Can a Scattered Brain or Aging Brain Learn New Tricks?

“When you turn 30, you have no experience with being 30. Nobody has any experience with the age they become, which means we’re all newbies at life.” Chuck Phipps

The older I get, then the more I whine about my aches, pains, and memory lapses. Every day another study comes out singing the praises of wine or coffee, followed by research telling of their detriments. I see the headlines, but I tell myself that I have years before I need to worry about that. Afterall, we’re still young (ish), so we probably have healthy brains, right? It’s not until we repeatedly struggle with something, like a needed detail, that we question our cognitive ability.

To find out more, I dove into the research and yep, Brain health is important. Our brains age, but it’s not as noticeable as a bulging disc or prolapsing uterus. We don’t give brain health much thought until the slight changes result in something dramatic.

Have you thought about learning a new language, heading back to school to finish a degree, or maybe just want to remember co-worker’s names? Well, you don’t need to stress over every brain health headline. Start with personal awareness, then read on to find out how our brain ages, learns, and the simple ways we can stay mentally fit.

Aging body and mind

In my early 30s, I stressed over the lines forming on my face. I used lotions and potions, along with a little botox to ease aging troubles. As I near 40, I’m still not happy with the creases forming or how delicate my eye skin feels, or the fact that to successfully apply eyeliner I have to stretch my eyes to my ears.

No, I’m not okay with that.

But, a part of me has learned to accept it. Or maybe it’s because the other physical ailments of aging annoy the living hell out of me. My strength and endurance seem lower than ever after my last baby at 37. I feel weak and easily exhausted with hard labor. Something that a few years ago I wouldn’t have batted an eye at.

On top of the physical problems and the appearance issues, I really feel like this last baby might have sucked out some important brain cells. Killed off a few building blocks and covered vital neural trails in a dead-cell rock slide. I’m slower during a war of wit in conversations. And I preface most stories with, “did I already tell you this?”

Still, I assured myself these memory problems were minor.

It wasn’t until I was faced with the task of setting up my website, that I realized how dumb I felt. I couldn’t retain my focus long enough to process what I was doing, let alone file it away, and later recall it. Was I imagining it or was my brain strength and capacity shrinking? Could I still learn new skills, like a foreign language or programming?

Basics of learning

According to Alison Downs, in her article, “Can programming improve the health of your brain?,” when you learn something, “a new “trail” (called a neural pathway) may be created in your brain, or an
existing pathway may be strengthened.” Creating new building blocks and using sturdy “old” ones keeps your brain health strong. Every time you do something unfamiliar, then you’re changing the “physical structure” of the brain.

Regardless of brain age, the basis of learning stays the same. Each new skill creates or builds upon existing roads. Repetition of skills, like job duties, driving a car, or baking keeps what we know easily accessible. Our brains grow (or at minimum shrink less) by learning new things, like a language, sewing, or skiing. Learning is possible at any age. In fact, it’s essential for aging gracefully.

How our brain ages

That fog you are feeling, grasping for words, trying to recall a memory during a conversation and you can’t quite put your finger on the name you are looking for – that’s your brain aging.

“You are literally thinking slower and remembering less.” Eric Braverman, The Atlantic

There’s a vast amount of research filled with the science behind how our brain ages. New studies are always in the works, as the brain is a pretty complex thing. To keep it simple, your brain, just like your body, is aging. Here’s how:

Your processing speed declines

Brain chemical production slows

These two things kill brain cells

With fewer cells, your capacity to retain new information declines

If you aren’t learning and building new blocks, then nothing is replacing the older ones as they die off. Lightly traveled roads end up in disrepair, huge potholes of space, so when you try to recall an unused skill or memory, your brain-car gets stuck on a dead end road.

It’s not a huge surprise that our mental health deteriorates like our skin and joints, but knowing what to do about it is a whole other issue. Should I be doing those puzzles or a daily crossword? Drinking less coffee and more wine? Or more coffee (if that’s even possible) and less wine?

Live and learn

Chuck Phipps writes, “If you’re not learning, you’re not living.” If you learn, then you build blocks and pathways in your brain. If you’re not learning, then your cells are dying and you aren’t replacing them. If you want to keep your brain healthy, then Downs tells us that “learning a difficult new skill is most effective.” Difficult is the key word here and here’s why:

When you learn something new and it feels easy, then it’s probably because those neural pathways already exist. It’s beneficial to use these trails, but building new brain connections requires difficulty. In an excellent article, “Brain and behavior are modifiable even as we get older,” Dr. Ursula Stauding says, “the brain is a very curious thing and needs to be stimulated. Instead of saying ‘use it or lose it,’ we need to say ‘challenge it or lose it.’” It probably doesn’t hurt to do the puzzles or drink moderate amounts of coffee or wine. But if you find yourself struggling with memory lapses or that “fog,” then it’s time to challenge yourself by learning something new.

Quality =/> Quantity

All learning isn’t created equal. You need adequate amounts of learning (quantity) to keep your brain stimulated and building new brain cells. But cramming tons of information into your brain won’t necessarily build more connections. In fact, it may have the opposite effect. That’s why the idea of doing a crossword everyday works. It’s a little bit each day that works your brain, strengthening it, similar to weight building. But, when you stop, then the benefits fade away. Adding brain cells requires higher quality learning.

