Life Skills

Life Skills
​About 10 years ago, whilst working in the education setting, I decided to investigate the topic of ‘life skills’.  It was a subject which intrigued me and so I did a lot of research on it.  I discovered just how incredibly important, necessary and life changing it is, when these skills are taught from a young age as a collaborative approach, in education settings, in families and in communities.
 
What are Life Skills?
In a nutshell, they are various skills that you acquire and learn through your everyday life experiences that enable you to effectively work through the challenges of your life. 
Having life skills helps children and adolescents become responsible, resilient, and healthy.  This then, is part of the grounding for healthy adults.
 
Why do we need these skills?
Would you want skills, that empower you to be the best version of yourself?   Would you want skills that help you to deal with what life hands you in a productive, competent, and resourceful way, all whilst maintaining a level of wellbeing?

How else do we manage our work, our relationships, and our needs?  And not just on a practical level, but also on an emotional level, being able to respond to situations with control and ability.
We can put these skills into various sections of our lives: (picture a gallery of paintings if you like, with each category being the painting of your life skills).
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What do you know about yourself?
Self-Awareness – looking at your behaviour, actions, emotions and taking time to reflect on these, Self Esteem, Assertiveness, Ability to Manage your Feelings, Coping with Stress.

What do you know about how you relate to others?
Relating to others, Empathy – the ability to understand others’ needs, Managing Peer Relationships, Effective Communication, Negotiating, Conflict Resolution.

What do you know about how you use Life Skills in your business world?
Identifying ways to be successful in business, identifying ways to be financially stable.

What do you know about how effectively you can make decisions?
Creative thinking, Critical Thinking – organising, analysing, and evaluating facts, Decision Making – goals, values, beliefs, Problem Solving.

Take one example of this list - Being able to communicate effectively - in doing so it helps us to enhance our relationships.  Helping us to minimise potential misinterpretation of the communication.

Another example from the list is decision making.  I am sure you would agree that we are forever making decisions in our lives.  Some more serious than others.   Never underestimate the decision-making process that goes on in the school yard not just in the business arena.  To be able to do this, we need the skills to know how so we can make well-informed decisions based on the facts and working out the pros and cons of the decisions we make.  And then making sure we have the skills that help us deal with this process from a logical perspective without letting our emotions take over.

Where and how can we teach or learn these skills?
Well, firstly at home is the best place to create the foundation of these skills and the continuation of these skills.  Secondly, in the education setting, as children spend a lot of hours in the school setting for example.  Thirdly in the community.

Why?  Because it improves mental wellbeing and helps children and young people understand what they value in life, want from their life, and helps them to understand themselves and other relationships and interactions in their lives. 

Young people are constantly trying to find their place in their world and who they are and who they want to be.  The social pressures and effect this has on their self-esteem all eventually can lead to a decline in their mental health.  We want the youth of today to be able to thrive in their family, their world, their communities, don’t we?
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It is for this reason, the more we can equip the youth of today with skills they need, the more they will understand who they are, what their strengths and weaknesses are so they can increase their ability to know themselves and how they deal with life situations.
 
So how do we improve our life skills?

• Continue to try to do something despite obstacles or difficulties.
• Work together with others to complete a task.
• Show interest in a cause.  Be curious about the world around you.
• Put real effort into doing something.
• Think about the concerns others may have and try to see things from a different perspective.
• Find an answer or solution to a problem you or someone else is experiencing.
• Keep your house, room, email, diary and office organised and things accessible.
• Be honest with yourself and with those in your life.
• Be accountable for your actions and your attitude.
• Create a plan and try to carry it out completely.
• Show interest in a topic or task.
• Be self-aware and accept mistakes as part of your growth.
• Be satisfied if you have given it your best effort.
• Try to laugh every now and then and be kind to yourself.
• Be patient and practice being in tune with what your body is telling you.
• Know what you value and act accordingly.
• Try to be flexible by practicing the ability to change plans when needed.
• Think things through first.
• Practice courage – you can do more than you give yourself credit for.
• Keep your friendships strong by showing care and demonstrating trust.
• Truly listen to others to understand them and try to view things from different viewpoints.

 
Perhaps this blog has helped you to identify a skill you would like to work on or learn.  It is never too late to learn or to teach others a new skill.
Did you know that continuing to learn throughout your life can help you to become that best version of yourself with the added benefit of helping you to deal with things differently than you did before, because you have a different mindset or new skill.
Enjoy the journey.
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#lifeskills
#selfawareness
#mentalhealth