Tag: Brain

4 Ways Technology Has Completely Transformed The Way Your Brain Works

Two focuses of my blog are Health/Wellness and Technology. While all of our new technology has added to our lives, the question must be asked as to whether or not it has hurt us as well. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Ways Technology Has Completely Transformed The Way Your Brain Works.

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There’s no denying that technology has improved our lives in a lot of ways. The internet has given us access to more information than ever and connected people across the globe. Businesses have benefited from technology that helps them improve productivity and save money. But there are some big downsides to technology too.

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Over-reliance on technology has actually changed the way that our brains work in a number of ways. It’s important that we are aware of this so we can take steps to combat those effects. These are some of the ways that technology has completely changed the way our brains work.

The Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO)

The fear of missing out, or FOMO for short, isn’t a new concept but it’s one that has been made much worse by social media. In the past, if people spent a weekend sitting at home relaxing, they might have had some sense that they were missing out on some fun by not going out. However, they also enjoyed the time to recharge their batteries and relax. But these days, we are constantly bombarded with images and videos of people out doing things and having a good time. This leads to a lot of anxiety and guilt when people decide to look after themselves and spend a night in. Over time, this can contribute to wider mental health problems, so it’s a serious issue.

A Decline In Spelling Abilities

When you were at school, you were probably pretty good at spelling because you did regular tests and you were always writing by hand. But how good are you at spelling these days? A reliance on technology and autocorrect software means that spelling ability is getting worse. In order to combat this, you should try to write by hand wherever possible or consider turning spell checkers off to see if you can do without them. You can also improve your spelling by doing puzzles like crosswords, so consider getting a subscription (see more here) and doing them regularly. As long as you are proactive about testing your spelling skills, you can counteract the negative effect of technology.

Poor Sleep Patterns

The blue light emitted from phone and laptop screens can change our brain chemistry and make it harder for us to sleep. This is because it interrupts the body’s normal light cues, making it think that it’s still daytime. As a result, your body produces less of the hormones that cause you to go to sleep, and your natural sleep cycle is disrupted. This is a huge problem because lack of sleep does a lot of damage to your health. Improved sleep patterns are one of the biggest benefits of taking a break from technology for a while.

Phantom Vibrations

Studies show that our brains have been hardwired to be on the lookout for our phones ringing, even when they are not. Research into phantom vibrations found that many people experienced a sensation of their phone vibrating in their pocket throughout the course of the day when it wasn’t. Even though this isn’t a huge problem, it just goes to show how much impact technology can have on our brains.

If you want to develop a healthy relationship with technology, it is important to recognize the ways that it has completely transformed the way your brain works.

Breakthroughs In Brain Injuries

Three key focuses of my blog are Athletics/Sports, Health/Wellness, and Technology. An area of high interest particularly in American Football is brain injuries. The protection efforts to protect against brain injuries are continuously unfolding. The following contributed post is entitled, Breakthroughs In Brain Injuries.

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Image Courtesy Of Jesse Orrico

It is not an uncommon fact that more and more people are suffering severe brain injuries these days. This is especially true in contact sports such as football. It has been reported that between 1.7 to 3 million sports-related concussions occur each year. That is a staggering number with severe consequences to the mental well-being of human beings.
There is a movement around youth football organizations to put an end to tackling. The horrific stories that have come from the National Football League has really raised many red flags on why contact like this is allowed with such hazardous consequences.

One of the biggest problems many parents will face with their children playing youth sports will be concussions. It is a scary thought for parents to think of the seriousness of the injury, but also the medical expenses that may follow depending on the severity of the injury. It is crucial for parents to know their legal rights as well as what treatment or preventative options are currently in the works.

Legal Rights
A rare inside look into the legal system and submitting insurance claims and making sure that you are being taken care of fairly can be found at Pennsylvania Workers Comp. This book provides insight to make sure that you and your loved one are being well taken care of in your scariest of moments.

You can also find information about how serious the National Football League is starting to take in regard to the number of concussions occurring each week. Traumatic Brain Injuries is something that cannot be ignored, and parents need to know their rights to medical attention. Real life tragedies of NFL players can be found here as well as the financial responsibilities the NFL has recently taken on to settle disputes.

Fortunately, the world of Science and Technology has allowed researchers and scientists the ability to delve deeper into studying the brain and coming up with ways to help diminish this problem. However, there is still much work to be done.

Current Research
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has a mission of pursuing new knowledge and then use that knowledge to invent new mechanisms to improve our lives. This has been vital in the brain injury world. One particular study has been looking at the impact of American football helmets. One invention currently in the works is a Helmet Impact Tubing System. The goal is to lower the number of head force impacts over years of use. However, it is proven that the repetitive hits that players take day to day and week to week are what eventually takes its toll on the brain.

Another study being done is looking at if stem cells can help to repair traumatic brain injuries. This clinical trial involves using bone marrow-derived stem cells are repair agents. Traumatic Brain Stem Cell Repair is trying to find at least of an invasive measure to work on the brain and replace those damaged cells. It is still in the early stages, but in the world of Science and Technology, this could potentially be a massive breakthrough in helping to save millions of lives every year.

Brain Breaks: How to Ensure Concentration

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. When you’re focusing on a thought-intensive task the brain can become tired and fatigued like any of your body’s muscle groups. It’s thus important to understand how to manage it to get your maximum productivity. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Brain Breaks: How to Ensure Concentration.

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When you’ve been struggling to concentrate for the last ten minutes and would like to get back to work, it’s definitely time for a break. While it sounds strange, a good break is going to help you to get that work done when you finally sit down again – and you’ll be able to focus a lot better than you did before you got up earlier.

Image by: Pexels

Here is a handful of ways to help you to take in all that information and feel rejuvenated enough to even remember it in a day or two. It does require some work outside of that break as well but you’ll get there, in the end.

First: Have a walk

When you’ve been sitting in a stuffy study room for a while, what your brain needs more than anything else is fresh, crisp air. Go for a walk, for example, so that you’re able to get some exercise too while you’re at it; the fresh air and the extra exercise will definitely help you to take your mind off whatever you’ve been studying.

The point is that, besides from needing some time off in order to have capacity later on you will also need that break to remember what you’ve been reading earlier. While you’re going for a quick jog or having a longer walk while pondering what to have for dinner, your subconsciousness is working hard on storing away everything you’ve been learning.

It’s the kind of stuff you’ll enjoy when it’s time to use the information you’ve been gathering and you’ll increase your chances of remembering everything a bit better.

Next: Have some fun

Breaks shouldn’t just be about walks and fresh air, though, but it really will help if you opened that window. Get some entertainment instead, for example, and treat yourself to this without getting distracted by simply setting a timer while you study. Read for an hour now, watch your favorite series for half an hour afterwards – or go for shorter intervals than this, if you please.

If you desperately need a new show to watch, as we all do once in a while, it’s a good idea to check out BestVPN guide. These people can help you out with getting access to a variety of other shows so that you can get the most out of your breaks when it’s finally time to enjoy yourself a bit.

Talk to someone about your topics

While it might not sound like a brain break immediately, this is actually going to help your brain to store some of that information and remember it more easily. Just sit down with someone patient and explain what you’ve been learning as if you were their teacher.

Don’t bother with the stuff you don’t know too well and, by all means, avoid opening that book or that webpage to double check what you’ve been saying; the point isn’t to learn, it’s to remember. By the end of this chat, you’ll have a much better idea about what you know really well and what you need to study a bit more so that you’ll be able to use your time a lot better when you need to get back to those books.