Neuroplasticity principles

• Understanding that the brain is constantly changing, as opposed to the brain being static and locked.
• In neuroscience we now know thinking changes the physical shape and structure of your brain.
• Imagining an action and doing the action require the same motor and sensory programs in the brain.
• Imagination and action are integrated in the same neural pathways and practicing one influences the other.
• Mental practice is an effective way to prepare for a physical skill - it actually changes the structure and function of your brain by affecting the neurons at the microscopic level.

References
youtube.com | Bio Neuroplasticity and Learning

Benefits of neuroplasticity

Understanding that you're able to influence and grow your brain regardless of age has many benefits:

• Makes your brain resilient.
• Enables people to recover from injury such as stroke.
• Helps create new ways of functioning and behaviour.
• Morale and academic improvement when students understand intelligence is malleable.
• Improves motivation to study when students knew they are all fully capable of changing their brains.

Engagement with neuroplasticity for my own benefit

• Practice | To build more hard-wired connections in the brain requires repeating an activity, retrieving memories and reviewing the material in various ways.
• Put information in context | Recognise that learning is the formation of new or stronger neural connections - tap into already-existing pathways. Integrate and make the information you're studying relevant to your life.
• Understanding how the brain works | The brain and intelligence is not predetermined. Empower yourself, realise you can change your brain through practice.

Ways to increase neuroplasticity

From atlassian.com | 9 neuroplasticity exercises to boost productivity

• Feed your brain | Enhance your diet.
• Take naps | A short nap around 20mins encourages growth of dendritic spines which act as connectors between the neurons in your brain.
• Don't let the work day linger | Like muscle-building, neuroplasticity needs downtime in order to work properly. Embed a “close the day” ritual that prioritises reflection and gratitude for small wins. Putting a hard stop to the stresses of the day in a way that also boosts endorphins creates perfect conditions for neuroplasticity.
• Expand your vocabulary | Try learn one new word every day. This will spark new neural pathways, both visual and auditory.
• Use the 'wrong' hand | Non-dominant hand exercises are excellent for forming new neural pathways, as well as strengthening the connectivity between existing neurons. For instance, if you're right-handed, try brushing your teeth with your left hand.
• Etc...

From healthline.com | How to Rewire Your Brain: 6 Neuroplasticity Exercises

• Play video games | When you play video games, you teach your brain new skills. A few hours of weekly gameplay to your leisure time can be a great way to improve neuroplasticity.
• Learn a new language | Increased gray matter density can improve your function in attention, memory, emotions and motor skills. A second language in adulthood can also strengthen white matter, which helps brain connectivity between different brain regions.
• Art | Use art to sort through and express emotions, share personal experiences. Drawing and painting directly benefits your brain by enhancing creativity and improving cognitive abilities. It can also help create new pathways and strengthen existing connections in your brain, leading to better cognitive function overall.
• Doodling | Allow your brain to briefly unfocus, occasional mental downtime directly relates to neuroplasticity. Letting your brain rest can improve creativity, interrupt unwanted habits, and help find new solutions to problems.
• Travel | Travel may help enhance cognitive flexibility, inspire you, and enhance creativity. Trips closer to home: long walk through a new neighbourhood. Do grocery shopping in another part of town. Go for a hike. Virtual travel (get started with National Geographic virtual travel on YouTube)
• Exercise | Aerobic exercise in particular can lead to improvements in cognitive abilities like learning and memory. Exercise also helps improve fine motor coordination and brain connectivity, and may protect against cognitive decline. Physical activity as a neuroplasticity exercise helps promote increased blood flow and cell growth in the brain, which research links to reduced depression symptoms.

Growth Mindset

• Growth Mindset is the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems.
• Carol Dweck describes in her TEDTalk two ways of thinking: Are you not smart enough to solve it … or have you just not solved it yet?
• According to Carol Dweck, individuals can be placed on a continuum according to their implicit views of "where ability comes from". The two categorical extremes are fixed mindsets and growth mindsets.
• In a fixed mindset, individuals tend to avoid challenges and focus on the outcome. It is believing that talents and abilities are a fixed trait that are either born with or not born with; thus, effort is not valued as worthwhile.
• In a growth mindset, individuals tend to embrace challenges, accept and learn from failure, and focus on the process rather than the outcome. It is seeing talents and abilities as skills that are developed through effort.
• A growth mindset is relevant because it fosters motivation and success.

“...Dweck illuminates how our beliefs about our capabilities exert tremendous influence on how we learn and which paths we take in life.” — Bill Gates, GatesNotes

References
ted.com | Carol Dweck • The power of believing that you can improve
amazon.com | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success: Dweck, Carol
wikipedia.com | Mindset, Fixed and growth mindset

What surprised me?

What surprised me is that just simply using the words “yet” or “not yet” can change the way we experience challenges and that it influences confidence.

Ways to integrate growth mindset

• Normalise struggle, struggle is part of the learning process, react positively when you feel challenged.
• If there's something you don't understand, use a different perspective. For example, try to draw or write it out.
• Portray challenges as fun and exciting.
• Break challenges into small steps. Focus on the next steps.
• Embrace the word “yet”. If someone makes the statement “I'm not a math person,” adding a simple qualifier will signal that a process exists for gaining ability. “You're not a math person yet.”
• Think of the brain as malleable, like a muscle and can be developed (neuroplasticity).
• Demonstrate mistakes and celebrate corrections.

References
soeonline.american.edu | How to Foster a Growth Mindset in the Classroom

Learning plan and strategies

With these understandings I hope to influence my mental voice to be more kind to itself and to start practicing a hard stop to the stresses of the day. The following steps that stood out to me in particular:

• Normalise struggle - struggle is part of the learning process, react positively when you feel challenged.
• Push yourself out of your comfort zone to learn something new and difficult - the neurons in the brain will form new, stronger connections over time.
• Practice the idea that small tasks (and goals) add up to stronger connections over time and make a positive difference in the long term.
• Don't let the work day linger - start a “close the day” ritual that prioritises reflection and gratitude for small wins. Putting a hard stop to the stresses of the day to boost endorphins.
• Start small, expand your vocabulary - Try learn one new word every day. This will spark new neural pathways, both visual and auditory.