Lessons in Lifelong Learning

Staying sharp as we age...

Image by Anna Shvets from pexels.com

Last Friday, hubby and I arrive at our Apple store for our first-ever Apple workshop - Photo Skills: Photography on iPhone. Tutor Emily has our names down before we even kick-off. Then, the session winds up, and I wonder where the time went.

In an hour, Emily turned my photography world around. She grabbed my attention and sharpened my focus. You know when you think you know how stuff works. Then you listen to an expert, and suddenly there is clarity. Oh, so that's what that is and that's how that works. So cool.

On Saturday, we venture out on a 'photo shoot'. The invisible becomes visible. I see horizons line up, leading lines guiding the eye, and interesting cloud shapes, birds, flowers and leaves magically appear on the other side of the lens.

Then, with newfound confidence, I completely Marie Kondo my photos archive - deleting 700+ duplicate photos (who knew?), scouring 200 bursts, finding a key image for each and deleting the rest, totally re-organising my People album, and starting to go through 15 years of photos to delete crap I've hung onto. You could almost feel my Macbook and iPhone breathe a sigh of relief at the weight loss. I feel a sense of awe at what I had accomplished after just one hour with Emily.

Why haven't I done these sessions before? What else do you have for me, Mr Apple? We book into two more sessions and come away wondering what other Apple products I need. Never fear, dear reader, I have them all, and now I am on a learning streak to see what else I can do with all of them.

What is Lifelong Learning?

The new mantra for the aging baby boomer is 'Use it or lose it', and scientists seem to agree.

Years ago, Lifelong Learning was career learning, post an initial degree. Academics took sabbaticals to immerse themselves in further education. Professionals, doctors, lawyers, and accountants committed to Continuing Professional Development CPD for their careers. CPD could be formal (post-graduate study) or informal (reading journals, following personal interests).

As technology took hold, career learning expanded to include the technology underpinning every job, technology we take for granted now. For example, Excel wasn't even invented when I started my accounting career. However did we cope?

Lifelong Learning broadened from career learning to what is now described as a voluntary undertaking towards a personal purpose or personal development.

Career learning might fall away as we retire, but we are now free to pursue personal passions. It's the ideal time to uncover and explore hidden talents.

Apart from those passions, there are practical skills we may need to learn for independent living. For example, agers may need skills to handle finances, cook for one, or operate a new-fangled smart TV. See this checklist here for a detailed and eye-opening list of competencies.

Why is Lifelong Learning beneficial?

1. Learning to stay in a career longer

Retirement is optional these days. If you are fortunate to have one of these careers, there's no reason to stop learning and creating - maybe slow down, and pick your projects.

• Writer or Journalist

• Teacher or Instructional Designer

• Career or Business Coach

• App/Software developer.

• Scientist

For example, 73-year-old 'mad scientist' Dr Mark Sceats conducts leading-edge research turning Australia's iron-ore green.

And Australian restaurant 360Q is defying ageism to employ retirees in a tight labour market with great success. They have 12 part-timers over 50, and 2 are over 70. Mental, physical and social engagement have given the staff a new lease on life.

2. Learning to sharpen the mind

Learning has a positive impact on brain health as we age. It keeps minds sharp and brains fit like physical exercise takes care of our hearts. Lifelong Learning is the health club for aging brains.

Paul Nussbaum, PhD, director of the Aging Research and Education Center in Pittsburgh, says “Every time your heart beats, 25% of that blood goes right to the brain. But while exercise is critical, it may be education that is more important. In the 21st century, education and information may become for the brain what exercise is for the heart.”

Learning new technology has direct benefits for seniors. For example, a study showed that 60 to 90-year-olds improved their cognitive abilities while learning challenging tasks. They also found the more you learn, the more effective you will become at picking up other new things.

Scientists have discovered that even an aging brain can grow new connections and pathways when challenged and stimulated. So, you're never too old. It's never too late.

3. Learning to stave off dementia

Evidence of the health benefits of learning during the latter stages of life is overwhelming. Research by the Alzheimer's Society shows the correlation between learning and the disease's delayed onset.

Intellectual lifestyle enrichment is increasingly viewed as a protective strategy against observed cognitive decline in the older population.

Other studies show learners of the average age of 80 were less likely to develop brain-related illnesses such as dementia.

4. Learning to boost confidence

Do you remember learning something that swelled your chest with the pride of accomplishment?

• Was it your first conversation in French in Paris?

• Was it finishing your first cryptic crossword?

• Was it growing that difficult plant?

Have your learning journey challenges dissolved into - If I can do this, what else can I do? There is nothing like the certainty of knowing and the confidence to tackle the next step of the gradient with gusto.

5. Learning to be happier in general

A UK study found positive impacts of Lifelong Learning on emotional resilience and mental health.

Respondents provided consistent evidence that learning leads to improved well-being, increased efficacy, protection and recovery from mental health difficulties, and more effective coping, including coping with physical ill-health. In addition, they reported new confidence to take control of their lives, try out new things and confront issues.

How to engage in Lifelong Learning?

Informal learning - reading newspapers, books and magazines keeps us engaged with the world.

Brain training may help sharpen these abilities and reduce the risks of age-related memory problems. You've probably heard of or tried some of the many brain-training games and apps available like Sudoku or Wordle. These tools claim that online brain exercises may increase mental flexibility, keep you mentally sharp as you age or even increase your intelligence.

It's possible that playing these mental games might be good for your brain, but there is also debate on the reliability of these claims.

However, if you spend too much time staring at a screen, you're probably better off adding physical or social activity to your 'learning' time. I wrote about the downside of digital activity last week.

Then, a different study shows that more complex activities may be required for the best results. For example, during the Synapse Project, participants learned to quilt, learned digital photography, or engaged in both activities for an average of 16.51 hr a week for three months.

The findings suggest that sustained engagement in cognitively demanding, novel activities enhances memory function in older adulthood but, somewhat surprisingly, found limited cognitive benefits of sustained engagement in social activities. So, developing complex skills outside your comfort zone may compound learning benefits.

One way to do this is to add physical activity. For example, learning to dance or master a yoga pose or tai chi flow engages the mind and body.

Learning can also be enhanced during social activity.

The Men's Shed community organisation provides space to learn new skills while socialising. They make furniture, fix lawnmowers or restore bicycles for a local school.

U3A (University of the Third Age) also provides numerous learning opportunities while socialising - writing, technology, languages, yoga and pilates - more activities than days available. There's no excuse.

Start with easy-to-learn skills - learn to use chopsticks, tell a great story or master the TV remote. Then, gather competence and confidence to motivate a move to more challenging activities. Finally, develop a growth mindset and enjoy the ride.

I need no encouragement. I am a passionate lifelong learner. There is more to learn than I will ever have days for.

While my Apple store will come to know me personally as I plough through their session menu, writing is the skill I am digging deeper into. Though, I feel like I am back to learning to drive a car. So many moving parts clunking away. Currently, I am obsessed with grammar and syntax. I dredge up my Grade 5 Miss Hunt's verb conjugation lessons, willing them back to life. I hunt for the right word, that strong verb to overcome a lazy adverb. I re-arrange sentences. I delete indolent words like a queen bee clears drones from the hive at the end of Summer. I study good writing, and I publish. It's a journey of delightful discovery.

The research about Lifelong Learning may be exciting, but for me, it’s simply about the pure joy it brings!

Thanks for reading. Feel free to tell me about your current learning project in the comments.