He Leaves the 99

Here you are sitting with your brain injury, whether acquired or traumatic. Maybe you don't have a brain injury personally but someone you love does. Perhaps you don't fit into either of those categories and want to see what this post is all about.

Either way I welcome you!

Before I get into the main topic for today, let me fill you in on what can be affected.

Cognitive effects: memory loss; impaired judgement; communication; sensory overload; difficulty processing information.

Physical: paralysis; fatigue; seizures; headaches; reduced balance; sleep disturbances; difficulty swallowing.

Emotional: anger; anxiety; depression; inappropriate crying or laughing; mood swings; frustration; social anxiety.

Let me introduce a fancy new word, neuroplasticity! This is the fancy way of saying how to rewire and reorganize your brain! This can be done if you have a completely healthy brain. There's absolutely nothing wrong with retraining your brain with all things HEALTH. These are good behaviors.

If you have a damaged brain, permanent or not, your brain can make new connections around the damage. There is absolutely a whole lot of hope for you; so, don't sit around sulking! But HOW can we help our brain rewire itself? This definitely takes time. Think of a marathon run on this one; making new connections from point A to point B is NOT a sprint!

Let's get into the meat and potatoes here:

A. EXERCISE! aerobic exercise can increase neuroplasticity and slow cognitive decline. The CDC indicates that regular exercise may provide several short-term and long-term physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits. Additional research done has shown that physical activity may help strengthen your brain. These may contribute to protecting against cognitive decline and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

a. Improve cognitive abilities, such as learning and memory.

b. Improve fine motor coordination.

c. Improve brain connectivity.

d. Increase blood flow and cell growth in the brain.

e. Reduce the risk of anxiety, depression, and post--traumatic stress disorder.

B. LEARN NEW SKILLS! This could be anything from learning a new language, learning how to play a musical instrument, or even...this one is my favorite.... JUGGLING! Research suggests that learning a new language may help improve cognitive function AND help increase the gray matter volume in the brain. If you don't know what gray matter is, it houses many important regions in your brain, including areas associated with:

a. Language.

b. Attention.

c. Memory.

d. Emotions.

Listening to and playing music may have several benefits such as boosting your mood, boosting your immune system, and boosting your ability to learn, among so many others. Another research found that playing music may help promote neuroplasticity and reduce cognitive decline in older adults by influencing several structural and functional pathways in the brain. Playing music may also help improve:

a. Movement, coordination, and balance

b. Learning and speech abilities.

c. audio and visual perceptions.

d. Mood.

e. Memory.

It's never too late to learn an instrument OR listen to Spotify! Here is the link to my place of music therapy. Fun fact, did you know that in the state of Virginia you can get FREE lessons from this place I'm sharing with you whether in person OR virtually? Now you know!

You can also read, anything from a book to a magazine; or cook/bake new foods! Personally, I love the food channel on this one. If you do not have cable, no worries! Simply go to YouTube and type in "Food Network" and subscribe to them! They have videos, reels, and you can watch them LIVE!

C. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS! Meditation and mindfulness can help with neuroplasticity. Practicing mindfulness isn't about sitting crisscross applesauce and humming to yourself with your eyes closed and your palms up. Here are some ways to achieve this:

a. Guided meditation. Here are some helpful videos wonderfully categorized by NCHPAD!

b. You can sit outside and really focus on what you are hearing, what you're seeing, and even what you're feeling. I promise you will get LOST in this moment! So, if you need a timer, I recommend setting one on your phone because what feels like 5 minutes is actually an hour.

c. This is how I dive deep into meditation and that's through scripture. Not only do I have two different bible versions in hardbacks with highlights and notes in the margins, I have a study bible that explains certain passages that I find to be amazingly helpful, and lastly...maybe not lastly... I have the bible app that I can highlight on my phone and type in notes so I can easily look back on it. You can download the bible app from any electronic device from the apple store and the android store (Google store?)

D. EAT WELL! A balanced diet can help boost cognitive function. That means lean meats, veggies, a little bit of healthy carbohydrates (brown rice or quinoa as examples), and a small portion of healthy fats (think avocados).

E. TRAVEL! I get it, not everyone can leave and go across country or the other side of the world; but even going 30 minutes down the road or across your state line can help with neuroplasticity. Travelling may help enhance cognitive flexibility, inspire you, and enhance creativity. Experiencing new scenery and surroundings could also help you learn about different cultures and become a better communicator; both of which may have additional cognitive benefits. But like I said, if you can't go across country or across the world, the following will definitely help you:

a. Taking a long walk through a new neighborhood.

b. Doing your grocery shopping in another part of town or the next town over.

c. Going for a hike.

F. USE BRAIN TRAINING PROGRAMS! There are science-based programs that can help reorganize the brain's neural processes. I will be honest here and say that I truly only have personal experience with one of the many programs; and that is Lumosity.

G. USE NON-DOMINANT HAND! Try writing things out with your non-dominant hand. You can start a daily journal, and each day write with your non-dominant hand. You will see your progression over time!

H. DO PUZZLES! I have only graduated to doing 100-piece puzzles and I feel as if this may be where I stay for some time. You do NOT want to overwhelm your brain. Only YOU, or an occupational therapist, can judge how many pieces you can do. Doing puzzles may help boost problem-solving skills, brain connectivity, and spatial prediction.

I. MAKE ART! Creating art may help you sort through and express emotions as well as help you see the world in new, unique ways. A review done is 2023 found that creating art, such as drawing and painting, may benefit your brain by enhancing creativity and improving cognitive abilities. It could also help create new pathways and strengthen existing connections in your brain, leading to better cognitive function overall. No artistic experience? No problem! Like many skills, artistic abilities often improve with time and practice.

Painting of Mountains done by Jess!

I do hope that all of these little tips and tricks are helpful to you as you retrain, rewire, or reconnect your brain; however, you want to say it! I pray that you are able to get into these practices and make them all a good routine for you. Your brain will absolutely thank you; whether damaged or not! You will absolutely reap the benefits. Until next time!

xo, Jess