It's often been said that a change is as good as a rest, and there's much merit in this from a neuroscience point of view. Learning or doing something new is quite simply good for us. 

By learning, I don't just mean go on some course, unless it's really engaging and we're not just sitting at the back thinking about something else. I don't just mean learn some new facts in an academic setting, I mean anything new, anything that has novelty, as it is the combination of novelty and emotional engagement, that energises us. If it's something new, and you enjoy it, then it's going to stick!

  

It could well be something to do with work, something that challenges you and makes your job more interesting, and perhaps even more rewarding financially. Although that's less of a driver than you might think! Then of course you might take up a new hobby, new sport, visit somewhere you've never been.

 

Whatever it is, it's the combination of novelty and emotion that makes this such a powerful activity.