Neuroplasticity is the brain’s capacity to continue growing and evolving in response to life experiences.

Plasticity is the capacity to be shaped, molded, or altered; neuroplasticity, then, is the ability for the brain to adapt or change over time, by creating new neurons and building new networks.

It’s expected that the brain changes most rapidly in childhood, but current research confirms that the brain is able to continue growing and changing throughout the lifespan, refining its architecture or shifting functions to different regions of the brain.

The importance of neuroplasticity is huge.

It means that it is possible to change dysfunctional patterns of thinking and behaving and to develop new mindsets, new memories, new skills, and new abilities.

The following short, 2 minute video will give you a really great overview.

What does this mean though?

The ability of the brain to change and grow in response to experience enables people to bounce back from setbacks and challenges and adversity.

To be more resilient!

The disruption of neuroplasticity by stress or life’s challenges is characteristic of conditions like depression or post traumatic stress disorders. There is, in these instances, literally a loss of synapses and people get stuck in ruts of feeling negative, lethargy, anxiety and fear of the future.

Therapy and performance coaching is aimed at fostering resilience with the goal being to help people navigate feelings, emotions and experiences and guide them into more functional patterns, restoring cognitive and behavioural flexibility.

Ageing is thought to decrease resilience through the detrimental, cumulative effects of neural stress on neuroplasticity. The proven, dynamic capacity of the brain to rewire itself in response to experience makes a case for lifelong stimulation as a way to maintain optimal brain health which could also decrease the risk of dementia and degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.

Okay, so neuroplasticity exists and there are many ways that it can, and will, benefit your brain.

In addition to the improvements and advantages mentioned so far, here are some of the other ways your brain benefits from neuroplasticity:

1. Recovery from brain events like strokes.
2. Recovery from traumatic brain injuries.
3. Ability to rewire functions in the brain.
4. Losing function in one area may enhance functions in other areas.
5. Enhanced memory abilities.
6. Wide range of enhanced cognitive abilities.
7. More effective learning.
8. Useful in treating anxiety and depression.
9. Play a role in managing chronic pain.
10. Plays a role in in treating ADHD and OCD.

With all of that said, here are a few methods that have been shown to enhance or boost neuroplasticity:

• Traveling: Exposes your brain to novel stimuli and new environments, opening up new pathways and activity in the brain. I’ve written about this in the past. Traveling is good for you. And your brain.
• Learn a musical instrument: This may increase connectivity between brain regions and help form new neural networks. Singing along with lyrics, or reading the lyrics to a song while listening to it, might have a similar effect.
• Non-dominant hand exercises: This can form new neural and strengthen the connectivity between neurons. And it will give you something to do when you’re watching tv.
• Magnesium: Magnesium is responsible for more than 400 physiological functions and this includes synaptic plasticity and the number of other synaptic connections and also improves cognitive performance.
• Mitigate stress: Stress negatively affects neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex while increasing it in the amygdala (our “lizard brain” associated with fear, anger, anxiety, and other autonomic emotional responses).
• Read fiction: Increases and enhances connectivity in the brain as your brain imagines the world you’re reading about.
• Dancing: Reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and increases neural connectivity. And it should be fun!
• Seek novelty: If you seek novelty, something as simple as taking a new way to work, or trying something new and maybe scary such as visiting a different part of town or trying a new restaurant your brain will establish new pathways.
• Tackle a difficult—yet interesting—subject: I’ve been doing this a lot and it’s amazing! Do a deep dive into a subject that interests you. Read a book, take an online course, attend a class, go to a seminar, learn to code. Anything! But make sure it takes actual effort and engage with it.
• Expand your vocabulary and learn a language: This activates the visual and auditory processes as well as memory processing.
• Create art: This enhances the connectivity of the brain at rest which can boost introspection, memory, empathy, attention, and focus. And yes, photography and Photoshop counts as well.
• Try psilocybin: Yeah, magic mushrooms. But don’t be stupid about it. It’s responsible for the enhancement of neuroplasticity and explains why it reduces depression and extinguishes conditioned fear. It can also reduce negative plasticity in the amygdala and improves well being (positive plasticity).

The last two things you can do in order to support and encourage neuroplasticity, and this really should come as no surprise, is sleep and exercise.

Sleep literally make everything better and is one of the most underrated ways of taking care of yourself, feeling better and being better both mentally and physically.

I will be writing more about sleep in an upcoming newsletter and I can tell you from personal experience that quality sleep is one of the most powerful ways to improve your overall well-being.

I’m sure you have a ballpark idea as to how exercise affects your physical health, weight, and energy levels but do you know about its impact on the brain? On neuroplasticity?

The neurological benefits of physical exercise are clear and significant and include:

• Decreased stress.
• Decreased social anxiety.
• Decreased ‘brain fog’.
• Improved processing of emotions.
• Euphoria (short-term).
• Increased energy, focus and attention.
• Improved memory.
• Improved blood circulation.
• Huge effects on the ageing process.
• Prevention of neurological conditions.

Neuroplasticity is, as you can see, a very large and pretty complex subject and what we’ve discussed here barely scratches the surface.

That said, the science is solid and the benefits are clear so, as far as I see it, there is no downside of looking at your own lifestyle and seeing what you can do in order to improve your neuroplasticity.

As you might know, I have been doing a very deep dive into wellbeing and just overall being and feeling better and will be sharing more on neuroplasticity in future including protocol you can try and more.

For now though, remember… neuroplasticity means that it is possible to change dysfunctional patterns of thinking and behaving and to develop new mindsets, new memories, new skills, and new abilities.

And as we get older, who would not want that?