Through education we can improve mental health…

EDUCATION and training is about gaining new skills and knowledge, which brings its own sense of personal fulfillment and well-being. In recent years the commencement of the wider debate about mental health and the ways in which we can improve it has been a welcome one. But did you know that studying and learning new skills is a major plus for our mental health? Studies have shown that with adult learners, in particular, their brains respond to study with increased cognitive positivity, while the interaction and sense of camaraderie created by interacting with fellow students also produces positive benefits for mental health.

Academic stimulation is a great way for people to know they are still learning and have much to contribute to themselves, their families and society. Long gone are the days when our educational pathway was a pre-determined one that only lasted as long as we stayed in school. Nowadays education is structured to suit the needs of the individual’s lifestyle with full-time, part-time and evening courses offering everything from personal hobbies, professional and self-development, career opportunities, academic pursuits, to trades and skills based courses. The choice is there waiting for you to explore.

Mental health is important at any stage in life and we can gain this from being active, mentally and physically. By interacting and participating in a study environment we enhance this feeling. The feeling we get from knowing we’ve actively engaged in, and accomplished, a task is immense. Learning boosts self-confidence and minimises the opportunity for periods of depression and isolation to set in. The old saying ‘study is a voyage of discovery’ is a much used cliché, but it’s also a universal truth. All that’s left is for you to start your journey.