One of the best reasons for learning new things has always been this: every new skill you learn, and every new social group you learn with, can become an antidote to the stresses of your work or home life. But how does this change when your work and your home changes? What if you’re expected to stay at home a lot more – and to work from home each day?
A handful of new ideas for lifelong learning for work-life balance would be needed in such situations. This post is a starting point for these ideas. By thinking through the questions and problems below, you will hopefully be able to tweak your existing learning habits, or start new ones. And by doing so, you may end up bringing more balance to your life in strange, uncertain times.
How to use lifelong learning for work-life balance?
The most general advice would be this: learn for variety.
If your days are spent behind the wheel, you could consider learning to dance, or going to a gym class – which would make you move more. If you spend a long time staring at screens, then gardening or birdwatching would be great for your eyes – and it would get you outdoors, too. If your daily life requires you to meet lots of people, then a lifelong learning choice could be pottery, DIY, or extensive reading – something that recharges your “alone-time” batteries.
Added to the above is a second useful piece of advice: learn to grow.
If you discover that you really like a piece of software people use at work, then taking a class in mastering that software will bring you more satisfaction. If your social group begins a project which you’re interested in, then learning more about the project can mean you’re contributing more – and having more fun. And if you see your industry changing, then lifelong learning options can help you stay on track with these changes – perhaps picking up new skills, or meeting people who can mentor you during the change process.
Think of lifelong learning as if you were putting a meal together. You need different parts of the dish on the plate – not just the “work” and “life” parts, but also something more. That’s “learning for variety”. But at the same time, you want each of these parts to be spiced up, garnished, and really cooked as well as possible. That’s “learning to grow”. You can achieve this with carefully planned lifelong learning for work-life balance.
When work and life changes, so does lifelong learning for work-life balance
I hope you can use the advice above to plan your learning projects or hobbies. Now, we’re going to take these two ideas and try to use them in today’s dynamic, unpredictable world.
How to re-think your hobbies and projects when your reality changes? If you’re not able to go out, or meet people, or go to work – what to do? How can you tweak, change, or re-start your lifelong learning for work-life balance to return?
There are many ways to answer these questions. I suggest that you could start by thinking about how your situation changed, and noticing how it made you feel and behave as a result. Then, you could try using the two ideas above as your ideal goals. Learning for variety and learning to grow – these are still good things to try and achieve!
My quick checklist below is based on my recent experience. It uses elements of the BRAVE system to guide my thinking. The parts in bold are questions which you can use to re-boot and re-focus your lifelong learning for work-life balance in your context. The parts in italics are my practical examples.
Re-planning lifelong learning for work-life balance: Vic’s working example
- 1. (BIG) What would excite and motivate me about learning for growth and variety these days?
It would be great to keep moving, to get fitter and stronger, and to get some alone-time without thinking about work or world affairs. It would be motivating to see progress in what I’m doing every day.
- 2. (REAL) What is the new reality of work and life for me?
I’m at home most of the time. I’m busier than before. I don’t commute, and I don’t travel. I can still train, but my triathlon races got cancelled. I can’t go swimming. I miss the outdoors, but I still have some access to it. The news and the atmosphere at work stress me out. There is a lot of screen time.
- 3. (ACTIONS) What can I do to keep learning for variety, and for growth?
I can learn new yoga flows or poses, to keep my body healthy. I can learn more about my neighbourhood by choosing new routes for walks and runs. I can learn new workouts on the indoor bicycle trainer to gain strength and see progress and variety. I can read novels and stories to take my mind off work and news. I can join some triathlon discussion groups online to discuss training and to meet people outside of work.
How will you change your lifelong learning for work-life balance?
I hope the examples and ideas above were useful. You do not need to use the BRAVE system steps to think them through. Feel free to approach this in whatever way works for you.
Lifelong learning is still possible in strange times. Your interests are still important, your motivation is still a powerful force, and your desires and ambitions still matter. It should be possible to change direction, and to learn things differently, to achieve variety and growth when your life circumstances change.
(Photo by Brad Bernard on Unsplash)
Wiktor (Vic) Kostrzewski (MA, DELTA) is an author, translator, editor and project manage based in London. When he works, he thinks about languages, education, books, EdTech and teachers. When he doesn’t work, he probably trains for his next triathlon or drinks his next coffee.
BRAVE Learning (formerly known as 16 Kinds) is a lifelong learning and productivity blog. If you enjoy these posts, please check out one of my books and courses.
My recent publications, and my archive, is now all available on my new project: PUNK LEARNING. Hope to see you there!