One of my favorite columns in the Life Section of the Globe & Mail is Habits Of Highly Successful People by Courtney Shea. Hearing about other people’s successes always uplifts me to the possibility of doing better and making a difference. It’s finding that one piece of advice that resonates and gives you a renewed sense of purpose. When I look back on all the advice I have read, one habit stands out – Invest In Yourself.
We all know the importance of investing in training and education. It also makes sense that we need to invest in our health. There is a great deal of advice from successful people about the benefits of exercise, the need to eat well, and the importance of sleep, like Arianna Huffington’s advice; “To have it all, get to bed!” Yet, there is rarely any advice on the benefits of keeping a healthy mind and brain. This is partly due to the fact that we have only recently discovered the role the mind and brain play on our mental health and our ability to be successful.
Recently, I read an article from The Washington Post titled; Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, here’s how it changes your brain that reminded me of the importance of investing in yourself. Neuroscientist Sara Lazar was reporting on her most recent discoveries on the affect of mindfulness meditation on the brain after an eight-week stress reduction program. What she found made me think, meditation is one of the best ways to keep mentally fit and sharp. Lazar explains:
“It’s well-documented that our cortex shrinks as we get older – it’s harder to figure things out and remember things. But in this one region of the prefrontal cortex, 50-year-old meditators had the same amount of gray matter as 25-year-olds.”
I’m one of those people who love the science behind the practice, so this really excited me. I had read how meditation increases blood flow to the brain, how it thickened the pre-frontal cortex, but I had never seen it described in such a specific and compelling way. So for those who love science, here are her findings:
Lazar found thickening in four regions:
1.Posterior cingulate – the area of the brain that is involved in mind wandering and self-relevance. (We can focus better, and gain better self-awareness
2.Left hippocampus – the area of the brain that assists in learning, cognition, memory and emotional regulation. (We retain more information, remember better and can regulate our emotions
3. Temporo parietal junction (TPJ) – the area of the brain that is associated with perspective taking, empathy and compassion. (We can see the bigger picture, be more forgiving and kinder to others)
4. Pons – An area of the brain stem where a lot of regulatory neurotransmitters are produced. (We become more resilient, and less hijacked by strong emotions)
One area of the brain got smaller:
Amygdala – this is the area of the brain responsible for the fight or flight response that affect our level of anxiety, fear and stress. (We experience more calm, feel more relaxed and are less tired and worn out)
When my daughter got braces she was really upset. My husband said to her “I know your not happy with braces right now, but your future self is going to really thank you for it.” So, invest in yourself, learn to meditate, your future self will be very grateful.