The human brain is amazing. Over the course of human life, brains are continuously evolving. Humans have some of the most complex brains out of all organisms. The nervous system, the brain and spinal cord and the nerves of the spinal cord controls almost everything we do. So, what actually makes the brain so amazing? There are so many sections and parts that control everything from cognition, balance, speaking, motor control, sensation, pleasure, mental health, physical health and more. There are perks of being knowledgeable about the brain – that’s the beauty of studying Neuroscience, Neurology, Psychiatry, or even just possessing some knowledge of the brain. But if you aren’t well versed in this knowledge, keep reading to learn!
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You being able to read this right now is controlled by the brain through word processing and language development. Being able to interpret these words together as the English language and be able to understand the words on the screen is due to your amazing brain. Our brains have various sections dedicated to different aspects of our lives. Certain parts of the brain, like the Medulla Oblongata, control involuntary actions such as breathing. Other parts such as the Cerebellum control voluntary movement.
It is beneficial to have a baseline understanding of how our brains control us because it allows you to be able to be a more productive person. For college students, understanding that the human brain works better in short bursts of work expanded out versus one long cram session will help you study and retain information better. Another example is utilizing the pneumonic shortcuts that the brain favors, like creating acronyms for remembering information better and repeating information in particular locations so that when those places are imagined later on will trigger your memory. There are optimal conditions that the brain favors for studying and learning information and understanding this will help with your academic life.
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Another way that that possessing knowledge of the brain is beneficial to us is that it allows us to understand mental health better. Neurological conditions such as ADHD and Aphasia are widely misunderstood in our society and often lead to those who have neurological conditions to feel as if they don’t have a real condition. Understanding how the brain works can make those with neurological conditions more accepting of themselves because they know that despite tasks being easier for someone else without the condition such as memory or applied attention, they are able to acknowledge that the only reason that it comes easier for others is because of the differences in the brain. Depression is another example of a mental health condition; understanding how depression manifests itself will help the person suffering from any of the types of depression understand their condition better. They will be able to understand why they can’t seem to rely on the “advice” they get from people who don’t specialize in a field of the nervous system. Having a general understanding of how the brain processes emotion helps with better management of them. It helps us realize that when sad things happen, forcing yourself to be happy will only backfire on you and that sadness is as important of any emotion as any. It also teaches you that temperament or the emotional nature of us is how some people literally are born predisposed to be angry, happy, affected by mental illness, etc.
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The human nervous system is tru ly a work of biological art. Understanding its complexity only advances our knowledge of us humans and allows ourselves to optimize our life. If we understand how our headquarters controls us, we can use that information to better our emotions, study habits, relationships, self-esteem, sleep and more. Understanding how the differences in brain development in different people affect people differently can allow us, society as a whole, to stop competing with others.