The magic of our bouncy Brains — Neuroplasticity
This has been a routine at my home since childhood. Every morning when the Newspaper was delivered at home, all that my Grandfather did was turn to the page that had the Cross-word and the Jumbled letters’ puzzles and solve those in a few minutes. Occasionally, he did refer to the Dictionary, but when he did, and if it was a new word to him, he would write the word and its meaning in the newspaper. I always wondered why he would do this and asked him — “Why would you write the word and meaning when you have read and know the meaning by now?”
He replied — “When I write down what I have learnt, and glance through it through the day while I flip through the Newspaper, it helps me remember the word and its meaning for a long time”
He continued to do this until he was 94 and his response to my question remained the same for over 2 decades.
Similarly, my Grandma who was 83 who had studied up to grade 10 and had never used a Laptop her entire life but learnt using the same to make video calls using Skype and using google to get basic information about different things. She made an instruction sheet for herself to learn each of these. The instruction sheet had detailed steps about making the video calls and googling. With the help of the instructions, she religiously practiced and reached a stage where she was able to teach others (of course without the aid of an instruction sheet!).
Even she would say repeated glance at the instruction sheet and practice (following instructions on the sheet) had helped her learn this specific skill.
The common thread in both these scenarios are the repeated visuals and a conscious practice which lead to mastering new skills.
Thus, did I realize all that I had assumed — that learning reduces with aging, learning new skills are almost impossible with age were all myths! In fact, there is something beyond, which makes learning and mastering a skill happen throughout our lifetime– i.e., Neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity, in simple terms, is the ability of the brain to change and restructure itself. Until recently, research said that our brains grow until adolescence and by then it is hard-wired, fixed and is a downhill from there in terms of neurons. But now, the opposite has been proved, that the brains continue to grow and change through adulthood, provided the neural pathways are developed in the right way. Basically, we can rewire our brains the way we want– Doesn’t this feel empowering?
Let us understand what happens in the brain while new neural pathways are formed. For now, imagine that the pathways in the brain look similar to the roads — paths that are well paved and those that are unpaved. The well-paved paths make it easy to travel and reach the destination quicker — these are like our existing habits, thinking patterns, feelings and doing tasks. Every time we practiced a specific task, thought in a certain way or felt a specific emotion, this path got strengthened in our brain.
The paths that are unpaved have humps, stones, thorns and make the traveling strenuous. These paths have to be frequently used for smoother travel. Similarly, when we begin to think about something differently, learn a new task, or feel a different emotion, we start carving out a new path in the brain. Our brain begins to use this pathway more and this new way of thinking, doing or feeling becomes second nature. Simultaneously, the old pathway gets used less and less and weakens.
To understand this better, try to revisit instances when you were trying to learn a new skill e.g. learning to drive a 4-wheeler — where you were very conscious and alert about every decision, evaluating the decision multiple times while using the brakes, changing gears based on the speed to be in sync with other vehicles on the road to avoid a mishap. But with repeated practice, you learnt to drive efficiently without needing more time like earlier to make a decision. This is because the brain has paved a new neural pathway for the skill — driving a 4-wheeler. Similarly, learning a new route, music, any form of art, using a new gadget, learning rules of a new board game, changing bad habits to good habits and vice-versa — is all due to neuroplasticity.
Research says it takes on an average of 66 days of repetition to form a habit (to indicate a change in neural pathway) but again, it varies with individuals — it can be as little as 18 days for few and for others it would require as long as 254 days!!
Rewiring the brain might sound pretty perplexing, but there are few activities we can engage in and enjoy the process without feeling that learning burden.
- Travel: Who doesn’t like traveling? Traveling, along with being exciting, joyful and pleasurable, also has a lot of cognitive benefits — enhances cognitive flexibility and creativity. Visiting new places also helps in developing new perspectives on different aspects. It is also true that we cannot travel frequently. So, we can visit new places close by, go for a walk in the neighborhood, go for a hike or a trek, meet new people and develop new perspectives.
- Music: Practicing and listening to music has also proved to slow down cognitive decline in older adults. Musical training — either vocal or instrumental adds to neuroplasticity. It is never too late to learn a new instrument — you can try some easy options to begin with — like Keyboard, the Harp, Harmonica, Ukulele etc., Do you think you are not meant for learning music? Then, even listening to music regularly can help increase neuroplasticity. This can’t be denied because who doesn’t love music? So, play your favorite playlist — it is always good for your brain.
- Learn a new language: Ever thought of learning a new language? If yes, give it a try. You would be doing a favor to your brain! Research evidence shows that learning a new language improves cognitive function to a great extent, slows down the decline related to aging, which also includes few symptoms of dementia. Picking up a new language and new terms are responsible for long-term memory-recall, contributing to improved brain connectivity and communication between different brain regions. Learning a new language also contributes to better vocabulary, improved problem-solving, creative thinking skills and an increased ability to multitask.
- Exercise: We all agree that exercising on a regular basis offers a number of physical benefits, but it also improves fine motor coordination and brain connectivity that reduces cognitive decline. This does help to ensure an increased blood flow and growth of brain cells which in turn is linked to better learning, memory and reduced depression levels. If you find adding a structured exercise on a regular basis is difficult for you, see to it that you add at least a little activity every day.
- Doodle: As much as focusing on a task is important, embrace un-focusing as well, without any guilt. Brain does need some occasional downtime, and this helps with neuroplasticity. Research studies have shown that doodling and coloring have stress-relieving benefits and can bring an improvement in self-perceptions of creativity and problem-solving. Neuroscientists also report that doodling helps to focus, vent emotions, ease impatience and help develop insightfulness. Allowing the brain to rest does improve creativity, helps to relax, and find new solutions to problems.
- Meditation: A plenty of research in Neuroscience proves that meditation brings changes at a neurological level. One of the studies that was conducted on long-term meditation practitioners showed an altered structure and function of brains (Davidson,2010) and also changes in the prefrontal cortex — responsible for decision making, abstract planning and in regulating emotions. The quick benefits of meditation include reduced stress levels, blood pressure and improved attention. Do take some time for yourself and try meditating. You will be amazed at the changes you start seeing in yourself.
Some other daily activities that might help with neuroplasticity are memory tasks and games, juggling, yoga, challenging brain activities like crosswords, solving puzzles, sudoku and other activities that keep the brain engaged.
There is one ground rule to follow if all this has to work — whichever method you choose, try to stick by it for at least a few months, even if you could practice for 10 -15 minutes a day. It is always Consistency over Perfection, Isn’t it?
Next time, when you want to learn a new skill and if you start doubting, ‘Is it possible for me?’ ‘Isn’t it going to be difficult?’, remember you can trick your brain to do that for you — There is always neuroplasticity to the rescue!!!
References :
Davidson RJ, Lutz A. Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation. IEEE Signal Process Mag. 2008 Jan 1;25(1):176–174. doi: 10.1109/msp.2008.4431873. PMID: 20871742; PMCID: PMC2944261.
Davidson RJ, Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J, Rosenkranz M, Muller D, Santorelli SF, Urbanowski F, Harrington A, Bonus K, Sheridan JF. Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2003;65:564–570.
Tang, YY., Hölzel, B. & Posner, M. The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nat Rev Neurosci 16, 213–225 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916
Widdett, Richard, “Neuroplasticity and Mindfulness Meditation” (2014). Honors Theses. 2469. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/2469
What is Neuroplasticity? A Psychologist explains (+14 tools). Retrieved September 9, 2022, from https://positivepsychology.com/neuroplasticity/
