Most people feel very
comfortable with their daily routine. They know what will be taking
place for the most part because it is so similar day after day.
While
it can feel comfortable to live like that your brain may be on auto
pilot for much of it. If you want your brain to be healthier then you
need to start experiencing new things. It can be as simple as taking
a different route to get to work in the morning than you have for the
past 7 years.
If you always read
romance novels, pick up a good mystery and see how well you like it.
You just might find that you have found a passion for something like
this that you didn’t even know existed before. Turn your favorite
radio station to a channel that plays another type of music for a
week. In that span of time you may have a new found appreciation for
it. You may have learned the lyrics to some top hits as well that are
in heavy rotation on that radio station channel.
A chemical called
dopamine is produced in the brain.
This is a natural substance that
helps with moods.
The more dopamine you produce the happier you will
be.
Research has shown that when the brain is exposed to new images
and new experiences that it will begin to make more dopamine. As a
result the ability to retain information about such events both in
the short term memory and the long term memory are improved upon.
You can offer yourself
some new challenges as well.
For example instead of renting the
newest movie on the top ten list rent a documentary on a subject you
aren’t familiar with. There will likely be a great deal of learning
by the time you are done viewing it. You may have some questions as
well that trigger your desire to find out more information about the
subject.
New social experiences
are a good idea too if you want a healthier brain. For example if you
usually go to casual restaurants get dressed up and go out to one
that is fancy. If you usually drive in the city take a cab or ride
the bus.
Allow your mind and your eyes to take in everything around
you including the people and the scenery. Since you won’t have to
keep your eyes on the road the brain is going to be more receptive to
things you likely overlooked on that same commute before.
As we experience new
things our brain is learning and it is processing. This awakens a
part of it that may have been dormant for a long time based on your
same old routine.
You will also find that you look forward to each
new day when you have some adventure to look towards. You can
experience new things on a small scale at first to get yourself
comfortable with it. Then you can move on to larger ones like
traveling to a foreign country or learning a new language.
The fact that your brain
can continue to change and to build new neurological paths is very
interesting. Don’t waste the ability you have though to allow it to
experience more than it has. Life is really too short to spend it
doing the same things day after day. You will find you are happier
overall when you add some adventures to your life.
Jose
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