Our brain is the most volatile organ. It is the operating system of us. If the brain is in shape, we are good. If the brain is out of place we are fucked. In the book Behave, Robert Sapolsky throws some light on the same. For simple reading, I have collected my learning about the brain. It is a collection of many other books.
The brain gears:
Basal Ganglia
The controlling instinct sits at the base of the brain. Simple survival (fight/flight) and decision making are controlled from here.
Limbic System
The emotional part of the brain which helps us associate behaviors, memories with positive and negative experiences.
Cerebral Cortex
The part of our brain which does all the thinking. It utilizes its effort in gathering and analyzing information before making a decision.
What affects our brains?
Food
The brain uses more energy than any other human organ, accounting for up to 20 percent of the body’s total haul.
What we eat defines who we are. Does that mean eating can affect our thinking and responses to a certain situation? Going by current research on guts aka the tiny colonies of bacteria residing inside us it indeed us. These bacteria are alternate brain. These gut bacteria communicate with our brains and let us thrive.
People
We become what we read and the people we are surrounded with. As a hunter-gatherer, we were always worried about our survival. This has continued with us until now. With advancement and consumerism, we got into hoarding and seeking more of everything. Surrounding ourselves with virtues people will help us become better and avoid falling for the trap and living life of a mouse always chasing cheese.
Habit
Our brain is lazy, it takes shortcuts. It helps in saving energy. It loves automaticity. When you have a daily habit of something glass of coffee and reading, the brain will fight less and let you read. The same applies to brakes and changing gears of your car. Your brain has automatized it for you.
Exercise and meditation
It has been proved by science that meditation and exercise have a great effect on our brains. The flow of blood in our brain helps in better functioning of our brain.
References:
- Behave by Robert Sapolsky
- Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration, and Get to Work
- Guts by Giulia Enders
- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change
- Spark: How exercise will improve the performance of your brain