“The harder you have to work to get the right answer, the more the answer is sealed in memory.” McGraw-Hill Education

Quality comes from both subject matter and how we learn it. I took this to mean that feeling uncomfortable or challenged, is useful. It builds pathways in the brain. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the difficulty, I should embrace it. It’s also important to learn the correct information.

Correct information = quality

If you’re anything like me, then you use a combination of online tutorials and YouTube videos to learn how to do something. This is great for getting a task done, but if we need to repeat this task, then we want to be sure we are doing it the right way. Doing it the wrong way forms pathways to bad information and bad habits. This confuses our aging brain and makes the learning process more difficult. The only way to combat this is through feedback.

Feedback matters

Consistently doing, saying, or spelling something the wrong way forms neural pathways to the wrong information. When you practice your golf swing or correct stance, then you’re training your brain to remember those connections, that movement. Without feedback, it takes longer to learn. Current research references K. Anders Ericsson’s The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance, from 1993, so the idea of feedback has withstood the test of time. Ericsson claims that “in the absense of adequate feedback, efficient learning is impossible and improvement only minimal even for highly motivated subjects.” So, you can repeat your new skill over and over, but your accuracy will not improve without deliberate practice and feedback.

Feedback is crucial, but it’s hard to accept criticism and make changes. In our physical lives, we benefit from personal fitness trainers and workout buddies. According to all the information I’ve read, it looks like we’d benefit from having a friend, whether in real or virtual life, to learn new material with and provide feedback.

“To improve your performance, you need to practice FREQUENTLY, and get lots of feedback so you practice CORRECTLY and enhance the right things.” Jason Shen

Food matters

Physical health and mental health benefit from a healthy lifestyle. According to Braverman, “making better food choices or through supplementation,” may help slow progression towards cognitive impairment. He lists these vitamins and minerals as essential to good brain health:

Thiamin (vitamin B1)

Niacin (B3)

Pyridozine (B6)

Vitamin B12

Nicotinic acid

Zinc

Now, I’m a supplement-user, so I’ll take cranberry for urinary tract health or biotin for hair growth, regardless of what new studies come out. I don’t feel it hurts me and maybe (just maybe) there’s a benefit. Whether you choose supplements or dietary changes (like adding more spinach or Omega-3 Fatty acids, like those found in fish), a healthy diet helps fight brain aging.

You can find articles on all sorts of brain power foods, instead of stressing over it, find foods you like, that are convenient, and make a habit of eating them. For example, plenty of research says blueberries are great for you. According to Awakening From Alzheimers the substance BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) “keeps the brain functioning properly.” In short it helps you retain memories. Another study goes a step further by suggesting that fermented blueberries, as in blueberry vinegar, is even more beneficial. Add frozen (or fresh) blueberries to your grocery list and when hunger strikes, plop a few into your mouth.

Simple guidelines for brain health

The amount of news, breaking stories, and flashy headlines about brain health are confusing and overwhelming. Only you can figure out the best way to manage this information.

I handle it by not reading the headlines about coffee or wine. I’m not interested in ending my caffeine habit or starting a wine routine. I pop a vitamin with greens, eat a few blueberries throughout the week, and try to follow these seven simple guidelines.

- - - Get regular exercise – I count work and running after my toddler as exercise, so improvement is needed on my end. Studies suggest a daily brisk walk keeps your brain and heart healthy.

- - - Stay social – Feedback is key to learning and learning equals living. With today’s digital world, more options exist to get support and feedback, while providing a diverse range of people to interact with.

- - Manage your stress – Think more stress-reducing activities, like yoga, and less pills. I practice some form of mindfulness, that mostly involves me staring up into the clouds, while the chaos of dogs and kids whirl around me.
- - Eat healthy – The facts are clear when it comes to excess of anything, and we know heavily processed foods and sugar will never be better than spinach. I’m pretty sure Kale is excellent for me, but I don’t read studies on it, because I don’t like it. I whip up a pretty tasty blueberry spinach shake a few times a year, so that’ll have to do. For now. Find convenient foods you can add into your diet that promotes brain health.
- - Sleep – By our 30’s most of us have realized that we need sleep. Did you know our brain actually sorts the day’s data overnight, for easier retrieval? Sleep matters for brain health. I use an audiobook for sleep, but there’s never enough hours in a day to get all the sleep I need. I’m working on it.
- - Keep learning – Attempting something new or unfamiliar challenges your brain and helps keep you sharp. It’s easy to fall into a routine at our jobs and home. These routines make us efficient, but learning new skills builds and repairs our brain.
- - Balance – Few of us hit perfection in our exercise, eating, stress, or sleep habits. Life is a work in progress, so you get a chance every day to do the best you can. Don’t stress over the small wrongs, focus on the positives, and what you can do to balance it out.

What can you do today to make your mom brain, aging brain, or just occassionally confused brain perform better? Pop some blueberries, have wine and coffee, and maybe some dark chocolate, then pick a new skill to learn. Read something outside your comfort zone or sign up for the class you’ve been nervous about. Staying mentally fit doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require you to challenge yourself.

It’s never too late, until it is.

Next week I’ll delve into the specifics of retaining information and the research behind the various methods used to learn something new. You can prevent brain drain by choosing to learn.