Your brain: it’s not just a grey squishy thing. You can actually use it for a lot, like staying alive. You may not know it, but your brain? You need to use it or lose it.
Your Brain: 2 Classic Ways to Lose It
1) Stress. Stress has not only been shown to be a major health risk, but it can also seriously cramp your brain, make it stop growing new cells, even make it physically smaller, and make you dumberer!
2) Not using it. Still believing in the old myth that your brain doesn’t grow new cells and you can’t stop your memory from going as you grow older? Believe again. Turns out your brain is like your bicep, the more you use it the bigger it grows, even into old age.
Your Brain: How To Fine-Tune Performance
Now that you know stress (and negative emotions) can retard your brain’s performance, and that not stimulating those neurons can leave your brain muscles limp, what can you do to supercharge your brain?
1) Eat well! You and I both know this. While there are more diet theories than you can shake a stick at, most of them agree that more veggies & fruits than anything else is always a good thing. A cappucino is not a fruit (shucks).
2) Work that body! It’s good for your brain & it’s good for your body. It’s also been touted for so many years you know and I know its benefits, so ’nuff talkin’ and more sweatin’. Stretch, do cardio and pump up some muscle at least 3 times a week!
3) Challenge your brain! Push it and you grow it. Even when animals’ brains are damaged, when put in an enriched environment where they can play and learn, the brains are able to grow and repair themselves!
Learn new things, take on new challenges, learn a new language, pick up a new instrument, do sudoku, play games, pick up quantum physics, stretch yourself!
4) Dissolve that stress! Being the big brain-buster that it is, not to mention the bummer that it feels, boosting your ability to deal with stress smoothly is a big plus for anyone.
According to Robert Sapolsky, people who handle stress well are optimistic, take the initiative to do what they can, see things as they really are and not blown out of proportion, have friends and family they can go to and be supported (TLC baby!).
5) Get some TLC (tender loving care)! Yup, you read it right; getting TLC doesn’t only feel good, it provides real physical benefits for your brain. Rats that have been petted not only live longer, but their brains keep growing. Get your hug today, tell people it’s good for the brain. Hugz!
Your Brain: It’s Yours, Make It Lean, Make It Mean
Your Brain: it’s not just there to look good. Treat it well, feed it right, work it out, push it on, let go of the burden and give it some love, and instead of a beat-up old bicycle you’ll transform it into a rip-roaring Ferrari smokin’ down the tracks.
(This post is part of Problogger.net’s ‘How to…Group Writing Project‘! Sources from this post found via Matt, Senia & Dave, all of whom have kick-ass strategies to lead a greater life on their blogs. Thanks guys!)
September 21st, 2006 at 1:09 am
Great article, Alvin. I agree that keeping our brains functioning well is an important goal, and something we can improve with regular maintenance. Thanks!
September 21st, 2006 at 12:04 pm
Hey Alvin
Arent’ you going to submit this article to take part in the latest problogger’s writing project? There are prizes to be won!
September 21st, 2006 at 7:01 pm
Thanks Matt!
Yup, as you can see by the trackback, I couldn’t pass up the chance! What about you?
September 21st, 2006 at 9:27 pm
Hi Alvin, so glad you are writing about this! This is a majorly important topic!!
YAY!
S.
September 21st, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Really enjoyed this! It’s always interesting to see the link between biology and behavior.
September 21st, 2006 at 10:28 pm
Alvin, very good summary. (I found you through your comment in Senia’s blog). In my class I usually say that we can literally grow our brains with 1) new and diverse mental stimulation (that influences the enhanced generation of neurons and connections) and 2) better stress management (stress has the opposite effect).
2 posts that can be of interest, given what I see in your blog:
-On Learning and bottlenecks to learning/ performance
-On Keeping an Open Mind. It contains a fun video of one of the most spectacular brain research findings on attention I have seen recently
Regards
September 21st, 2006 at 11:12 pm
Great post Alvin!
It’s so true and probably one of the most ignored muscles in the body.
*flexes brain*
I’m going to consciously keep my brain in good shape! I’m off for a game of soduku!
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:04 am
I love to learn new things, I try to do puzzles that challenge me too…I’m a big promoter in keeping your brain busy and active!
September 22nd, 2006 at 3:17 am
So true and nice reminders! Our how-to is up as well if you’d like to check it out!!
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:59 am
Great read! Now I need a brain massage! Thanks for the great how to! Thanks for participating in the Group Writing Project. My how to is up also.
September 22nd, 2006 at 7:01 pm
Wow, thanks Alvaro! Guys, he knows his brain…check out his blog, it’s packed with expert info on fine-tuning the brain’s performance!
Thanks for all the kind comments people! Darren’s group writing projects kick ass
September 22nd, 2006 at 9:56 pm
Great article, Alvin. You provide information in an easily accessible manner. I’m going to start a file for my class so that when I have my students do an independent study unit, they will have infromation that they can understand and work with. Thanks.
September 23rd, 2006 at 7:17 am
Well, I don’t know it all…yet
Fyi, have just written a post you may enjoy, based on a very good article on the Neuroscience of Leadership.
Enjoy the weekend
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:46 pm
Perfectly inline with my how to.
July 20th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
I like very much the writings
January 10th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Excellent post. I don’t think most people realize that stress can actually lead to brain shrinkage! Definetely something to work on this day and age!