Submitted by Nick Adams on Sat, 06/14/2008 - 12:17.
How do you spend your weekends, sitting in front of the TV, mountain bike riding or painting? Whatever you choose to do next weekend you may want to think about the impact your chosen hobby can have on your mind.
Research has found that when the brain is challenged it develops and grows stronger. Therefore by engaging in hobbies that are more challenging you are exercising the brain, similar to exercising the body by running you become quicker and fitter.
Taxi drivers for example have been shown to have superior hippocampi; this is the part of the brain responsible for spatial mapping. So by carefully choosing your hobby you can be in charge of developing your brains capabilities. This obviously can lead to you being able to accomplish tasks that require more thinking at a greater pace.
Hobbies like Sudoku, crosswords, puzzles, reading and anything that requires you to think a little more can all help you to develop your brains abilities.
Submitted by Nick Adams on Sat, 06/14/2008 - 12:14.
It’s a Saturday night and you’re out with friends having a get together but what effect is it having on your mental state?
Well the news is good, studies have shown that close social networks help to produce dopamines and endorphins, these are the feel good chemicals and have been found to have a positive effect on performance and thinking tasks.
So enjoy those moments with your friends and just have a wry smile to yourself about the positive effects on your brain’s development.