What is this? How to grow your brain.
Why should I read it? To learn how you learn best.
WARNING: Science ahead! Please be patient – I will try to make it worth your while.
Every time you learn something new, experience an event or form a memory, you actually change the architecture of your brain. I find this fact so intriguing! Does that make me a complete nerd? Your neurons connect as an electro-chemical pathway dedicated to preserving this event for later access. Plus, the more you repeat these new experiences, the larger this pathway grows, just like a muscle. Want to keep your brain in shape? Train that muscle!
"I'm smart too."
Neurologists like to say, “neurons that fire together, wire together.” Scientific-looking men wearing white lab coats like to think that this is rather clever.
In other words, "firing" as a result of your sensory input and "wiring" into a pattern dedicated to your specific task. Instead of neurons randomly loitering, they are self-organizing in response to your activity.
The term for this is plasticity: the ability of your brain to change its wiring. Previously it was thought that this process dissipated during adolescence but recent research supports the idea that this malleability of the brain continues throughout adulthood. If the activity or stimulus is repeated often enough, then your body secretes a chemical called myelin which insulates and further strengthens the microscopic neuronal “highways” like electric cables.
What happens in your brain regarding your belief system and attitude? Imagine how your neurons line up if you repeatedly tell yourself "I'll never learn how to do this" vs. "I can do this!" If you can replace your inner critic with affirmations or positive self-talk, then you can train your brain to align with your healthy choices and behavior.
Another miracle of nature is how the brain maximizes its efficiency by releasing microglia cells whose job is to attack and destroy the damaged or unused neurons (including your lousy "I can't" blobs of neurons) and act as the “clean-up crew". This is similar to pruning a tree or a rosebush by trimming unhealthy parts to support the plant’s overall growth. This process offers the pocket-protector-lab-coat crowd another chance at neurological semi-comedy: "Use it or lose it". Ouch.
What can you do to train your brain? Activities range from crossword puzzles or Sudoku to learning how to play a musical instrument or mastering a second language. Researchers from York University in Toronto found that being bi-lingual delayed the onset of Alzheimer's by 4.5 years. What hidden desire lies dormant in your belly? Be creative!
People! Listen up! You possess the power to change your mind! Get it? This knowledge can be a powerful tool to have in your possession. Your ability to grow your brain is available at any age!
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