Mental Well-Being

MENTAL WELL-BEING ‘Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.’ – Henry Ford

By Chara Markatzinou

Life in itself is a continuous process of learning. Even if you are not formally enrolled in an educational institution, you are still learning. Reading, everyday experiences and regular interaction with people around you are all opportunities for growth and development. Moreover, being aware of the value of learning is an essential part of discovering one’s true potential, and continuous improvement is the key to long-term health and happiness in your career, body, and mind.

Here are 3 key benefits of constantly learning and improving:

1. Body Benefits

Anyone who enjoys the thrill of learning new things or mastering a new skill knows how you certainly feel younger in those moments. When you continually stimulate your brain with lifelong learning activities, it acts as a kind of vaccination against neurological degeneration. Both the construction of memory and the repair of damage to the brain depend heavily on mental stimulation.

2. Mind Benefits

If you want to get better at something or learn a brand new skill, what do you do? You learn about it, and then you practice it until you achieve mastery. Part of what’s happening in this process is gaining more confidence. The best way to build confidence is by making sure you always try new things, practice new things, and master new skills. Lifelong learning has a positive impact on both well-being and resilience. What comes into play as mediating factors are self-esteem, self-efficacy, and a sense of purpose, to name just a few.

3. Career Benefits

The days when a person joined a company and stayed there for an entire career are long gone in today’s increasingly mobile world. To keep yourself as marketable as possible in an ever-changing job market, you must broaden and deepen your skill sets – and lifelong learning is the only sure pathway forward. Learning is improving. Learning is a deliberate improvement strategy. Learning and Improving are everything. Learning is the analysis, and improvement is the action. Learning is the strategy and improvement is the tactic. How to learn something new every day:

•Get into the habit of reading by scheduling your time. •Build a network of go-to experts and ask questions. •Learn by teaching someone else. •Conduct your own research and investigations. •Observe what’s happening around you. •Evaluate and reflect on what you’ve learned. •Apply what you’ve learned.

Resources for continued learning:

•Read magazines and online articles. •Analyse and critique case studies. •Subscribe to publications specific to your areas of interest. •Make time to connect with a global network of people using Skype, Social Media and Email •Attend training courses and events. •Listen to podcasts and watch TED videos. The enemy of learning is knowing. If you think you know the answer you will not ask important, relevant questions. Be curious, be smart, be humble! Always have a curious mind. Explore different topics and do not be afraid to ask for clarity. Be inquisitive, and if your intent is sincere, there will be people who will help and support you in your journey. Experiment, try out new things, and keep the momentum going. Keep learning and keep reflecting. The time to start lifelong learning is now.

POSITIVE THINKING Let go of whatever holds you back, be it a thought, a situation or a relationship. Focus on the present moment, embrace the change and explore all the possibilities ahead.

Our Shipboard Training Officer Capt. Rommel REYES was invited on 6th July 2022 to Buenlag Elementary School, in Bugallon Pangasinan as a Guest Speaker. Our Captain Rommel’s personal professional history, starting from a Deck Cadet back in 1995, climbing up the ladder of Seafaring ranks, becoming a Master and then a Shipboard Trainer is a perfect example of one of the Human Performance Principles, that of “Learning and Improving”, and how these are vital. Now, in the role of a Shipboard Trainer, our Captain Rommel leads by example. He shared his feelings and ideas with us on this very important moment of his life: "It has been a great pleasure to be back at my Alma Mater, Buenlag Elementary School, Bugallon Pangasinan since I graduated back in 1987. I was invited to be the Guest Speaker to serve as an inspiration to the graduating students. I came from this School and was nurtured by excellent teachers during my early youth. I proved to them that studying in a state school should never be a hindrance as long as we are willing and eager to learn and focus on learning. We must remember that education is the most precious gift that one could ever have. Education is the only treasure that cannot be stolen from us. Success should not be based on perfection. It should focus on perseverance, determination and resilience to reach our goals, dreams, and ambitions in life."