Brain Health
Learning Something New After 60 (And Why It's Worth the Awkward Part)
The uncomfortable beginner stage is the point. Novelty and challenge are what make learning feel like learning.
Choose novelty over familiarity
Repeating a puzzle you're already good at is pleasant but comfortable. Picking up something genuinely unfamiliar — a language, an instrument, a craft, a dance — asks more of you, and that ask is the value.
What makes a good choice
- It interests you enough to survive a bad week.
- It has visible progress you can feel in a month.
- It involves other people at least some of the time.
- It can be practiced in fifteen-minute pieces.
Plan for the awkward stage
Every new skill has a stretch where you're bad at it and know it. Deciding in advance how long you'll stay — eight weeks, say — keeps that stretch from becoming a reason to quit.
Try this
Pick one unfamiliar skill and commit to eight weeks of short practice before judging it.
The information and programs offered here are educational and wellness-based. They are not medical advice and are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure Alzheimer's disease, dementia or any other medical condition. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding individual medical concerns.