclusion: Embracing Learning and Challenge
Learning, growth, and challenge are key not just to keeping your mind sharp, but to living a more fulfilling, balanced life. Whether you’re picking up a new skill, taking on a challenging project, or simply staying curious, these experiences can enrich your wellbeing in meaningful ways. By approaching learning with an open, rational, and discerning mindset, where you question your biases, are willing to unlearn, and appreciating other perspectives, you can continue to grow, both personally and professionally.
This week, challenge yourself to learn something new or take on a task that stretches your abilities. Whether it’s a small step toward a new skill or simply approaching a familiar task in a new way, embracing the discomfort of learning and growth will lead to greater fulfillment in the long run.
