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Boost Brain Power at Any Age
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Is enthusiasm something that can be developed like a golf swing or muscle group? Can the brain get better with age? Is it possible to experience greater vitality? Anat Baniel believes so.
Until recently, it was believed that our vitality peaks in our twenties and that our brains stop growing and evolving after the first few years of life.
But science has recently shown that the production of new brain cells, and of new connections and patterns between existing cells, not only occurs naturally but can be enhanced at any age.
The missing piece is being able to find a way to communicate with the brain so that it resumes growing, creating and inventing new solutions.
Baniel, a clinical psychologist who has worked with high achievers from the worlds of music and sports, explains in her new book Move into Life: the Nine Essentials for Lifelong Vitality that it’s possible to improve vitality in every aspect of life.
Core Performance: How did you develop this notion that the brain can continue to develop and we can increase our vitality at any age?
Anat Baniel: I have studied clinical psychology, and when I was younger I considered dance as a career. I found myself working with dancers, musicians and high-performing people. Then I started working with children with special needs, and that combination was an amazing window into what it takes to thrive.
It starts with the brain, which is the CEO of our bodies. Most people don’t think of their brains much until something goes wrong. The brain can continue growing at any age if there are the right conditions, and those are the nine essentials I talk about in the book.
CP: What are those nine essentials?
AB: The nine essentials are what the brain requires to resume growing and make new connections. Our vitality is connected to that. When we develop habits, it’s hard to get out of them and the brain is prone to repeating habits, good or bad.
Children grow and learn quickly and learn new possibilities all the time. Adults rely on what they’ve already learned. The essentials are a way to wake up the brain to create something new.
Most people think of movement in terms of exercise, but I think of it in a broader sense. Walking, talking, preparing coffee; it’s all movement. It organizes the brain and without movement there’s no life. If we pay attention to our movements, the brain grows very rapidly.
There’s research with monkeys that shows if they got up to move but didn’t pay attention to what they were doing, there was no change in the brain. But if they paid attention to that movement, there’s growth. That has huge implications. People are trying to get stronger, for instance, but when they’re performing movements without paying attention to what they’re doing, the chance of mastering a movement or developing muscle groups is very low.
CP: One of the nine essentials you mention is enthusiasm. Is this something that can be developed?
AB: Most people think of enthusiasm as a reaction. Something good happens to you; you’re enthusiastic about it. If it’s not happening, you’re down. Enthusiasm is something you learn to do; it’s not just positive thinking, but a proactive approach to the flow of your life.
I can always find things to be enthusiastic about. The way the brain works, our enthusiasm is telling the brain, ‘This is a good thing,’ and it creates those connections you want to have. The brain has no judgment.
It forms the connection based on those experiences and so enthusiasm is a powerful way to amplify what works for you. People who get the best results are those with consistent enthusiasm. You make everyone around you feel better and you become a person that brings good energy and is attractive to others.
CP: Whether we realize it or not, it seems we’re all guilty of not continually challenging ourselves.
AB: We’re creatures of habit, settling in to the things we’re used to. Life beats on us and we become less energetic and enthusiastic, believing less in ourselves and finding it hard to do things. That energy level becomes our threshold, and we tend to stay there.
People reach their limit and just get used to it. The way most of us live ensures that we’ll go downhill. The belief that the brain gets more limited and loses connections is based on the reality we see for most people but it doesn’t have to be that way. We have a remarkable capacity to grow, create, and reinvent ourselves. It’s just a matter of tapping into it.
About The Author
Pete Williams – Pete Williams is a contributing writer for CorePerformance.com and the co-author of the Core Performance book series.
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