We are all different in life, but how? Our genes, personalities, temperament, culture, circumstances, and experiences, shape us. They make us different. This is because of the different things we learn, get told and model in the behaviour of people around us.

Our brains are shaped as we grow to make them uniquely ours and function in a way individual to us. It was once thought that our brain networks became fixed as we aged, and the brain cells called neurons stopped developing new cells. Neurons were initially thought to stop their creation and attachments after birth.  However, we now know our brain is capable of continuing to grow and change. Our brains are able to reorganise neuronal pathways, form new connections, and potentially produce new neurons. This is called neuroplasticity. These connections are weakened and strengthened as we go through life.

What is neuroplasticity?

Neuroplasticity is essentially the brains’ ability to rewire itself. Long lasting changes in the brain occur when we learn and memorise new information. The process occurs under two main conditions. The first, is during the process of development. Our brains grow from immaturity through to adulthood. It also occurs as a mechanism to adapt if we lose brain function from injury or disease. As adults this neuroplasticity allows our brains to adapt and change and can help us to enhance our learning. It also influences memory and even our overall cognitive abilities.

Increasing our neuroplasticity benefits us in a number of ways. We are better able to recover from brain trauma like strokes and traumatic brain injuries.  It rewires functions in the brain, compensating for areas of damage. It can enhance our memory skills, our thinking, and allow us to learn and adapt more effectively. Neuroplasticity can allow us to adapt to adverse situations or events in our lives more effectively.

How can I improve my brains plasticity?

There are ways that we can encourage our brains to adapt and change. This comes with a wide range of experiences. Enriching your environment with education and new experiences, can stimulate positive changes in our brains. There are several ways we can boost this: –

• Reading both fiction and non-fiction book boosts your brain power. It allows us to expand our vocabularies and activates both the visual and auditory processes in the brain.
• Travelling! A new environment when travelling can fire up our brains and encourage growth. Novel experiences are good. Whilst exploring somewhere new allows us to take in new information, it strengthens connections.
• Learning a new skill. Learning something new such as a language or an instrument, exercises the brain.  It increases neural connections. This can improve concentration, memory recall and our ability to solve problems.
• Being creative. Creating artwork, dancing, or painting. These activities can enhance the brains activity when we are at rest which can boost our empathy, memory, and attention.
• Sleep helps as we grow new cells when we sleep. It helps solidify the new connections we have made.

What does it mean for me?

Enhancing our brains neuroplasticity and efficiency is clearly a benefit to us. However, it can be hard to see any proof long term. Whilst disorders such as depression and anxiety still exist, it can be a tricky thing to believe this is a solution.  However, treatments for depression can pause negative growth in the brain which might otherwise do damage. That’s a good thing. Therapy and antidepressants allow us to handle and solve problems more effectively in a more optimistic manner. These strengthen and remodel our skills in life. Neuroplasticity can help us to manage depression and anxiety, but it takes time. By adapting new, or better thought patterns, more positive links develop. So it becomes easier to think more positively.

Adults naturally experience decline in mental agility as we get older. Our memory, speed of processing and concentration, all decline with age. This is part of the normal ageing process. Subtle changes happen throughout our adult life. We can however slow these changes by increasing our neuroplasticity. Research has found that adults who engage in new activities and social experiences can increase their intellect. Intellectually stimulating activities also reduce the decline because they slow it down.

Education can be one of the single most important factors in keeping our brains active and viable in our later life. The aim is to try more social interactions, adult education, physical activity, and rest. Novel and intellectually stimulating experiences also work to promote brain activity. These activities can help combat dementia and may even be able to delay decline by up to 8 years for both men and women (Vemuri, et al., 2014).

Conclusion:

Neuroplasticity is beneficial for all of us, and we can improve it by engaging in fun and new experiences. So, why not try getting out more; pick up a new hobby, go travelling, read something new. or even just try and get some more sleep. Your brain will thank you for it.

By Georgina Murrin, BSc Hons Psychology