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Intelligence comes naturally. Some people are born with it and some don’t. Yeah, it sounds true. But …. it is not the whole truth. The brain we are born with remains the same. We are kind of stuck with it for the rest of our lives. This could not be farther from the truth.
However, advancing and emerging technologies and neuroscience are giving us a better understanding of the enigmatic material we call the brain. We learn that our brains are more dynamic than we think. No matter what we do, it affects the chemistry and structure of our brain.
In this article, we will discuss 10 things that you can do to literally change the way your brain functions. Both positively and negatively.
1. How Sleep Affects Brain
Sleep is a mysterious yet vital activity that not even science can explain. All we know about it is that it is beneficial and is practiced by all living things and also the fact that its shortage can put a real bad impact on health. Researchers are still in between the research to conclude the reason behind why we sleep.
We are sure that sleep is not a technique to save energy. As the only amount of 50kCal is what we save after an eight-hour sleep. Yet, if you skip sleep, you will feel irritated. Lack of sleep can lead you to multiple losses like loss of memory or encountering false memories. In extreme cases, people even experience slurred speech disorder and brain damage due to improper sleep.
So what does the brain do while you sleep? It works on archiving memories, clears out toxins, develops creative connections, and other organizing activities. Moreover, these activities are not related to the night’s sleep. A small naptime can also get the job done and provide you with a load of energy that is equivalent to the amount you get after having 2 cups of coffee. Not only energy, but it also enhances the ability to retain the facts and increases creativity.
So, to be precise, if you are not feeling up to the mark or feeling a bit dull, try finding a nice and cosy place to get some quality sleep. And if you are at the workplace, try asking your boss first.
2. How Exercising Affects Brain
Physical activities i.e. exercising is essential for many reasons. However, it does not only just benefit your outer self. According to recent research, exercise does not only help your body but also your brain.
As for starters, exercising can help in enhancing your brain’s “plasticity.” Plasticity is a cerebral quality that affects the ability to learn, memory, and motor skills. According to a study conducted at a well-known institution, a group of adults who were in their late 20s and early 30s take part in a session of physical activity. Right after the session, their brains exhibited a notable increase in plasticity.
If this example is not enough to motivate you for a run, let’s learn something more. According to research, exercise helps in releasing chemicals that encourage the feeling of happiness. According to Leo Widrich – the cofounder of buffer, a hard-to-pronounce protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and endorphins are emitted in the brain as you get involved in any physical activity. These two are highly impactful in fighting stress and enhancing happiness. Endorphins are also well known for providing a state of euphoria and this is the very reason why some people are addicted to exercising.
In short, exercise has the ability to make you happier and smarter at the same time. Win-win, isn’t it?
3. How Coffee Affects Brain
It’s been centuries since humans are producing seeds, roasting those seeds, grinding them, putting them in hot water or milk, and drinking them as a source of energy. There are some people who do not get out of bed without a warm cup of coffee. But, the question is: what benefit does this drink actually offer to your brain?
There is an interesting theory behind coffee. From the moment you open your eyes to the moment you go back to sleep, your brain produces a chemical named adenosine. The presence of adenosine restrains the adenosine receptors present in the brain, making you feel weary and tired and resulting in sleep.
When coffee or caffeine enters the blood and makes its way towards your brain, it plays its role in blocking the adenosine receptors present in the brain. And due to this very process, you experience improved memory, a boost of energy, cognitive performance, alertness, increased accuracy of reactions, and raised focus.
However, your brain will develop a tolerance to the medicine over time, and you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, increased drowsiness, irritability, and lack of focus.
To summarise, coffee (more specifically, caffeine) alters your brain chemistry, providing you with the energy and attention you require in the morning. But, like with anything, moderation is key. (Though knowing it would take dozens of cups of coffee in a short amount of time to kill you is reassuring.)
4. How Meditating Affects Brain
People have known the importance of meditation for thousands of years, and for a good reason. Meditation not only helps you discover emotional balance in life but helps in changing the way your brain thinks.
According to Rebecca Gladding, before switching to the habit of meditation, people tend to experience a strong link with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is known as the “me centre” of the brain. Due to this link, people are likely to interpret physical sensations of fear and anxiety as something really personal to them. Like a problem that directly targets them. And as a result, they experience continuous thoughts about lives, things they have done, and what others think about them.
The “me centre” of the brain is not necessarily logical.
In comparison, people who are associated with meditation are likely to have weaker links with this “me centre” of the brain and stronger links with the lateral prefrontal cortex or the “Assessment Centre.” And due to this reason, meditators take problems less personally and look after them in a logical way.
So, after learning this, we get a chance to know that meditation helps us manage potentially dangerous situations, anxiety, and stress in a better way. Furthermore, the neural links that grow stronger due to meditation help a lot in promoting compassion and empathy, especially for people who are not like us.
Hence, a simple session of sitting and focusing on the present moment for as less as 15 minutes can help in reducing the stress and making you a better person.
5. How Reading Affects Brain
Ever experience the feeling of being swept away with a story? Imagining yourself as the protagonist and picturing the world of fiction around yourself? According to research conducted recently, being lost in a book can make an unforgettable impression on your brain.
Each night for nine days, a group of 21 undergraduates was ordered to read 30 pages of Robert Harris’ Pompeii, followed by a quiz. Participants were given fMRIs before reading the novel, after finishing it, each morning during the 19-day research.
These brain scans revealed increased connectivity in the left temporal cortex. The left temporal cortex is the part of the brain that works to understand and learn the language.
Furthermore, the research revealed that readers might feel “embodied semantics.” That is, the “brain connectivity during a thought-about action actually replicates the connectivity that occurs during the actual activity,” in technical terms. “Thinking about swimming, for example, can activate some of the same brain connections as physical swimming.”
That means that visualizing actions while reading about them can physically change your brain’s connections. It’s quite cool, no?
6. How Nature Affects Brain
Nature puts a great impression on your mental health. It makes your mood better, enhances creativity, and improves concentration. The recent study has provided us with some neurological processes that are responsible for these benefits.
According to the research, people who spend more time in nature are likely to experience less morbid rumination as compared to those who do not. Ruminating thoughts are extreme and intrusive thoughts about negative incidents and experiences. Also, people who spend more time in nature tend to have less flow of blood towards the subgenual prefrontal cortex as compared to those who are always in between concrete structures.
The research declares that spending time in a natural view that is peaceful and beautiful can change the way your brain functions. Making you a happier person.
Conclusion:
The world of today is unlike the one where our ancestors lived. And due to this very reason, we tend to experience more hardships if not physically than mentally. But, there is always a solution if you seek. In this article, we have stated 6 points that can help you enhance and improve the way your brain works. Not only this, but the lack of these 6 points can also put a bad impression on your mental health. We hope this article will help you hit a peaceful state of mind. Also, if it is some academic writing task that gives you a hard time mentally, you can hire an assignment helper UK.
Best of luck!
