The human brain is still the biggest mystery. However, thanks to the rapid development of neuroscience, we have learned how to manage its state. Meditation and relaxation, developmental and intellectual exercises, and neurofeedback training are all techniques designed to train our brain. Here’s how it works and why we need it.
Brain Workout
Exercise for the brain, like exercise for the body, helps us stay young and energetic. Exercise builds muscle tissue, makes the body fit and taut, and is roughly the same for the brain: regular exercise forms new neural connections that affect psychological flexibility and the ability to adapt to different conditions. And, just as with the body, regularity is an important prerequisite for good and sustainable health.
Training the mind and the brain can be done in a variety of ways, for example, to improve concentration puzzles, video games, various simulators and speed reading are suitable. Improving memory and getting rid of stress can be done with meditation and mindfulness practices. There are also techniques that combine all of these, based on the latest research in neurophysiology, such as neurofeedback training.
Meditation
There are many different meditation techniques, but let’s focus on the seemingly simplest one – sitting in silence with your eyes closed, concentrating on your breathing. Even this seemingly simple exercise can cause a lot of obstacles. For the first time, it will be extremely difficult to sit for even a minute without intrusive thoughts overwhelming the mind. However, by gradually stopping the stream of consciousness and returning to the breath, you’ll help your brain reset. Daily practices can help relieve anxiety, reduce the effects of stress, and help you learn to control your attention. After several weeks, even a loud notification about new EGT casino slots or your friend’s call won’t bother you during your practice.
Research proves that those who practice meditation every day have a thicker layer of gray matter in the very areas that are responsible for attention and psychological flexibility. Training your brain with meditation results in requiring less and less effort to focus your attention over time. This means that over time it will become easier for you to concentrate in normal life when you need to – for example, in an important meeting or when taking an exam.
Online Simulators and Games
Crossword puzzles and printed sudoku have been replaced by online services for brain development and training. You can choose anything from online puzzles to developmental games that analyze your playing behavior and adapt to your decisions. What’s it for? First, doing the exercises can just be fun. Secondly, it allows you to take your mind off everyday stressful situations with health benefits. From a pragmatic point of view, such exercises improve your cognitive abilities, which over time will help you solve life and work tasks faster, remember the names of colleagues and acquaintances, and not to forget important family dates.
Neurofeedback Training
One promising technique is neurofeedback training. It is a procedure that allows you to learn to control your own brain activity. It is based on the principle of biofeedback. During neurofeedback training, small electrical signals of the brain are measured with electrodes attached to the scalp and transformed into sound and images with the help of software. That is, a computer program creates a real-time visualization of the brain’s bioelectrical activity.
How It Happens
The doctor gives instructions – and if the brain rhythms indicate a transition to the desired therapeutic state, the software on the screen changes the image, sound and intensity of the tactile sensor vibration. Feedback facilitates the process of learning physiological control, and the computer program makes available information not normally perceived. If necessary, the therapist connects additional techniques to manage the emotional state in order to enhance the effect of neurofeedback training.
It turns out that it’s possible to influence the rhythms of the brain interactively by monitoring, recording your feelings. As the training continues and the desired feeling of relaxation becomes established, one acquires the skill of switching to the necessary therapeutic state on one’s own at any given moment.
