When I was a teenager I was told that, from age 18, my brain cells would start to die off and my brain function would gradually deteriorate. What a depressing thought! I was also told that there are vast areas of our brains that we never use and that, when we are idle, our brains are idle too.
Now, I have always believed in the value of relaxation but when, in moments of frustration that I had still not tidied my bedroom, my mother would exclaim, “You are bone idle!” I started to doubt myself. I stopped seeing the rest periods as something to be celebrated and instead something to be ashamed of.
The thing is, I have now discovered that everyone was wrong! My brain did not start to wither in my late teens. My brain is active in many ways, all the time. Most importantly (to me) resting and switching off most certainly does not lead to an idle brain, but a brain that is highly active, processing, forming memories, laying down pathways and improving its functionality.
The lesson? Be careful what you say to your children!
Everything counts
There are other lessons too. Our brains are changing constantly. Every interaction, every behaviour, every experience changes our brains. This neuroplasticity has huge implications for what we can achieve in life, and also for what we may want to avoid.
How the brain changes
There are three ways in which the brain changes. They are:
- Chemical. When we perform an action, the brain increases the concentration of the chemical signalling between neurons, and this supports our short-term memory
- Structural. When we learn or practise something, the brain changes the neural pathways, altering the structure of the brain and supporting long-term memory.
- Functionality. When you use a brain region, it becomes more responsive and easier to use again.
For example, you are having your piano lesson and, as the lesson goes on, you can see your improvements. At the end of the lesson you feel happy with your progress and satisfied that you have done well. The next day, you return to the keys to practice and all that progress you made seems to have evaporated. However, after a few minutes it picks up again. A week, two weeks, a month, three months pass, and you keep practising. You are now seeing sustained improvements and that piece you struggled with three months ago is now quite easy for you.
This is what was happening: during that first lesson, your brain increased the chemical stimulation between neurons supporting you to make progress in that moment. This was for short-term memory only so, by the next day it was gone. You kept practising and each time you practised, the chemical stimulation helped you. With ongoing practice, the piano-playing brain-function became responsive and made it easier to pick up where you left off. Over time, you built up enough practise to alter the structure of your brain, creating new connections in your brain that support piano playing. This is how learning works.
What we have to do
The clear messages here are that 1) it is our behaviour that is the biggest driver of neuroplastic change and 2) you have to put the work in.
With continued effort we can learn what we want to, but it is also crucial that we have quality sleep and rest time too so that the learning can be laid down in the long-term memory. This is neuroplasticity in action. Visualising your outcomes as well as (amazingly!) practising the piano in your imagination, also boosts learning. Sports-people, for example, are known to use hypnotherapy to improve performance. During trance, they practise their movements and responses.
The flip side
As always, though, with the good comes the bad. Neuroplasticity is happening all the time. As I said earlier, every interaction, every behaviour and every experience shapes the brain so it is not only what you do, but what you don’t do, that is important.
Consider a gambling addict. Imagine a person who has spent many hours in betting shops, casinos and gambling online. These behaviours will be laid down in their long-term memory and those parts of the brain associated with gambling will be responsive and ready to jump to action. I have worked in addiction services for a long time and I have seen many people change their behaviour, so I know that recovery is possible. Those people whose changes I have witnessed have made significant, daily alterations to their behaviours, their thinking, and their associations.
As I said before, the biggest author of neuroplasticity is our behaviour, and you have to put in the time and the effort. Hypnotherapy can be a guiding hand that helps you on the path to change. In sessions you will set clear, visualised goals towards your desired outcomes and, in trance, you will have the high-quality rest that enables your brain to lay down learning and alter your behaviour.
Rebecca Bartholomew, 23 March 2022
