Grow your brain!

Learning is key in brain development. Of course what aspects and how much of brain function improve as a result depends on the mode / type / content & method of learning. But I am not here to talk about that. Now, this knowledge isn’t new information, we all know this already, and have seen it in good effect in children and hence we all know and understand the importance of education & sport for children.

However, I have long held a strong belief that this applies also to adults, perhaps in a slightly diminished capacity, but significant nevertheless. I recently came across this brilliant TED talk that talks about neurogenesis, i.e. a process in which the brain literally grows new neurons, which occurs in all of us! The talk goes into details of how this neurogenesis is responsible not only for improved brain function, but also has a connection to our moods, hence how we feel overall. This, obviously also establishes a connection to diseases such as depression and other similar ailments we suffer from in our day to day lives.

Now, the best part about this TED talk isn’t just that, but the fact that there are in fact ways in which we can improve neurogenesis and hence improve both our mood and brain function. And there are several things we can do which have an effect towards this, including our diet, excercise, sleep, etc. Watch the video for more details :

The take away for me from this video is that there is a strong connection between our moods & our overall mental health, i.e. neurogenesis. Hence, I believe, besides what is mentioned in the video, everything that has an impact towards our mood, both positive or negative, should have an equal impact on our overall mental well being.

Happiness literally means a better, healthier & smarter life.