Ann Steele provided the article “How Does the Brain Impact Leadership Resilience?” previously published on PsyDPrograms.org.
Through the work of billions of cells housed within our brains, humans are the most advanced form of life in the known universe. Highly intelligent animals like dolphins, elephants, and whales may have bigger brains than people, but the evolution of the human mind is far greater.
Only now is science beginning to understand the complexities of the gray matter resting just above our shoulders. A mix of protein and fat that combine to create one of the most advanced individual systems known to humankind – organic or machine, earthbound or cosmic.
The Brain Makes Us Who We Are
While the brain may appear to be a singular mass at first glance, it consists of a number of highly unique parts and separate regions that control practically every aspect of human existence.
Four of the most vital components include:
- The brain stem aides with breathing and sleep.
- The basal ganglia monitors the sending and receiving of messages between different areas of the brain.
- The cerebellum that keeps us upright – balanced and well-coordinated.
- The cerebral cortex helps us to think and move, achieve greater reasoning and imaginative skills, and is what provides human consciousness.
In addition, the four regions include:
- The frontal lobe links to our motor skills and how we think, reason, and acquire knowledge.
- At the crown of the brain, the middle parietal lobe controls sensation – our sense of touch, taste, and manipulation of the physical world around us – as well as spatial awareness.
- Occupying the base of the brain, the temporal lobe is central to our ability to hear and helps us distinguish language and sound. Within the temporal lobe is the hippocampus – critical to our ability to learn, emote, and create memories.
- At the rear of the brain, you’ll find the occipital lobe, critical to our visual capabilities and processing of colors, words, or any other objects that we see.
Even with all of our current knowledge, it is a testament to the brain’s advanced and complicated design that researchers and scientists have yet to solve the puzzle of the human mind fully.
One area, though, where there has been much discovery and where we continue to expand our expertise is what stimulates the brain. Factors that are helpful and harmful and what is required to maintain a healthy mind.
Why Brain Health is So Important
While the brain itself may still hold many secrets, there is little mystery to the need for us to keep our minds healthy and functioning at their highest possible level.
As we’ve shown, the brain is central to our survival – controlling our breathing and cognitive skills, our consciousness and perception, and our ability to think, feel, and remember.
However, all of the brain’s functions do not operate independently of one another – it’s the reason we can, in fact, walk and chew gum at the same time. If you neglect one aspect of your brain’s health, other areas suffer.
But we’re not just talking about a run of the mill headache brought on by stress.
Numerous neurological disorders are debilitating to the brain and an individual’s overall well-being.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), approximately 50 million Americans – that’s one out of every five – suffer from some form of brain-related disorder. The list of conditions is exhaustive and includes:
- Brain tumors
- Cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke-related conditions or vascular dementia
- Convulsive disorders like epilepsy
- Degenerative diseases of adult life, which include Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
- Developmental disorders, including cerebral palsy
- Infectious disease complications like AIDS-related dementia
- Metabolic syndromes, including Gaucher’s disease
- Neurogenetic diseases such as Huntington’s disease or muscular dystrophy
- Trauma injuries that occur in the spinal cord or with a head injury (concussions)
These represent many of the major disorders. Far more common, however, are the conditions that fall under the broad (and sometimes misleading) category of mental illness.
For many years, mental illness carried a stigma, resulting in people being mistreated or receiving none.
While the numbers for the latter still remain low, modern medicine has better shaped our understanding of more common psychological conditions, improving diagnosis and treatment.
This segment of neurological disorders include:
Given the brain’s importance and complexity, how do you give yourself the best chance for lasting brain health? You might be surprised by the most effective methods.
Maintaining Your Brain’s Health
While not every brain-related condition is treatable or avoidable due to factors such as age, heredity, genetics, or other non-lifestyle factors, there are plenty of ways to keep your mind sharp.
To assist with improving your brain’s health and function, as well as producing the happy side effect of giving you a far more positive outlook on life, consider the following methods to boost your brainpower:
Exercise
You already know what exercise means for your body. Proven time and again, regular exercise has lasting, positive effects on our well-being. The impact, though, is both physical and mental.
Exercise, through stimulating chemicals in the brain, promotes the growth and health of blood cells. Regular physical activity also helps to clear your mind, enabling you to think more clearly, reduce anxiety and stress, and improve memory and cognitive functions.
Sleep
A good night’s rest is as critical to an individual’s health as breathing.
Lack of sleep impedes the brain’s ability to perform daily tasks vital to keeping it healthy – clearing out toxins, maintaining healthy neurological connections among the brain’s many pathways, and recharging your body so it can maintain its focus, create new memories and be alert and ready to take on the next day when you wake up.
Quality sleep also builds up your immune system, which helps to keep diseases and illnesses at bay. You will also avoid the common condition of brain fog by following a strict sleep routine – commit to at least seven hours of sleep and steering clear of blue-light emitting devices at least two to three hours before bedtime.
Eat the Right Foods
As with everything else health-related, there are specific foods that will support the development and performance of your brain.
Green vegetables, certain types of berries and nuts, and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids are cornerstones of a brain-boosting diet. Just remember to work these into a diet that aids in promoting greater health for you overall – physically and mentally.
The Power of Positive Thinking
You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase “the power of positive thinking” many times before. So much so that it’s probably etched itself into your permanent memory.
That’s very much a good thing.
Studies show that a positive mindset is more than just a cliché – it can have a beneficial and lasting impact on your brains overall health and function.
While that research focused on children, a positive outlook works for adults too.
Maintaining an optimistic mindset promotes better physical skills, social interaction, and creativity, all of which broaden your mind’s horizons and help you build skills and more comprehensive life-servicing resources.
Meditation
More than a way to disconnect from the stresses of everyday life, meditation proves transformative in building up an individual’s positive emotions. Research also suggests that it has a lasting effect on your health – improving your mind and your sense of purpose and reducing the chances of illness.
Engage Your Brain in Activities You Enjoy
Do you like to read novels or biographies? Diary or write about experiences you’ve enjoyed? Or do you dream about just getting out, having fun, and spending time with individuals you care about?
Pick one, or all three, because making time to enjoy the people and endeavors that make you happy can stimulate your brain towards better health. There are even health benefits to finding work or a career you genuinely enjoy versus something you slog through daily.
Smile
Yep, turn that frown upside down. Seriously.
Though it may be hard to believe, science actually shows that a simple smile, even if it’s initially a forced effort (or a side effect of a cosmetic procedure), can reduce stress, improve your mood, strengthen your immune system, and help add a few years to your life.
According to Dr. Murray Grossan, an ENT-otolaryngologist with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Torrance Memorial in Los Angeles, CA: “What’s crazy is that just the physical act of smiling can make a difference in building your immunity. When you smile, the brain sees the muscle [activity] and assumes that humor is happening.”
Which basically means the brain doesn’t care why you’re smiling – as evidenced by the botox research – it processes the benefits of the smile regardless of its purpose.
Practice Good Health to Get the Most from Your Mind
One of the most astonishing aspects of the brain is that, in all of its complexity, preserving its health requires a basic, common-sense approach.
When it comes to getting the most from your mind, keep it simple – and positive. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and plenty of constructive, optimistic thoughts and activities will nourish your brain and ensure it functions at its highest possible level – and provide you one less worry to think about.
About the Author
Ann Steele, Ph.D., is the Editor-In-Chief of PsydPrograms.org. Ann has trained as a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who has worked with adults, couples, adolescents, and preteens throughout San Diego.
