At school, we are often taught the academic basics that we need to get by in life. However, some essential life skills are not often taught in the classroom. These are the skills that we often have to learn through experience. For example, learning how to budget and manage your finances is a vital life skill, but it is something that is not often taught in school. Similarly, learning how to cook healthy meals and take care of your physical health is another important life skill. While these things can be learned outside of the classroom, it would be beneficial if they were taught in school as well. By teaching these essential life skills in the classroom, we would be better prepared for life after graduation.
Here are a few life skills that your school didn’t teach you:
1. Nobody ever instructed you on how to live in the present.
Remember how every minute of your school day was planned out? The bell would ring to signal the start of class, there were timed classes and tests, scheduled breaks for lunch and recess, and then finally the last bell signifying the end of the school day. One important thing we have to learn in life is not to dwell on what’s happening next or what has already happened, but to focus on living in the moment.
After we’ve left school, it’s difficult to re-learn how to focus our attention on the present moment. We are free to run when we want, sleep when we want, and drink and eat whenever we choose (as long as someone is there to provide it for us) while in utero. Time limitations were instilled and then you worked to unlearn them.
2. You weren’t taught how to say no in school, right?
Much of your youth at school is spent obeying your authority figure instructor. In school, you seldom get a choice in anything. They dictate where you should sit, what you should read when you should eat, and when you should leave. Unless you want to face the consequences, you don’t have the option to say no to any of them.
You learned to reclaim your voice and refuse what you didn’t want as a kid. Some of us are still learning that we have this ability and how to use it. Being a yes-man or woman is always more socially acceptable for the person who asked. However, learning how to reclaim your “No Power” is an acquired skill that comes in handy outside of school.
3. They never taught us to follow our hearts in school.
They never taught us to follow our hearts in school. We are taught to practice delayed gratification, but that doesn’t mean we have to listen. When you deny your desires, they’ll still be there–you’ve just buried them beneath feeling like you have responsibilities, time constraints, and not enough money. Listening to your heart when it says “spend the day in the park” instead of going to work is a skill that school didn’t teach us.
It can be hard to tell the difference between what our heart wants and what our mind tells us we should do. After years of being told that we need to study hard and get good grades to get a good job, it’s no wonder that many of us feel guilty when we take some time for ourselves. But if we never listen to our hearts, we’ll never truly be happy.
The next time you’re feeling stuck in a rut, or like you’re just going through the motions of life, take some time for yourself. Follow your heart, even if it means skipping work or school for a day. It might just be the best decision you ever make.
4. School rarely covers how to appreciate emotion.
By providing you with critical information about how you feel toward others, activities, and words, your emotions enhance your encounter with the world. It’s more likely that you were instructed to stop crying and subdue your rage or annoyance rather than lashing out in school. Of course, as an adult, you learned that suppressing feelings only resulted in additional difficulties later on. As an adult, you had to learn how to act on your emotions as a guide for making decisions based on what you care about.
5. You weren’t given any training on how to rely on yourself in school.
When you were in school, there were always people around to help you, but the one thing they didn’t teach you was how to fend for yourself when your parents or teachers weren’t around. This includes taking care of yourself when you’re sick, finding ways to entertain yourself, and learning how to manage your money. Learning how to be self-reliant is an important life skill that will come in handy when you’re out on your own. So take some time to learn how to take care of yourself, and you’ll be glad you did when you find yourself in a situation where there’s no one else around to help. Thanks for reading!
6. In school, you weren’t taught how to disagree.
In school, you weren’t taught how to disagree. Instead, you were subjected to a strict and rigid mindset. Your teachers merely repeated the things they learned in school, with little room for alternative viewpoints. There could have been an opportunity to dispute or debate on your college campus years later. However, you were most likely not taught how to think independently or advocate for opposing viewpoints in school. You learned this skill outside of school, through experience and exposure to different ideas.
This is not to say that schools are completely failing to teach critical thinking skills. But they could be doing more to encourage students to explore different perspectives and develop their own opinions. In a world where people are increasingly divided on hot-button issues, it’s more important than ever to learn how to disagree respectfully. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to seek out opportunities to broaden their horizons and open their mind.
7. In school, you didn’t learn how to have and keep romantic love.
If you’re like most people, you probably didn’t learn how to have and keep romantic love while you were in school. Sure, you may have had a lover or a girlfriend at some point during your younger years, but learning how to maintain a romantic partner happy by focusing on meeting their needs, communicating effectively, compromising when necessary, and keeping the passion alive is something you likely had to discover on your own. While this can certainly be a challenging endeavor, it can also be an incredibly rewarding one. After all, what could be more enjoyable than being in a healthy, loving relationship with someone who makes you feel good about yourself? If you’re currently struggling in your relationship or simply looking for ways to improve it, consider implementing some of the following tips:
Be attentive to your partner’s needs and take action to meet them. Whether it’s something as simple as fetching them a glass of water when they’re thirsty or taking care of a chore that they’ve been meaning to get to but haven’t had the time for, showing that you’re willing to go out of your way to make them happy is sure to please.
Make communication a priority. In any relationship, being able to communicate openly and honestly with one another is crucial. If you’re not comfortable talking about certain topics with your partner, take some time to explore why that is and see if there’s anything you can do to change it.
Be willing to compromise. In any relationship, there will be times when each person has to give up something they want to make the other person happy. If you’re not used to doing this, it can be tough at first. But remember, compromising is a key part of any healthy relationship.
Keep the passion alive. Just because you’re in a long-term relationship doesn’t mean the spark has to die out. Keep things fresh by doing new things together, planning special date nights, or even just taking some time each day for some quality alone time with one another. By making an effort to keep the romance alive, you’ll keep your relationship strong for years to come.
Life skills are essential
While many life skills are not taught in school, we have highlighted some of the most important ones. These skills are essential for leading a successful and happy life. We hope that our blog post has provided you with some valuable information and tips that you can use to improve your life. If you would like to read more such posts, please visit our website or subscribe to our newsletter. Thank you for reading!
