There was a time when scientist use to believe that after a given point in life, your brain could no longer change or develop further. But now it has been proved wrong. With a bit of time and patience, we can redevelop our brain, which may help with certain mental health symptoms and protect against cognitive decline. Limits of the brain’s abilities are still beyond determination. Few scientists think it is beyond fully understandable. On the contrary evidence does supports an interesting process named Neuroplasticity aka Brain Plasticity. “Neuroplasticity” is a process of our brain’s ability to restructure or redevelop itself when it recognizes the need for change. This process can continue changing and developing throughout our life. There are two types of neuroplasticity
Structural Plasticity-The brain's ability to actually change its physical structure as a result of learning
Functional Plasticity- The brain's ability to move functions from a damaged area of the brain to other undamaged areas
Our brain continues to create new neural pathways by alteration of existing ones to adapt new experiences, learn new information, and create new memories. Restructuring your own brain is not very tough even you could do it easily. Here are my suggestions
Try to learn a new Language
More languages mean more brain power. It has been found that people who speak multiple languages have better management of “higher cognitive processes” like thought, memory and solving of problem A more capable form of brain restructuring has been found in people who learn second languages when they are adults, or who keep up the two languages they spoke when they were child. It has been found that fluency in two languages delays the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and keeps dementia at bay. On average, multilingual get these conditions four and a half years later than monolinguals. This is a considerable advantage in light of the severity and widespread nature of these illnesses. And since dementia itself is linked to decline of the brain, it seems speaking two languages may well restructure the brain, or at least keep it healthier than it would be with just one. So, from today try to learn a new language.
Do some Exercise
There are two types of exercise you could do to restructure your brain. Physical exercise and Mental Exercise.
Physical Exercise- According to the Hogan, Mata, and Carstensen study, it only takes fifteen minutes of exercise to improve the functionalities of the brain. It is fact that exercise offers a number of physical benefits like stronger muscles, better sleep, improved fitness and health. It also strengthens our brain. Exercise like aerobic exercise in particular can lead to improvements in cognitive abilities like learning and memory. Exercise also helps to improve fine motor coordination and brain connectivity and may protect against cognitive decline. It helps to promote increased blood flow and cell growth in the brain, which reduced our depression symptoms. The effects of exercise on the brain are profound, benefitting health and cognition. As an example, while scientists and researchers commonly believed in the past that oxygen consistently saturates blood, whereas new research reveals that blood oxygen levels can rise and fall substantially based on external factors including physical exertion. During exercise, as the heart and lungs work overtime, the body drives more oxygen and blood to the brain, leading to elevated oxygenation, improved cerebral blood flow and brain angiogenesis the growth of blood vessels. Research shows that higher levels of blood and oxygen in the brain lead to improved cognition and better function of the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain responsible for decision-making and reasoning. Despite being a form of physical stress, exercise can assist relaxation. It reduces the levels of stress hormones in the body, like adrenaline and cortisol. It also encourages the release of endorphins, which are chemicals that the body produces to reduce pain and improve mood. This natural reduction of stress hormones and the release of endorphins are part of why experts believe exercise ties into improved mental health. Research has demonstrated that physical activity can help people overcome or better cope with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Exercise also boosts mental health in other ways improving emotional processing and increasing focus and productivity. Physical exertion causes the body to up regulate or increase the production of Neurotrophins. These proteins are responsible for the development and survival of neurons, the fundamental cells that make up the brain. Increased levels of Neurotrophins in the body can lead to the development of new neurons, as well as fresh connections and pathways between different parts of the brain. This effect is part of why experts believe that exercise can improve cognition and keep the mind sharp. Scientists and researchers also think these new connections and neurons may be why physical activity can prevent or slow down the progression of dementia-causing diseases like Alzheimer's which, at the moment, has no known cure. Best of all, research shows that it does not take a lot of exercise to gain most of these benefits. Following the standard exercise recommendation of 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 30 minutes five times per week is enough to unlock most of these major benefits. A regular brisk walk or some laps around the pool could be all it takes to boost brain function and reap the rewards. So just after reading my article start your exercise if you have not done yet.
