“Never stop learning,” this is the campaign slogan for this year’s Adult Learners Week, and we’re on board. Learning a new skill can sometimes seem daunting in our adult lives, but it doesn’t need to be! Learning a new skill can be greatly beneficial for our mental and physical health and can come in all shapes and sizes, such as learning to become a Mental Health First Aider. This Adult Learners Week, we’re encouraging you take part, learn something new and feel good whilst you’re doing it.
Learning a New Skill: How it Benefits Your Mental Health
As suggested by the NHS, learning a new skill can improve mental wellbeing and help you feel more positive in your outlook. Learning something new also:
- Improves your brain health and memory – learning a new skill helps to train your brain to handle a range of challenges, as well as broadening your perspective on the world
- Boosts self-esteem and confidence – learning a new skill can provide you with a sense of purpose and add more meaning to your everyday life
- Builds connections with others – attending sessions, whether that’s online or in-person, provides you with the opportunity to meet other like-minded people and build relationships
- Increases energy levels – learning something new releases the ‘feel good’ chemical dopamine in the brain which increases our energy and helps battle the stresses of everyday life
- Beats boredom – a new skill can help us escape the countless hours of flicking through Netflix by keeping us motivated, interested and excited, meaning our body and mind is always stimulated
When learning a new skill, your experiences can also inspire you to improve other aspects of your life. For example, if you were to learn more about Mental Health First Aid in Wales and become an Instructor or First Aider, you could use your new skills to help improve your mental health and those around you. Therefore, learning a new skill doesn’t just stop at benefiting us as individuals; it can have a positive effect on the people around us.
How To Get Involved and Trained as a Mental Health First Aider
Becoming trained in Mental Health First Aid is incredibly beneficial for you to deal with mental health and wellbeing issues, especially due to the current climate in the UK surrounding mental health. Encountering discussions and situations around mental health, whether that be in your personal or professional life, is almost guaranteed. Benefits of our training (aside from the benefits of learning a new skill!) include:
- Being equipped with the skills to meet the challenges of everyday mental health issues
- Better service within the workplace
- Increased motivation and morale
- Potential reduction in sickness leave due to better management surrounding mental health
- Improved confidence, culture and commitment within organisations
Learning to become a Mental Health First Aider can help you become a supportive, listening ear, whether it’s for a family member or a colleague. Despite this, it’s important to remember that as a Mental Health First Aider, you’re not training to become a counsellor, though counselling is available on our website for those who need long-term support. As a Mental Health First Aider, you will be trained and educated on how to deal with mental health and wellbeing issues in the moment and how best we can understand, support and de-stigmatise mental health conditions.
There are different training courses for you to get involved in and the topics covered will provide you with knowledge, awareness and resources that can be applied to situations where you can support yourself and others. Additionally, our training can help deal with feelings of anxiety and uncertainty that can arise when you are unsure of how to approach someone experiencing emotional distress. Training courses include:
- Online/remote training – five self-directed modules and two 3 hour live webinars
- Classroom based – 2 day course
- Instructor Training – 5 day course
- Refresher course – half day course
Learning With MHFA Wales – Why Us?
We can talk about how beneficial learning at MHFA Wales is, but what we love seeing is the positive feedback from learners to back up what we’re saying. Luckily, our knowledgeable trainers ensure that MHFA training is high quality and delivered in a passionate and engaging way that motivates participants. Just ask our learners:
- “The course was really informative and delivered in a very engaging and concise way. Tristan and Nina were very knowledgeable and could easily relate to everyone in the group.” – Marianne B
- “Very positive thought-provoking course. I am a good listener, but this course has given me confidence to be a mental health first aider.” – Kirstie H
- “The delivery by both Steve and David was excellent and informative and was delivered in such a way that you were able to understand difficult topics in more detail. I would 100% recommend others to attend such a training event. Excellent.” – Crofton D
- “This course was very informative and outstandingly presented. The instructors were knowledgeable and passionate, relaying useful tips to us to use.” – Gabriella S
So, if you would like to learn a new skill that is thought-provoking, informative and will help you understand more about mental health, we’re here to provide you with the training to do so. For more details about training to become an Adult Mental Health First Aider or to view other training we provide, visit our website and learn how to invest in your mental health.
