Yup, you really can rewire your brain

Neuroplasticity and 4 ways to rewire your brain

For a long time people believed that our brains stop changing once they become fully developed. In fact, the brain can remodel over the course of our lives. By experiencing new things throughout life, our brains form new neuronal connections or make some of the connections stronger and the other weaker. This brain’s ability to reorganize itself is called neuroplasticity.

The “Plastic Brain”

One of the underlying explanations of neuroplasticity is based on the concept that synaptic connections (connections between two neurons) are constantly being removed or renewed. What’s more, research has revealed that there are new brain cells emerging in specific parts of the brain. The striking fact is that this process called neurogenesis can persist well into old age. Of course, younger people can change easily and we lose some of the plasticity as we age but it is encouraging to know that we can improve the brain’s ability of functioning and keep them young.

How to change your brain

Seek novelty: Picking up new skill is stimulating for the brain, especially if the activity is unfamiliar and mentally challenging. The more attention and working memory the new activity requires, more improvement it brings. The more you’re motivated and engaged, the bigger the brain change. Travel. Travelling to new places is stimulating for you brain by exposing them to unknown environments.

Meditation: Different research came to the same conclusion- meditation practice is linked not only to changes of the mind but to the structural changes of the brain too. When meditating, we are constantly bringing our attention to the present moment, hence we are activating specific parts of brain. Through the change in the structure of the brain, we can increase our overall wellbeing.

Physical exercise: some studies have suggested that physical exercise may trigger processes facilitating neuroplasticity. If the exercise is combined with cognitive training, the effect on neuroplasticity can be even enhanced. The research also shows that the level of physical activity needs to be maintained in order to keep the neuro-cognitive benefits.

Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy can be understood as a process of learning new aspects of yourself, others and of different circumstances (like childhood, past experiences, current relationships, etc). The insights can happen instantly, like “aha moments” or take more time for the change to integrate into mind and behavior. The structural changes of the brain occur in both cases. Evidence shows that by cognitive-behavioural treatment, the structure and neurofunctional response of amygdala (responsible for emotions and excessively reactive in anxiety) are changed and anxiety alleviated.

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