Practice makes perfect. That’s because, from a neurological standpoint, the more you run a neuro-circuit in your brain, the stronger that circuit becomes. But it turns out the ability to learn is more than just building and strengthening neural connections – it’s even more important that we can prune away the old ones.
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A recent article from Fast Company explains this “synaptic pruning” as being when the microglial cells in your brain that act as gardeners and prune away synaptic connections so there’s room for new ones to form.
And the key to proper brain maintenance? Sleep and mindfulness.
Your brain cleans itself out when you sleep. That’s why when you wake up from a good night’s rest you’re able to think clearly and quickly. The pruning that took place overnight left your brain with lots of room to take in new information, a.k.a. to learn. Even a 10 or 20-minute nap gives your microglial gardeners the chance to clear away some unused connections. On the other hand, thinking with a sleep-deprived brain is “like hacking your way through a dense jungle with a machete.” It’s slow-going and exhausting!
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And it turns out you can actually have some control over what your brain decides to delete when you sleep. The synaptic connections that aren’t used are the ones that get removed first – and the ones you use get stronger. This means it pays to be mindful of what you’re thinking about. By thinking only about the things that are important to you, you’ll strength those connections. And the stuff that’s less important—if you don’t dwell on them—will get pruned.
Curated article from:
Fast Company
