What does any of this have to do with mental health?

Interestingly, neuroplasticity can work for or against you. Bad and good habits are equally capable of triggering changes in your brain.

Anxiety and depression can alter the structure of your brain. The hippocampus actually shrinks when you’re experiencing depression, and the volume of gray matter in your brain decreases when you’re experiencing anxiety. It’s a good thing these changes are reversible!

Avoidance isn’t the Answer

Physical or emotional avoidance provides instant relief and is most people’s go-to-solution for anxiety and depression. For instance, if you have social anxiety, staying home as much as you can seems like a good solution.

However, all this does is cause the neural pathways associated with social aptitude to die-off, making your anxiety worse. Continued exposure is the only way to protect those parts of your brain.

How to Rewire Your Brain

New Environments and Experiences

This is probably the last thing you want to hear if you have anxiety, but exposure to new environments can open up new pathways and connections in the brain. This is actually one of the hidden benefits of traveling; new friends, experiences, and memories trigger the release of dopamine. More dopamine means more motivation, and as a result, less depressive symptoms.

You don’t need to spend loads of money on an exotic vacation to get these benefits. Start with that new restaurant that you’ve been dying to try, a new hiking trail, or basically anything else that takes you to someplace you’ve never been.

New Skills

Always wished you could play an instrument but never had the motivation to learn? This could be the boost you need.

Learning new skills is the easiest and most effective way to trigger neuroplasticity. Ever heard the phrase “If you don’t use it you lose it”? Well, if you haven’t learned anything new in a while, the connections in the ‘learning center’ of your brain are probably close to dying off! Go ahead and sign up for some classes before they do! Art, cooking, language, and music classes are all beneficial as long as you’re learning something new.

Exercise

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which triggers an increase in the volume of gray matter and connections. According to a study with Parkinson patients, new brain cells can form after just two months of exercise. Also, while some exercise is better than none, higher levels of exercise get you faster results.

New experiences, new skills, and exercise are probably the most effective triggers of neuroplasticity, but they’re also a big undertaking. If you’re looking to start small, here are some tips for you.

● Read fiction – This requires using your imagination, which is probably something you haven’t had a chance to do in a while.

● DIY project – whether you decide to paint one of your rooms a different color, build a new cabinet or redecorate, it’s all beneficial for your brain.

● Sleep – Nothing kills brain cells and connections faster than lack of sleep. So, evaluate your sleep routine and find ways to improve it like having a set bedtime, or banning screens from your bedroom.

The volume of gray matter and connections in your brain play a major role in your mental health. Luckily, you have a lot more control over those two things than you think. Try exposing yourself to new environments, learning new skills, and committing to an exercise program for at least two months and see how much better you feel!

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

The post Rewire Your Brain to Get Rid of Anxiety and Depression appeared first on Lifestyle.

Human brains are moldable. They are constantly
breaking and forming new neural connections between brain cells, and can shrink
or expand as you learn new things. Just a few years ago, this was thought to be
impossible.

This isn’t just another cool fact that’s good
to know. Knowing how your brain works can actually help you build brain power
and delay age-related dementia.

How
Neuroplasticity Works

The brain is made of a huge number of neurons that
work together to perform both simple and complex tasks. These neurons are
connected by a unique pattern of pathways.

When your brain needs to perform a task such
as recall the lyrics to your favorite song, the neural connections fire up in a
specific sequence until the task is done.

Neuroplasticity occurs when your brain
modifies existing neural networks and creates new ones. It deletes neural
connections that you haven’t used in a while and strengthens the necessary
ones. This process happens continuously throughout your life as you learn and
memorize new things. 

How to Build Brain Power

Keep learning new things

Nothing keeps your brain cells active like
learning new things. Studies show that enrolling in an art or dance class can
improve your attention, memory and promote neuroplasticity and growth.

Similarly, learning a new language activates
the hippocampus, which is the memory center of the brain,
and actually makes your brain bigger.

Exercise

The benefits of working out go far beyond physical fitness. Regular exercise generates new neural connections in the hippocampus, and improves your thinking and memory.

This is because exercise improves blood,
oxygen and nutrient supply to the brain and stimulates the production of a
hormone that promotes the formation of new neurons and connections. It’s why
doctors prescribe physical exercises to ward off mental decline in patients
over 50.

You don’t have to work out for months before
you begin seeing changes in your memory and your brain’s ability to plan and
organize. If you do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise a week,
you should start seeing results within 4 weeks.

Read regularly

You probably already know that reading is good for the brain, but do you realize just how beneficial it is?

Reading regularly keeps the part of your brain that deals with language active, and strengthens neural pathways in this area. This mental stimulation can help reduce stress, which is bad for your brain, and also reduces the risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Support
Your Brain with Healthy Food

Your brain needs nutrients to make new brain cells and create new neural pathways. Important nutrients that boost brain function include omega 3 fatty acids, Magnesium and Vitamins D and E.

Eating lots of brain foods such as blueberries, nuts and seeds, whole grains and salmon helps to keep your brain well-nourished and healthy.

Modern science has revealed the marvelous
truth that you don’t have to play the cards that were dealt you. It’s within your
power to have a stronger, healthier and younger brain.

The post Build Brain Power by Harnessing the Power of Neuroplasticity appeared first on Lifestyle.