How important is it to exercise your mind?
The adult brain is flexible and, thanks to its plasticity, is constantly adapting to new circumstances. This brain-changing ability is attributed to brain plasticity, which suggests that the brain is well equipped for continuous learning throughout life and for adjusting to the environment. In this context, the way teaching and learning are conducted can influence brain activation processes due to plasticity, as long as appropriate stimuli are provided.
Regularly practicing brain activities is a highly effective method for promoting mental health and preventing a series of diseases related to the nervous system. This includes psychological conditions such as depression it’s at anxietyin addition to illnesses degenerative like the evil of Alzheimer. Similar to how the body needs exercise to stay healthy and energetic, the brain also strengthens itself through engaging in mental activities.
It is often said that an inactive mind is prone to entertaining negative thoughts. However, brain inactivity goes beyond this, increasing the predisposition to disorders such as depression, anxiety, memory loss and slower or confused thinking. Furthermore, this brain idleness creates an opening for the development of degenerative diseases. In the medical and psychological fields, it is widely recognized that the constant practice of mental exercises represents one of the most effective approaches to preventing the emergence of neurodegenerative diseases.
By maintaining good brain activity, it can be said that the brain maintains its plasticity and flexibility even in adulthood, which positively highlights both the educational potential of older people and the relevance of resuming education and continuing with studies among older people. Older.
How to exercise your mind?
You can stimulate your brain through simple steps incorporated into your daily routine. These exercises often catch the brain by surprise, prompting different approaches to analyzing and executing tasks. This contributes to mental flexibility and adaptation to different methods.
Adopt the practice of physical activities:
Physical activity increases the supply of oxygen at a cellular level, favoring oxygenation of the brain, and is associated with the release of a protein that promotes the production of neurons. Scientific research also highlights the significant role of physical exercise in both the prevention and treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases. These are conditions that affect the central nervous system, more precisely the brain. For example, we have dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and even Multiple Sclerosis.
Reduce Stress:
Constant exposure to stress can impact brain activity and increase the likelihood of developing anxiety, learning difficulties and emotional disorders. For this reason, it is recommended to set aside five to ten minutes a day to practice some relaxation technique.
Disconnect and dedicate yourself to reading more often:
Practicing reading offers the chance to improve your cognitive skills and everyday capabilities. If feasible, consider choosing to read in printed format. Unlike reading on electronic devices such as tablets or computers, reading on paper makes it possible to associate a motor experience with the activity: acquiring the book, feeling contact with the pages, putting it away, this brings an experience that involves the senses. So, alternate your readings between news in newspapers, novels in books, tutorials on the internet, lists in magazines and other spaces.
Do exercises that stimulate logical or analytical reasoning:
Do you remember the last time you used pen and paper to do a math? It seems too analogical, however, doing math remembering the famous multiplication tables or the rule of three stimulates the brain. Furthermore, as an example we also have puzzles, crosswords, chess and the game of seven errors. These activities not only stimulate motivation, but also reinforce interest in the learning process and obtaining new skills. Diversifying the type of activity is also important, to stimulate different brain areas such as memory, reasoning, concentration or visual perception;
Take care of your diet:
A rich and balanced diet provides the maximum amount of macro and micronutrients for the proper functioning of the body and ideally you should invest in complete meals that nourish the entire body. Examples of foods to add regularly to your diet include berries, dark leafy vegetables, fish, peanuts, nuts and turmeric.
Keep up with your sleep:
Rest is essential for the body, ensuring much-needed recovery, and is equally important for the brain. We know that one of the fundamental functions of sleep is to solidify memories of experiences that occurred during the waking phases. Research confirms the fact that, throughout sleep, the process of memory consolidation occurs, in which the brain triages information to be kept or discarded. Consecutive nights of insufficient sleep negatively affect the ability to retain new knowledge;
Allow yourself to be surprised:
New situations are proven to energize nerve cells. Learning to play an instrument or mastering a new language, for example, are excellent stimuli. And age is not an impediment. Throughout life, the brain has the ability to transform, and for the better.
The brain can create connections between its parts when it receives stimuli. Therefore, when we are in an environment full of interesting things, our brain forms new connections between nerves. This happens all the time and helps our brain become stronger and more flexible. An effective strategy for preserving memory is to take care of your health. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid tobacco and alcohol consumption, adopt a balanced diet, engage in regular physical activity and stimulate the mind. Promoting mental activity, whether through work or participation in groups, contributes not only to raising self-esteem, but also to maintaining quality of life and memory in full working order.
The post Care for Life.
Source: cuidadospelavida.com.br
