How to Learn Something New Every Day (and Why It Matters)

There are opportunities everywhere to expand your mind. Here are seven ways you can flex your mental muscles.

There are plenty of opportunities in daily life to learn new things. And while it may not always feel easy, learning helps to keep our brains sharp, especially as we age. In fact, continuing to learn throughout your life has many benefits, including improved cognition and mood, according to a suite of scientific research.

The effort to hone a new skill or take in new information doesn’t have to be big. Smaller, daily opportunities for learning can also enhance your quality of life and independence, according to George W. Rebok, Ph.D. He’s a professor emeritus at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Whether you want to pursue a new interest or skill or dig deeper into a favorite hobby, here are seven ways you can start learning new things or optimize the learning you’re already doing.

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1. Take a Cue From What You Like to Do

To get on a path to learning, try stepping outside of your comfort zone, so you’re not just doing what you’ve always done, says Rebok. For example, a daily crossword puzzle is great, but can you try a harder crossword puzzle or an entirely different puzzle, like Wordle or Sudoku?

For Rebok, he has been learning how to play shogi, which is a game similar to chess.

“I played chess earlier in my life, but my son learned how to play [shogi], and it became a way we can interact and have fun together,” he says. In a similar vein, he’s also learning to play pickleball. Although he already knew how to play tennis, pickleball came with an entirely new set of rules and skills that tap into both physical and mental power.

If your new endeavor is challenging at first, remind yourself that’s a good thing. In research published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, older adults who took part in high-challenge activities like digital photography or quilting experienced a bigger cognitive boost than those in low-challenge activities like casually socializing.

2. Pair Learning With Social and Physical Activity

Adding social connections or exercise to your learning opportunities promotes brain health. “Engaging multiple activity pathways is important to keeping us sharp as we get older,” says Rebok.

One example? Take a nature hike, and while you’re out walking — ideally with a friend — start identifying birds, plants, and trees along the way.

SilverSneakers Community classes are another fun way to double dip social and physical activities. (Learn more here.)

3. Learn a New Language

Whether you want to try your hand at French, Japanese, or Spanish — or you studied a language decades ago and are itching to get back into it — online or app-based language programs allow you to take a small lesson daily, so you can incrementally build up your language skills.

Research suggests that these trainings are cognitively beneficial, especially when it comes to your ability to remember and recall information, according to research published in Frontiers in Psychology.

Many people find that learning another language is beneficial in their day-to-day lives, too. It can provide a confidence boost, for example, as well as introduce you to new cultures, new art and food, and new people.

4. Learn to Fix Things Around the House

Your toilet is making that little running sound. Your sliding door is off the track. You need to set up a new wireless speaker that your kids got you as a gift. Rather than calling in family to help — or paying someone else to do these things — take the time to learn how to do them yourself. You’ll be amazed by what you can easily learn to do on YouTube.

5. Incorporate Memory Moments When You Can

When Rebok teaches memory classes, he instructs people to look for ways they can challenge their memory on a day-to-day basis. That’s something you can do during your daily routine.

For example, if you and a friend both read the same book, you can discuss it together, summarizing the main points that you recall and questions you still have. Or if you’re picking up a new language, make flash cards to help you memorize nouns or verb conjugations.

6. Read as Often as You Can

There’s a benefit to always having your nose in a book: People who read at least twice a week are less likely to have cognitive decline over the long-term, according to research in International Psychogeriatrics.

Reading can help preserve brain function as you age. It’s also something you can do solo in the quiet of your own home or at a local park of coffee shop, where you can also enjoy people-watching. The most important thing is that you’re reading. Choose a genre you love so you stay motivated to read.

If you’re looking to stretch your brain power even further, consider choosing a book outside your norm. If you tend to read thrillers, try historical nonfiction instead.

7. Sign Up for Classes Specifically for Seniors

Whether you’re aiming to learn yoga, tai chi, watercolor painting or another activity, find out if there are classes at your local senior or community center, suggests Rachel Wu, Ph.D. She’s an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside.

Senior centers can be a great resource since they work alongside other community organizations and businesses to provide educational and arts programs, according to the National Council on Aging.

If you can afford to go back to college, many schools have non-credit courses that are specifically geared toward seniors. Wu suggests looking for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes. These are programs that exist at 125 university and college campuses and provide educational activities for people aged 50 and older.

Recommended reading: The Happiness Boost from Lifelong Learning
Why SilverSneakers Members Love Our Classes
SilverSneakers Community: 6 Reasons to Get Involved

See our sources:
Benefits: Human Development
Language: Frontiers in Psychology
Challenging activities: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
Physical activity: Preventive Medicine
Reading: International Psychogeriatrics
Senior centers: National Council on Aging

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