Neuroplasticity, What is it and How Can You Benefit

Don’t underestimate the power of the brain to heal, change and grow.

Some professionals use the term neuroplasticity or brain plasticity. It allows the brain to learn new skills, form new pathways, and connections to get new information and use it to recover from brain injury such as stroke, trauma or illness.

The nervous system also has the ability to change its activity and responses to stimuli by reorganising its structure, functions or connections after injuries. It also refers to the brain’s ability to change and rewire itself in response to stimuli of learning and experiences throughout a lifetime.

Neurogenesis 

This is the brain’s capacity to rewire your brain to create new neurons and reactions and adapt to change, heal and grow and learn new ways of doing things.

Scientists have been studying the magic or miracle behind people who have experienced stroke, brain injury or accidents or illness. There has been much research in this area of late and it is promising but research is limited. This is where research and theory can fall short and lived experience trumps theory and sometimes even research as its limited or not proven.

Long before I knew about the term neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, I was doing this after going through leukaemia and a bone transplant and several years of complications and setbacks, physical, mental, emotional, health challenges and adversity.

As a double cancer survivor, and a mini stroke survivor, I have had to do this several times over the years in order to adapt to the physical, mental and emotional challenges and changes I have had to endure.

I have had to learn new ways of adapting, reacting, thinking and functioning so I can adjust, heal, change, restore and adapt to all the changes and new ways of doing things, so I can heal and grow and be able to thrive again.

Here are some ways of developing neuroplasticity and neurogenesis

· Practice awareness

· Practice mindfulness

· Learn a new skill, get a new job: Learning new things helps create new neural pathways and connections

· Study something you want to or learn a new hobby

· Exercise: Things like kayaking, yoga, pilates, walking. Start off slow, then build up to riding a bike, swimming, hiking etc.

· Rest: your body needs time to heal

· Take short naps

· Read books, newspapers, listen to audios, journals etc.

· Play cards or chess, board or video games

· Take a new route

· Try new things

· Do crosswords, puzzles

· Avoid, minimise stress

· Practice meditation

· Watch movies, comedies, videos, listen to music

· Listen to calming, healing music.  Listening to calming music helps the brain and body experience deep relaxation and rest, and allows it to heal. It also encourages learning, memory improvement and creativity.

· Get a good night’s sleep, experiencing a theta state by listening to calming music, meditation, or sleep enables deep relaxation, rest and healing.

· Eat a balanced, healthy diet

· Minimise junk food

· Minimise alcohol

· Set goals, visualise

· Avoid negative people, situations, movies, violent games or shows

· Keep positive

· Practice gratitude: This helps you focus on feeling good

· Get emotional support

· Do things you enjoy

· See a counsellor or life coach to help you learn new techniques to improve and change old thought patterns and habits, and unhealthy ways of reacting or thinking.

· Get help to create new healthy ways to react to triggers and do things and create a healthier lifestyle.

What are the benefits of developing neuroplasticity and neurogenesis

· Adapt and recover from trauma, injury, accident, illness, brain injury or stroke

· Create new perspectives and outlook

· Learn new things

· Improves cognitive function

· Helps with depression, anxiety, stress, trauma

· Helps improve memory and learning: The ability to form new neural connections helps the brain learn and store new information and have more memories

· Strengthen areas where function has been lost

· Create new ways of reacting to triggers, unhealthy beliefs, patterns and conditioning

· Improve stamina, memory, concentration and mental energy

· Reframe your experience and life

· Rewire, heal and grow your brain

· You become the designer and creator of your new World and Story

· The Malleable brain allows you to adapt to changes in the environment

· Heal from past hurts, injuries and trauma and get a new lease on life

· Create a new story and outcome

· Allows the new You to Emerge

· Build resilience

· Increase happiness levels and success

· Improves health and wellbeing

· Find purpose and meaning

· Higher levels of insight and consciousness

· Personal growth

To learn more

Check out my book

Stronger, You Can Overcome and Bounce Back from Adversity

https://www.amazon.com.au/STRONGER-Overcome-Bounce-Adversity-WITHIN/dp/1452530203