Author: Sahed

Learning, as you may recall from your school days, involves understanding and memorization. As you become familiar with novel ideas, newly presented information, or a new vocabulary, your brain becomes much more receptive to retaining further knowledge—especially if you take the time to review and practice what you have already learned. It’s a good idea, for example, to open your notebook and re- view any previously studied vocabulary before you turn to the next set of words. Your brain, like the rest of your body, is capable of achieving new skills. 

When you were young you probably had coloring books and crayons. Now more and more adults are discovering what fun it is to color—and it’s also good for your brain. 

Many therapists and psychologists recommend adult coloring books to their patients. Coloring stimulates the creative centers of the brain and staves off boredom, which is one of the principal causes of self-destructive behavior. Coloring is a calming activity that can help with conditions such as PTSD and chronic anger. It lets you sit quietly, concentrating on getting just the right shade of green or red on the picture in front of you while your mind relaxes. In a way, coloring is similar to meditation. 

So next time you’re near your local craft store, stop in and pick up an adult coloring book and some colored pencils. You’ll be glad you did! 

Studies show that learning a new, complex skill can help prevent dementia. Re- searchers at the University of Texas at Dallas recently conducted a study testing the cognitive change for people who studied a challenging new skill, like learning how to use Photoshop, and compared how their brains fared against people who did enjoyable but non challenging activities like going to the movies. Those who spent significant time (about fifteen hours per week) learning about digital photography and image-editing software did much better on tests of memory. Those gains were kept even a year after the study ended. Researchers theorize that learning a complex task strengthens the connections between neurons in the brain—unlike games, such as crossword puzzles, which only have a limited effect on short-term memory.

If your idea of camping is a hotel without room service, we’ve got news for you: your brain needs you to go camping. Being out in nature—not just looking at it from your car window, but actual toes-in-the-grass being in nature—works wonders for your brain. And we’re not just talking a fifteen-minute break with the pigeons in the park before you head back to your cubicle. We’re talking a weekend away from your cell phone and your cares. 

Recent research has shown that not only does time spent in nature help you destress, it actually helps your brain function better. People who spent three days backpacking in natural surroundings did 50 percent better on a test of creativity than people who left their gear in the garage. 

Even if you can’t get away from it all you can get away from it some, and that will still help your brain. Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School analyzed data to find that people who lived near green space (even just a park) were less likely to have depression, migraines, and anxiety than people who did not. Re- searchers suspect that being out in nature helps your brain primarily by lowering stress hormones in your body. One researcher speculates that because we evolved in nature, we naturally relax once we are back in nature. It turns out that one of the best ways to boost your happiness is to hit the trails. 

Numerous surveys of American workers show they rarely take time off for vacations, and when they do, they’re constantly checking email and texts from work anyway. This is a great way to burn out your brain. One study showed that people who took off one day per week—one day without any work-related tasks—ended up being more productive overall than those who didn’t. Not surprisingly, they also re- ported feeling less stressed. One researcher analyzing data from several studies found that idleness—not having to do anything work-related—helped the brain process information, make new connections, and even understand ourselves and other people better (one benefit of idleness is introspection). We also solve problems and remember things better if we take real breaks from work. 

Your mom probably told you that television rots your brain. She was right. Studies have shown a link between children watching television and more aggressive behavior, and other studies have shown a correlation between television viewing and obesity. And a recently completed longitudinal study showed that watching television makes us dumber. Researchers followed a group of young adults who were all around age twenty-five and monitored their viewing habits. Twenty-five years later, the ugly truth was confirmed. People who watched the most television—more than three hours a day—scored the worst on brain tests. 

Another study, this of younger children, showed that television viewing was associated with poorer verbal ability. Television viewing has also been shown to disrupt sleep cycles—and the poorer your sleep, the greater your memory and other cognitive problems. For children, concerns include delayed mental development and the increased likelihood of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. People who watch a lot of television also have less social connection with others, and social connection is one of the things that contributes to brain health.

Need more convincing that it’s high time to ditch the satellite dish? Yet another study showed that unhappy people watch the most television. The opposite was true of other activities. For example, for people who liked to read, the more they read, the happier they were. For television watchers, the more they watched, the unhappier they were. In other words, if you want to be happy, dump the television.