Wednesday, December 22, 2010

How To: Stop Dying And Start Growing


Your brain is gee whiz wowzers amazing. It’s faster than any computer and gets you to eat when you’re hungry and say sorry when you don’t want to sleep on the couch. Yet, despite amazing advances in neurological studies, many questions as to how and why the brain functions and what it might be capable of are still a mystery.
But one thing is clear: Your brain must be fed, and well, if you expect to grow as a person.


Water The Garden, Flowers Will Grow. Studies show – one of the earliest signs of dehydration is mental confusion. Even going without water for a few hours can result in slowed thinking, headaches, blurred vision, and feeling a mental fog. Proper hydration allows your brain to perform at its peak capability. Drink a minimum of 8 to 11 eight-ounce glasses of water throughout the day to keep your brain well watered.

Stimulation is Vital. The brain is an amazing roadmap of neural pathways that are constantly changing- growing and dying- depending on the amount of stimulation (or lack thereof) it’s receiving. Different areas of the brain are responsible for controlling various life functions such as vision, speech, and motor control.
Stimulating your brain by absorbing new information and discovering new sensations is one of the best ways to create new neural pathways that feed your brain. Learn something new every day. Never stop challenging your mind with puzzles, contemplative thought, visual imagery, or new experiences.

Sleep Equals Restoration. Research has found that a person can physically go for many days without sleep, but the mind becomes confused and disoriented after 24-48 hours without sleep. Scientists have concluded that sleep is your body’s way of resting and restoring your brain. Getting adequate sleep gives your brain the rest it desperately needs to function properly, restore damaged neural pathways, and create new connections in response to your experiences.

Relationships Matter. Maintaining healthy, vigorous relationships with others is an effective way to feed your brain. Interacting with others provides stimulation, feelings of love, friendship, and fulfillment, and new learning experiences. Engaging in intimate personal relationships provides a constant source of stimulation for your brain and encourages the release of stimulating hormones like endorphins.

Feeding your brain requires caring for your body with adequate rest and hydration, providing stimulation and engaging in vital intimate relationships with others to encourage the continued growth and repair of neural pathways to improve the functioning of your brain and enhance your quality of life.

12 comments:

  1. 30h without sleep right now, that's true my mind is gettin confused on simple things sometimes

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  2. it's the little things you can do such as keeping hydrated that will help you go a long way.

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  3. Great post, and all very valid ideas. Games like sudoku and even a basic crossword puzzle make a huge difference when it comes to brain stimulation.

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  4. Anonymous10:50 AM

    i think the brain also needs a healthy body to be fully utilized too so work it out too.

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  5. The brain sure is amazing, you just need to grow some self confidence and learn how to use it properly!

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  6. I haven't expected that... :) nice!

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  7. pretty cool stuff. Its very simple, but I can imagine that doing it long term will prove very benificial

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  8. i try to challenge my intellect as much as possible, but my current job is kind of meh..

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  9. Anonymous11:14 PM

    Some very important points here. When I started carrying around a nalgene and started consciously drinking at least 1L of water a day, it was pretty crazy how much better I felt after a couple days.

    Nice blog; just started following :)

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