Returning to learning

Learning boosts confidence

Research carried out by the Learning and Skills Council, who launched the 'Our future - it's in your hands' skills-boosting campaign, revealed that people envy others their skills and abilities more than their appearance. More than a third envied others' ability to do things, while just 4% envied them their beauty. This envy can spur us on to improve ourselves. And, as Professor Raj Persaud, consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, says: 'Investing time and effort in new skills is a great way to build self-confidence.'