How does the brain learn?
This is a great place to add a tagline.
Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is the ability that the human brain has to change and adapt based on stimuli (experiences). This ability allows your brain to form habits that allow you to survive and experience more pleasure than pain. From early childhood, your brain helps you to understand your experiences and the environment you live in.
It is fast at work making connections from the multitude of stimulus it receives. Some of these connections pay off when an experience is connected to a benefit. Others fade away when the process isn’t engaged on a regular basis. This is the simple method of how your brain makes connections and learns.
Neuroplasticity
As connections between stimuli are reinforced through repeated activation, the connections grow stronger and become habitual. The neurological process changes inside the brain from activating the Hippocampus (involved in conscious memory) to the Basal Ganglia (involved in unconscious memory).
This process allows you to automate certain activities. Theories suggest that this automation or habituation allows your prefrontal cortex (involved in decision making and higher function) to focus on other situations.
What are activities that you can do without thinking?
An example
Just a few months ago I learned of a new way to tie shoes while browsing the web. For as long as I can remember, I always tied my shoes the same way. But I decided to experiment with this new method to see if it was more effective at keeping my shoes tied. It wasn’t very different but it involved a few more steps. Because of this, I had to consciously tie my shoes, following the steps one at a time. This process was more time consuming and required complete attention. After a few months of tying my shoes this way, I no longer have to even think about it. My brain remembers how to complete the activity without any need to activate the conscious parts of the brain.
Application
Make a list of the simple actions or habits that you can do without thinking.
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Ask your spouse if they can identify any automatic behaviors you have.
The brain's simple cycle
If your brain has the capacity to help you do things without your conscious awareness, how does it know what to do? How does your brain maintain your survival and help you experience pleasure in your daily life? It does this through habits. Simple automation maintained through a process of reinforcement called the habit cycle. The steps of the habit cycle will be discussed in this next lesson.