(ThySistas.com) What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you hear about learning new skills? It’s you’ve pictured a brand new desk and a cozy leather chair, it’s because, like most people, you’re conditioned to associate skills with a professional career. In reality, you need to think of each skill in terms of personal growth. While some can help you in your career, others are better suited for your development as an individual. These are the skills we’re talking about here.
Why should you learn new skills, you ask. According to cognitive psychologists, trying out new things have a tremendous positive impact on your life. Indeed, you can increase your self-confidence in the process, as you prove to yourself that you are up to the challenge, for instance. Additionally, you can also end up boosting your mind with new hobbies. Here’s how it works:
Music improves your memory
If you’ve always been fascinated by music instruments but too shy to try, musicians recommend getting to know more about the instrument by reading the whole guitar history for instance or finding out more about recorders. Ultimately, it’s a great way of taming your fears. Additionally, as you start learning and memorizing musical pieces, you’ll soon notice that your memory is improving. Remembering the information that you’ve heard once without writing it down makes you more efficient in your everyday life. 
Dancing reduces the risk of dementia
Joining a dance class is a perfect workout routine for anybody who doesn’t like the idea of lifting weights or running on a treadmill. If you want to turn your exercise into something beautiful and meaningful, learning to dance offers the ideal mixture of cardio and elegance. Salsa, rumba, tango, or even modern jazz, whatever takes your fancy; the dance world is rich and diverse. Regardless of your choice, you’ll gain the same benefits; dancing can ward off Alzheimer’s disease. Indeed, it improves your cognitive acuity as you need to not only remember patterns but also reproduce them.
Patience is a delicate art to master
Everyone has a story to tell, and perhaps the time has come for you to learn how to put yours in words. Writing, and especially crafting a successful novel, takes a lot of time and effort. But if you intend to publish your manuscript, you will be spending a lot longer to reach your audience. Telling your story teaches you patience, the art of waiting without losing hope. Patience is a lost virtue in a society where everything is available at the click of a button. But patience can be your inner force in life.
See the patterns of communication
Whether you’re going on holiday abroad or planning to surprise your Italian-born neighbor, learning a foreign language is always a fantastic idea. Indeed, did you know that Native English speakers are the world’s worst communicators? Indeed, when you learn a second language you become aware of some of the odd grammar rules of the English language, helping you to understand why your neighbor continues to use luggage in the plural form, for instance.
Can learning to play music or to speak Italian make you a better person? Experts believe that hobbies that enhance your mind give you the chance to grow as an individual. From improving your memory to avoiding language that can be confusing to others, some skills change your life for the better.
Staff Writer; Paula Adams