Did you know that laziness is built in our system and for a very good reason?
In our modern society we are constantly bombarded by unlimited information, which is why our brain needs to filter out what is not important to us so that it can focus on saving energy and allow us to be efficient. Our brain is our friend, enabling us to properly function with others and with ourselves.
At the same time our brain works against us. If we stay too much in our comfort zone, if we don’t do or learn new things, neuroscience has proved that our brain will shrink in size.
There are 2 solutions we can consider:
? neurogenesis: on our journey called life we continue to create new brain cells. 80% of those new brain cells that we have created die within 48 hours. 80% is basically wasted if we don’t do things with it! That’s where ? neuroplasticity come into play. Neuroplasticity is the creation of new connections in our brain. There are 3 degrees of neuroplasticity:
? chemical reactions: we activate them each time we step out of our comfort zone – while it’s always good to go outside our comfort zone, it doesn’t really create any structural changes.
? structural changes: when we build habits, when we learn new things on a sustained level.
? functional changes: core areas of our brain change from the purpose of their existence
We really need to focus on the structural changes, if we want to really work on our brain.
The magic formula is ALWAYS BE LEARNING. Both laterally and in-depth.
Laterally is when we start learning new things that we haven’t learnt or done before. In-depth is when we learn new things about our topic of choice, increasing our knowledge.
The lateral way is when we can make a real difference and be able to allocate those 80% of brain cells that dies otherwise. The in-depth learning is more natural for our brain.
When we are in our middle age, we usually have built a strong knowledge about topics where we are seen as an expert. We often are on an autopilot and that neuroplasticity slows down. In-depth learning is important but lateral learning is the game changer.
