Neuroplasticity: Can We Really Rewire Our Brains?

The brain is one of the most complex things to exist in the world. It’s literally designed to keep us alive, functioning and to protect us. So why do we often do things that harm it? 

It is important to establish that the human brain is malleable: it can be rewired, adapted, and changed. This process is called neuroplasticity. 

Neuroplasticity refers to our brain’s ability to reorganise and form new neural connections, and it comes in two main types. 

1.     Structural Plasticity: Refers to the physical changes that happen in the brain structure. E.g. the growth of new neurons or synaptic connections. 

2.     Functional Plasticity: Refers to the brain’s ability to allocate resources, whether that’s allowing undamaged areas of the brain to compensate for damaged ones, or strengthening certain cognitive functions when confronted with new experiences. 

Neuroplasticity is most prevalent in the first stages of life as we learn to walk, talk and understand the world around us, but it also continues, albeit at a slower rate, throughout our lives.

You can either make neuroplasticity work for or against you. The cardinal rule is what you repeat, your brain learns, adapts, and gets better at. For example, if you spend all day doomscrolling, your brain adapts to that, and the habit often turns into a vicious cycle. However, the process can also be applied to more desirable habits such as studying, learning a new language, or breaking that bad habit! 

This is why I think it’s worth to understand a little about neuroplasticity, it gives us a way to make our brains work for us, not against us.

The study of neuroplasticity has enabled us to better understand the essential role sleep plays in our lives and how it deeply impacts our overall health. Neuroplasticity has taught us that sleep is one of the biggest things that feeds into this process, which is why it deserves to be your top priority. 

Research has shown that long periods of disruptive sleep hugely impact our ability to consolidate memories, focus and even regulate our emotions, and longer periods of consistent interrupted sleep is linked to higher risks of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Understanding how neuroplasticity works, how our brains adapt to our habits, and why sleep is so central to that can significantly improve your well-being and self-regulation, which has been proven to boost performance in many aspects of your life, so make sure you’re getting your 8 hours!

Link to source used: https://hmn24.com/blogs/articles/neuroplasticity-and-sleep-how-rest-supports-learning-and-growth?srsltid=AYCX9vKrKR98J9moeF-1hRcaAiO-jp-55gGcYUshmy-liO_WBwAHEtHQ

• habits
• life
• mental health
• neuroplasticity
• psychology