Neuroscience - a set of exercises that help the brain develop

For a long time, it was believed that damaged brain cells were not restored. But science does not stand still, and today it has already been proved: regular mental stress can not only renew cells, but also strengthen the connection between them, which weakens with age. For more than 10 years, a simple but effective brain training technique, neuroscope, has been very popular around the world. What is it and how it works, we dealt with a neurosurgeon, a member of the Ukrainian Association of Neurosurgeons, a member of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Anton Shkiryak.

DANGEROUS FOR THE "AUTOPILOT" BRAIN

The term "neuroscience" belongs to two Americans - the writer Menning Rubin and the neuroscientist Laurence Katz. After lengthy research, Dr. Katz noted that monotonous, typical, standard work reduces mental ability. If a person repeats the same actions on the “autopilot” every day, his memory weakens over time, his attention worsens, and new information is poorly perceived. “This is due to the fact that, by doing the same things, we do not make the brain work,” explains Anton Shkiryak. “As a result, dendrites (processes of nerve cells through which nerve impulses are transmitted) become thinner and atrophy. When the connection between brain cells it’s worsened, mental abilities begin to decline. To prevent this, the brain needs to be constantly trained. And it is neuroscience that helps to find “mental hardness” - just like physical activity supports muscle tone. "

IT IS NECESSARY TO SURPRISE WITH NOVELTY

Unlike other methods to strengthen the brain, neuroscience exercises involve all five senses of a person: vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Therefore, such training activates different parts of the brain, and those begin to work faster and more harmoniously. The essence of neuroscience is to break the usual course of events and introduce novelty into everything that a person does regularly, without hesitation. Routine actions need to be replaced with unusual ones or performed in an unusual way. It is new impressions and non-standard situations that activate the brain, attention and memory. “When we“ surprise ”the brain with novelty, the production of neurotropin in our body increases,” says Anton Shkiryak. “This substance stimulates the growth of new nerve cells and approximately doubles the number of dendrites.”

SIMPLE BUT REGULARITY IS IMPORTANT

Neurosis is useful to absolutely all people and has no contraindications. Mental aerobics will help children better learn new knowledge and be attentive, adults - keep the brain in shape, avoid memory impairment. An important advantage of neuroscience also lies in the fact that the exercises are so simple, do not require any training and are more like entertainment than serious training. They can be performed anytime, anywhere: when doing household chores, on the way to work, at lunchtime, and even while taking a shower. However, to get the effect, regularity is needed: neuroscience must become part of your life. Of course, you should not try to make your every step neurobic. It will be enough to perform several exercises daily.

SEVEN EFFICIENT AND EASY EXERCISES

Exercise # 1: Working Hand

Change your "working" hand. For example, if you’re right-handed, try to do everyday things with your left hand - use cutlery, hold a cup, brush your teeth, fasten buttons on a shirt, tie shoelaces, do a hairstyle, open doors, type on a computer keyboard. Right-handed people are sometimes advised to try writing a couple of lines with their left hand, and left-handers with their right hand. This exercise develops a less active hemisphere of the brain, strengthens the connection between both hemispheres and has a beneficial effect on creative abilities and non-standard thinking.

Exercise # 2: The Bat

When it gets dark on the street, turn off all the lights in the apartment, close your eyes and ... go for a walk around the rooms. You can also try taking a shower, dressing, folding books on a shelf in total darkness with your eyes closed or trying to distinguish coins of different denominations with one finger. Since you do not see anything, other senses are sharply activated. This technique of artificial blindness develops attention and concentration.

Exercise # 3: Uncharted Paths

Periodically change the routes that daily get to work, study or to the grocery store. Take a walk to the stop with courtyards, choose another public transport or take a detour along unfamiliar streets. Even if the new road is longer, still use it at least for a month. Habitual paths dull the perception of reality, while this exercise develops spatial memory well.

Exercise # 4: Pun

When communicating with people, do not ask standard questions and do not give typical answers. Even to the banal "How are you?" instead of the hackneyed “Good,” you can answer “Like in a fairy tale,” “Everything is fine, but it will be even better,” “Better than yesterday, but worse than tomorrow.” Give up stereotypical phrases and come up with a non-standard answer every time. Also try daily greetings and say goodbye differently. For example, learn greetings in other languages ​​and apply them. This exercise stimulates the areas of the brain that are responsible for understanding information and connected speech.

Exercise # 5: Silent Movie

Play with the sounds. For example, record on a voice recorder or find on the Internet the ringing of bells, the noise of the motorway, the knock on the door, the hum of the motor, the murmur of a stream and other echoes. Close your eyes, turn on the recording and try to guess what it sounds. A good effect is viewing a well-known movie without sound. Looking at the image, try from memory to reproduce the dialogues and monologues of the heroes. These exercises will stimulate the sensory areas of the brain.

Exercise # 6: Rebirth

From time to time, do not just update your wardrobe, but also experiment with your own style. If you always wear a tracksuit and sneakers, try on an elegant suit. Buy new clothes unusual for you, do interesting makeup and manicure, go to the hairdresser and change your hairstyle. Depending on the appearance, a person not only changes his self-esteem and sense of self, but also a new way of thinking comes.

Exercise # 7: Full Breast

Try to spend every weekend and vacation in new places. If you went to another country, remember the names of restaurants, observe the local population, pay attention to landscapes, signs, shop windows, road signs and other little things. But even if you cannot travel, explore your hometown and visit places you have never been to. It can be museums, exhibitions, concerts, cafes, parks and other places for recreation. Be sure to at least occasionally go away from the noisy city in the countryside. The brain requires not only new pictures, but also a different composition of the inhaled air, which will undoubtedly improve the flow of oxygen to it.