Transcription
In this video, we're going to discuss how to make your brain stronger, how to become smarter, and how to take care of your brain.
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Because the truth is, you only have one brain, and it's the brain that you're going to have for the rest of your life. It's the one organ that you cannot replace. So to understand how we can take care of our brain and make it stronger, [music] how we can become smarter, we have to understand how the brain actually works. And from there, I'm going to tell you about five science-based habits that will help you make your [music] brain stronger and improve your cognitive functions.
Chapter number one, your brain has a superpower. It's called neuroplasticity. Your brain is not a fixed organ. It's not stuck the way that people believe. It's constantly adapting to the way you think, what you do, [music] and what you repeat. This ability is called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity means that your brain forms connections between [music] neurons. It makes existing connections stronger and it removes connections that are not being used. You experience neuroplasticity. Every time you learn something new. When you learn a new skill, your neurons fire together repeatedly. When a pathway is used often, your brain makes it stronger. When a pathway is ignored, your brain makes it weaker. One of the key ways that your brain makes a pathway stronger is by adding myelin, a fatty insulation that wraps around axons. More myelin means that signals can move faster, more efficiently, and skills become more automatic. This is why learning something new feels challenging in the beginning. Pathways are still thin, unminated, but with repetition, practice, and time, they become stronger and more efficient. So in simple terms, your brain becomes better at the things you repeatedly do. If you practice distractions, you become better at getting distracted. If you practice focus, you become better at being focused. If you practice learning, you become better at learning. So neuroplasticity is the foundation of the five habits that I'm going to introduce to you in this video.
Now, let's get into them one by one.
Habit number one, fall in love with the process of learning. There's a common misconception. People think learning happens only when you read something or watch something. But learning only truly happens when you engage with the material, the information in a way that makes your brain adapt. And this is why passive exposure such as scrolling social media is not a form of learning. I mean, you watch hundreds of videos every single day. [music] How many of them can you actually remember? So learning transforms your brain when you challenge it. This means learning a new language. Learning a new skill. Learning how to code or how to video edit. These forms of learning involves complexity and effort.
Habit number two, repeat what you learn. If learning creates a pathway, then repetition makes it stronger. So if you read an interesting book and you can't understand it, revisit the book. Try to remember what the book was about, interesting key points the author has written and and force yourself to actually understand the information. Once you can't recall any more information, pick up the book and start reading again. To understand this, think about sport for example. If you've been good at football, for example, and you have not played in a long, long time. When you [music] get back to playing, you will feel a little bit rusty. Not because the skill disappeared, but because the pathways went quiet and repetitions reawakens them.
Habit number three, have a purpose. This one surprises people. Like, what does purpose have to do with getting a stronger and smarter brain? Well, let me tell you. Your brain changes more deeply when it understands why something matters. Meaningful goals can activate your dopamine pathways and it will help you increase your focus, sustain attention and enhance learning. So having a sense of direction, even a small one, helps you create an environmental change where learning becomes easier and [music] more efficient. But people often imagine purpose as something extremely philosophical and complex. But for your brain, purpose can mean something simple such as finishing this book this week or improving this skill this month. Purpose improves cognition because it focuses your attention and attention is the gateway to learning.
Habit number four, exercise and movement. Exercise is one of the most powerful biological tools for improving your brain. When you move your body, your brain receives increased blood flow. And with that increased blood flow, there is increased oxygen and nutrients to your neurons. But that's only a small part of what exercise actually does to your brain. The point is exercise is very, very important. I think I can make an entire video [music] alone on how exercise affects your body and brain.
Habit number five, sleep. One of the most underestimated ways [music] to keep your brain healthy and strong is sleep. People often imagine sleep as a passive state where nothing happens. But the reality is sleep is one of the most active periods of your brain. Again, I could probably make an entire video about how sleep affects your brain. The point is sleep is very, very important.
So, to wrap this video up, your brain is adaptable. With the right habits, you can make your brain stronger, you can make it sharper, and you can become smarter. So, that's it for today's video. Like and subscribe. See you next time.