Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to learn and adapt by forming new neural connections over a period of time. It is essentially a way to rewire your brain.
I think a great number of people give up when a new challenge or task gets too difficult or hard. A lot of us have come up in a school system that doesn’t teach neuroplasticity. We are conditioned to think that some people are dump or smart and given labels and put in a box for the rest of our lives. This discourages people from learning new things and putting themselves out of their comfort zone.
If we knew, from a young age, how the brain works and how learning works and if we were taught about Neuroplasticity, we would be more efficient in learning new skills and we would not give up so easily. We would be more persistent and more committed to bettering ourselves.
Practice is important. Repetition is key. To change the way we think or to learn a new skill we must keep repeating what we are trying to do for the brain to rewire. This is obviously very helpful when learning how to code from scratch.
These are just some of the ways to increase your neuroplasticity are -
- Using your non-dominant hand for mundane things (brushing, opening doors, putting on a jacket)
- Learning a new language
- Practicing mindfulness
- Exercising
I thought this website was very informative and interesting on neuroplasticity.
Growth Mindset
Growth mindset is when you understand that your brain can grow and continue to develop. Just like any other muscle in the body, your brain is a muscle that can be trained to become a better thinker and problem-solver. People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid new challenges, give up easy and end up achieving less than their full potential.
It’s important to understand how it works and keep moving forward. To be persistent when faced with setbacks and to learn from criticism.
The studies which show that just how knowing about growth mindset can really help in achieving success really surprised me. This article is a great read to know more about Growth Mindset.
Reading and understanding Neuroplasticity and Growth Mindset will definitely help to keep me motivated and resilient to obstacles. I will also look more positively on failure and see it as a learning step and focus more on the effort and hard work put towards something.