Learning Japanese for fun. Doing the Sunday crossword puzzle for the first time in your life. Taking a ceramics class. Joining a book club. Mastering a whole new makeup trick. What do these activities have in common? They challenge you in new ways, potentially adding years to your brain health.
According to neuroscientists, challenging your brain in novel ways helps with the formation of new neurons. In the book The Atomic Brain, author and researcher Beatriz Larrea explains that challenging the brain favors neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons. In fact, studies have found that the more cognitive stimulation you experience over the years, either via education or work, the lower the risk of developing dementia.
Learning and neuroplasticity
“Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt, change, and reorganize itself throughout life,” explains Dr. Amaya Manrique of The Beauty Concept in Madrid. “Our neurons can form new connections, strengthen existing ones, or even create alternative pathways.”
Our brains form new connections and pathways when we learn something new. “The more you use a pathway, the stronger and faster it becomes. But stop using a pathway and it can disappear, favoring, or creating new roads to get to the same pathways,” she explains. “Starting any activity from scratch, with the curiosity of a child, can help our brains create new pathways.”
The state of flow
Think of all those times you’ve started a new hobby or developed a new skill at work. You’re motivated and focused. Nothing can distract you. Time feels like it doesn’t exist. This is the called the flow state—and not only does it promote neuroplasticity, it also increases feelings of wellbeing.
“When we find ourselves immersed in an activity that we really like, one that’s challenging enough not to be boring but not so difficult that it’s frustrating, we enter a state of flow,” explains personal development coach Laura G. Ortiz de Zárate. “It happens with tasks that make us lose track of time, that produce creative tension, and in which we have a high level of productivity.”
When this happens, stress disappears because the motivation, enjoyment, and focus required to learn something new but not frustrating) generates dopamine, the feel-good hormone related to pleasure, motivation, and reward.
A treatment to stimulate brain plasticity
Although good habits—sleep, nutrition, stress management—are fundamental to brain health, some modern treatments can also be used to stimulate the brain. One example: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive treatment that “uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the specific areas of the brain that are involved in emotional regulation, cognitive function, and self-control.” Fans include Serena Williams and Gwyneth Paltrow, who have both posted on social media about TMS journeys using an ExoMind machine.
Generally, TMS ExoMind sessions are around 25 minutes and are performed by applying a magnetic pulse-transmitting handpiece to certain points on the head. These pulses activate neurons, encouraging them to communicate better with each other and increasing feelings of relaxation. “This technology helps our brains ‘choose’ pathways that allow us to improve brain function, increase cognitive performance, improve mood, increase energy, alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, and potentially, to make better life choices,” explains Manrique, who recommends several sessions to achieve the full effect.
