Researchers Recommend Ceasing One Activity to Enhance Cognitive Abilities

Unlocking and learning to use entire parts of the brain may still sound like science fiction. But this cannot stop us from dreaming of using the full potential of our mind and body.

Instead of waiting for technology or science to make our dreams come true for us, we can work on it ourselves. Our brain is a complex and fascinating organ that we can exercise like a muscle, and in doing so we can not only advance our careers and personal lives, but also protect ourselves from various diseases.

Massachusetts General Hospital staff conducted a study on what they call “super seniors,” people over 65 who have the brain power of people in their mid-20s. As Lisa Feldman Barrett, one of the study's co-authors, told the “New York Times”, the purpose of the study was to determine whether there were any noticeable differences between the brains of these “super old people” and normal people of the same age.

If you want extraordinary performance, you must train certain areas of your brain.

Researchers actually found a difference: Some areas of the brains of super-old people were found to be thicker, while no such abnormality was found in normal people. However, these thickened regions were not responsible for cognitive processes, such as the lateral prefrontal cortex, the parts we think we train with crossword puzzles and other brain exercises. Surprisingly, regions associated with strong emotions, such as the antisingular cortex and insular cortex, were most affected.

Unfortunately, this doesn't mean you can train your brain while watching a sad, dramatic movie. You need to work hard on it. If you want to improve your brain and mind, you must prepare yourself to lose one habit: giving up.

Another thing you need to do: Leave your comfort zones. The trick in this business is to always accept new challenges. These difficulties must be significant enough to make you feel bad at first. You must be frustrated, tired, and pushing your physical and mental limits.

There is a quote that summarizes this issue perfectly:

“Pain is weakness leaving the body.”

The unpleasant parts of your efforts will turn into positive things in the future: more discipline, better adaptation success and a stronger brain.

This means, “Do not settle for anything that is comfortable for you.” Enjoyable puzzle games like Sudoku are not enough to make you “super old”. Learn to play a new language or musical instrument, prepare for a marathon, or take an online class. Learn to sing, act or dance on stage. As Feldman Barrett writes, “You have to put in enough effort to feel just a little bit ‘awful.'”

This means:

“Don't give up when things get hard. Keep going until you feel the pain, and keep going again. You will definitely be rewarded.”