Mental Exercise- There are few mental exercises we could do to restructure our brain.
Meditate- This is the single thing we can do which has a more profound effect on our physical and mental health. Meditation is not just a religious or spiritual practice, meditation increases positivity, fights anxiety and depression, decreases pain and inflammation, and increases your ability to regulate your emotions. I believe that every human being should meditate every day to be more positive.
Make gratitude a daily practice- Gratitude is a simple way to get into a positive mindset. Even the act of trying to think of something to be grateful for boosts serotonin and dopamine your brain’s happy chemicals. I hope you already know what miracle Dopamine can do from my writings. So how to practice gratitude? Start with small. Gratitude doesn’t have to be huge. You don’t have to start by thanking the universe for the big bang. Start with little things like I am grateful for the mobile phone I’m carrying it allows me to communicate with the whole world. I am grateful to my driver for taking me office safely. I am grateful for the free coffee at my office this afternoon. It is said that keep a blank book and pen next to your bed and write down what you had to be grateful for during the day. You’ll actually sleep better as you aim to be more positive.
Challenge negative interpretations and think positive- Take a moment and recognize what you’re feeling. Honor it and ask yourself what your thoughts are. Get curious and ask questions. Curiosity is an underrated state. Asking yourself the right questions about an event can help get you out of a funk and be more positive. Negativity can be such an ingrained habit it’s really important to catch yourself in the act. How you are feeling about an event is a good indicator of where your thoughts are. Big negative feelings follow big negative thoughts. Always try to think positive leaving your negativity Stack evidence to build up positive beliefs think about something that is true for you. Something simple Start with an empowering belief. If we’re going to create and solidify a belief, we should choose it carefully. Choose something that empowers you and feels good. Create a single statement.
Love Music
Music improves brain health and function in many ways. It makes you smarter, happier, and more productive at any age. Listening is good, playing is better. Music has played an important role in every human culture, there is a wing called Neuromusicology which explores how the nervous system reacts to music. Playing, and even just listening to, music can make you happier, healthier, smarter and more productive at all stages of life. As a proof of my sayings look at the brains of those who play a lot of music means professional musicians. Brain scans show that their brains are different than those of non-musicians. They have bigger, better connected, more sensitive brains with superior working memory, auditory skills, and cognitive flexibility. Their brains are physically more symmetrical, and they respond more symmetrically when listening to music. Corpus Callosum is the areas of the brain responsible for motor control, auditory processing, and spatial coordination are larger. Musicians also have a larger corpus callosum. This is the band of nerve fibers which transfers information between the two hemispheres of the brain. This increase in size indicates that the two sides of musicians’ brains are better at communicating with each other. While most of us aren’t professional musicians, even though listening to music in average of 32 hours per week has a tremendous, good effect on the brains of non-musicians as well. Listening to and playing music reduces chronic stress by lowering the stress hormone cortisol. Music can make you feel more hopeful, powerful, and in control of your life. Listening to sad music has its benefits, too. If you are going through a tough time, listening to sad music can be cathartic. It can help you to get connected with your emotions to help you heal. Listening to music increases the secretion of neurotransmitter dopamine. Which is our brain’s “motivation molecule” and an integral part of the pleasure-reward system. It’s the same brain chemical responsible for the feel-good states obtained from eating chocolate, orgasm, and runner’s high.
