As cheesy as it sounds, I really feel that learning is one of the greatest joys in life. Even though I'm no longer in school, constant learning is something that I have continued to try and insert into my everyday life. With smart phones and the Internet nowadays, learning resources have become so available and accessible to nearly anyone! I know everyone is busy so it can be hard to think about learning when there are a thousand things to juggle at work - and I totally get it! That's why I do my best to place learning into the little breaks in my life that already exist and thought I'd share some of these strategies with you all today :)
1. Duolingo
Truth be told, I probably pick up my phone to scroll through Instagram or Snapchat at least once an hour at work. While these are both enjoyable activities, they aren't always the most productive! Instead, I try to open Duolingo every once in a while so that even if I need a short distraction, it's one that is teaching me something new! Duolingo is a language learning app that turns learning a language into short game-like sessions. Currently, most of the languages offered are European languages so I am working on maintaining my Spanish skills while also learning French!
2. Coursera
Coursera is an online platform that offers University classes for anyone to take online for free! As one of those kids in school who was always getting FOMO because I couldn't fit "Intro to Cooking" or "Yoga 101" into my class schedule, Coursera is this nerd's dream come true! Most of Coursera's classes are very low pressure and many can even be completed at your own pace - which works perfectly for people like me who have full-time jobs. I'm currently enrolled in Child Nutrition and have loved every minute of it!
3. Documentaries
Like most people, I love binge-watching TV shows. It'scomforting to have something playing in the background while I'm cooking or doing household chores. Recently, I've gotten into watching documentaries as I'm tidying up my apartment and I feel like I'm learning so much more! Don't get me wrong, there are days when I really just need a Gilmore Girls marathon to lift my spirits, but on the days when my brain is ready for new information, documentaries have really become a great way to learn a little more every day (while getting chores done!). I use Amazon Prime for this because they have a great selection of documentaries to choose from.
4. Podcasts
I'm pretty sure I've already raved about podcasts in previous posts but they really are a commuter's best friend! Currently, I drive to work, so outside of listening to the radio there's really not a whole lot I can do to keep myself occupied. Podcasts have really come in handy here and I love that there are so many different topics available to podcast listeners. Being the psychology nerd that I am, most of my educational podcasts focus on new psychological research but I've also listened to quite a few language learning podcasts in the past.
5. Other People!
I am lucky enough to work with and meet a lot of talented, and intelligent individuals. As a kid, I always loved hanging out with older kids because they were one step ahead of me and I felt like I learned so much from them! As an adult, I still love learning from people - whether they are older than me or not! As we become adults, everyone becomes an expert in one thing or another and there is always at least one topic or theme where the other person knows more than you! I find this to be such an awesome opportunity to learn from someone else's real world experience - and it's really the best form of learning you can get :)
Is there anyone out there who is as obsessed with learning as I am? I just feel like there is so much out there that I still don't know - it makes me want to go out, grab it, and cram as much of into my brain as I possibly can! Let me know how you fit everyday learning into your life - I'd love to hear from you!
