“Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable humans to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life.^[1] The concept is also called psychosocial competency.^[2] The subject varies greatly depending on social norms and community expectations but skills that functions for well-being and aid individuals to develop into active and productive members of their communities are considered as life skills.”  Wikipedia

In our modern society and with rapidly changing technology, we are faced with incredible, continually evolving environments in our school, work and home lives.  This shifting environment is causing many new and different challenges and stressors for individuals.  Paying attention to the development of our life skills on an on-going basis helps to alleviate some of the pressures and stressors in everyday life.

There is no definitive list of life skills.  Simply put, life skills are abilities gained to facilitate positive outcomes in human interaction and daily activity.  Paying attention to fostering and grooming life skills will go a long way to help an individual to prosper and grow in their personal lives, relationships, professional and employment worlds, and essentially in every aspect of life.

Some important life skills:

• Housing comes with challenges we haven’t faced in the past. Tenancy is competitive and you need to have the skills required to find and keep housing, be it in landlord/tenancy relations, or being a respectful and sought after roommate.
• Money management is tough on a tight budget. Learning ways to stretch your dollar will contribute to success in all other life skills.
• Health and Dental services can be complex to find and costs can be prohibitive. In addition, recognizing when you are in need of these services sometimes isn’t always easy.
• Harm reduction/addiction support services are life skills that individuals often need help with in terms of how to navigate the world of addictions services and support.
• Personal vision/goal setting are exciting and challenging, ever evolving life skills that are critical to keep relevant in our changing world.
• Recognizing abuse is not always easy. Seek assistance if you believe you or someone else may be in a situation that is or could lead to abuse.
• Communication is the key to success in all aspects of life. Life skills work around communication will ensure success in every avenue of life.
• Nutrition is essential to maintaining good health. Learn how to maintain a healthy, budget conscious diet through the development of this life skill.
• Self-esteem is a person’s evaluation of their own worth. Activities that increase self-esteem contribute greatly to personal satisfaction and success.
• Stress is the number one reason for visits to the doctor. Gain skills to identify and measure your stressors and better manage stress in our changing and fast-paced world.

These are just some of the life skills that contribute to personal growth.  To connect with the many organizations in the Okanagan to assist you to work on these and many other life skills, your local WorkBC is a great place to start.