Brain health – protecting it, nurturing it and repairing it – is big news lately and for good reason.
We once thought that when nerves were injured, that was it, a permanent loss. The good news now is that as the concepts of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis are becoming better understood, we can appreciate the fact that the nervous system is capable of regeneration in quite amazing ways.
Before we go further let’s define some terms. Neurogenesis refers to the creation and maturation of neurons throughout one’s life. Neuroplasticity means to "re-wire" the neurons, or to make new or strengthen the connections of neurons. With neurogenesis, there’s creation of new cells and tissue, whereas, with neuroplasticity there are changes to existing brain structures in response to stimuli.
There’s been an explosion of scientific investigation going into the study of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis because of the implications for improving mood, function and behavior. Recovery from stroke and brain trauma, improvements in performance and learning as well as significant changes in mood, outlook and personal growth have all been achieved because of the brain’s plasticity.
Here’s the catch though, we have to be willing to actively participate in that change. There’s a learning curve that can be very challenging and requires our daily attention to the nurturing of these improvements. It is possible as adults to tap into that power of the brain to grow and learn, to rewire itself differently, and to learn new and healthier habits. It takes hard work, focused attention, determination and the maintenance of brain health. But the benefits can definitely make it worth the energy and effort.
And because neuroplasticity functions as a two-way street, it’s a double-edge sword. The same characteristic of resilience that can help us learn a new language or skill can also make the brain vulnerable to negative outside and internal, usually unconscious, influences. Your brain rewires itself based on things you do over and over again. If you’re actively engaged and present you get a much different outcome then if you’re on “automatic”, going through your day and not really thinking about your choices. The bottom line is this – we must choose what stimuli we choose to expose ourselves to.
This has huge consequences for us in terms of changing our habits. It also explains why making healthier changes can seem like so much work initially. Those new pathways are, well, new. That change hasn’t become a habit yet. But, every time you make a conscious choice to forego the rice or pasta and choose the extra veggie or hit the beach for a speed walk instead of fixing the cocktail after work, you’re rewiring your brain, creating new neural pathways that grow and get stronger every time they are reinforced.
That’s the exciting part. Improving the quality of your health and life is not about willpower, it’s about commitment to change. It’s not about perfection, it’s about persistence.
If you’re ready to grow a better brain, here are 5 ways to enhance your neuroplasticity:
1. Sleep, sleep, sleep.
During a restorative night’s sleep of 7-8 hours you give your brain an opportunity to repair and reset so it can perform better the next day. There’s a lot of internal housekeeping that needs to happen while we snooze. Wiping the slate clean and preparing for new experiences the next day is one of those tasks. Following basic sleep hygiene recommendations can be a start if you’re having trouble getting the desired 7 to 8 hours of deep sleep every night.
2. Improve your stress resilience.
We all know that it’s how one responds to the daily stressors, not the actual stressors themselves that determines how much harm is done. Learning how to mitigate the effects of stress will go a long way to modifying our stress physiology. The hormones and chemicals associated with the stress response are not helpful when we’re trying to lay down new neural pathways. Meditation, mindfulness practices and various body-mind techniques, including 4-7-8 breathing can all support stress resilience.
3. Do something different every day.
Novelty feeds the brain. Learn a new language, take a different route to work or school, play an instrument. You’re not looking for excellence or efficiency here, just the experience of something new and perhaps even fun!
4. Get a little edgy.
Do something that’s a little scary for you, that’s out of your comfort zone. This provides the brain the opportunity to respond differently by releasing chemicals and hormones that stimulate and prepare your brain for growth and rewiring.
5. Get moving.
You knew this was going to show up somewhere right? Exercise benefits all things healthy. Although there’s no agreement yet on what specific type of exercise stimulates neuroplasticity there is overwhelming support that exercise of any kind is key to supporting the conditions that allow for neuroplastic changes to occur.