When listening to your favorite playlist, by choosing shuffle mode you can further increase your dopamine. With your favorite songs unexpectedly comes up, it triggers an more dopamine boost. It acts as an serendipity to your dopamine releasing system. Not only dopamine but playing music with others or enjoying live music stimulates the brain hormone Oxycontin. Which is called called the “trust molecule” and the “moral molecule” as it helps us bond with and trust others. It has been proved that the Oxycontin bump experienced by music lovers can make them more generous and trustworthy. listening to music at work can make you a happier, more productive employee. Background music helps to enhances the performance on cognitive tasks, improves accuracy, and enables the completion of repetitive tasks more efficiently. It has been observed that Software developers are happier and produced better work more efficiently when listening to music. When surgeons listened to music while operating, they were less stressed out and worked faster and more accurately, especially if they were allowed to pick the music of their own choice. Music helps people to perform better in high-pressure situations. Listening to upbeat music before starting a game can keep athletes free from choking under pressure. Music can alleviate the symptoms of mood and mental disorders including Anxiety, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Depression, Insomnia, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Schizophrenia. It shows promise in treating stroke, autism, Parkinson’s, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. Listening to music reduces the stress experienced by patients both before and after surgery. It helps to decrease postoperative confusion and delirium that affects some elderly patients while recovering from surgery.
In gist the evidence is clear playing a musical instrument or listening to music can positively affect our brain health and fitness. It can improve our mood, can increase our intelligence, can enhance our learning and concentration abilities, and ward off the effects of brain aging. Through Music therapy and improve the quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients is possible. That’s why no matter with your age, it’s never too late to fill your life with music.
Involve in Art
Creating art helps us to see the world in a new and unique way. We might use art to sort through and express emotions, share personal experiences, or get deeper insight on personal struggles. It activates the reward center of our brain for a lot of people, making art can be nerve-wracking. What are you going to make? What kind of materials should you use? What if you can't execute it? What if it ... sucks? Studies show that despite those fears, "engaging in any sort of visual expression results in the reward pathway in the brain being activated Which means that you feel good, and it's perceived as a pleasurable experience."
Research proved that making art may have benefit for people dealing with health conditions that activate the reward pathways in the brain, like addictive behaviors, eating disorders or mood disorders. It lowers stress. Although the research in the field of art therapy is emerging, there's evidence that making art can lower stress and anxiety. In 2016 a group of researchers measured cortisol levels of 39 healthy adults. Cortisol is a hormone that helps the body respond to stress. They found that 45 minutes of creating art in a studio setting with an art therapist significant lowered cortisol level. The paper also showed that there were no differences in health outcomes between people who identify as experienced artists and people who don't. So that means that no matter your skill level, you'll be able to feel all the good things that come with making art. It helps us to focus deeply, making art induce us in a state what the Scientists calls "flow" the wonderful thing that happens when you're in that zone. It's the sense of losing yourself, losing all awareness. You're so in the moment and fully present that you forget all sense of time and space. And what's happening in your brain when you're in flow state? It activates several networks including relaxed reflective state, focused attention to task and sense of pleasure which found that flow was characterized by increased theta wave activity in the frontal areas of the brain and moderate alpha wave activities in the frontal and central areas. So just after reading my article involve yourself in art.
Travel
Scientists used to believe that the brain was only changeable during childhood, but now widely accept that neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to change — is present throughout your life. People who travel to new places, keep learning languages and continue to experience new things into old age, are far less likely to develop cognitive decay, according to Merzenich's weighty body of research.Want to maximize your brain's neuroplasticity? A change of scenery wakes up your brain and takes it off autopilot. You have to think about small things when you're in an unfamiliar place, which is entirely the point. Learn a few words of a different language, take a walking tour, or even something as simple as trying a new food can get those neurons firing. When we look forward to doing something fun, it triggers a release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. This helps explain why simply a vacation on the horizon having tends to make us happier. Those who were waiting to go on a holiday were much happier with life as a whole and reported experiencing fewer negative and unpleasant feelings. Even our vacation high doesn't end when we return home. The researchers theorized that travel forces you to think in different ways and develop "cognitive flexibility," which is a key component of creativity. So plan your next vacation quick it's good for you.
I hope after reading my article you will try to restructure your brain to develop your mental health system and to protect yourself from cognitive decline. i wish you best of luck.
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