Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford University, pointed out that the adult brain can still change, as long as you do two things every day: focus and deep rest.
When you want to learn a new skill, reduce anxiety, or improve function, the key is to focus on specific details in the learning process. At this time, the "basal ganglia" at the bottom of the brain will release acetylcholine (acetylcholine), marking the neurons involved in this behavior, allowing them to be reshaped during subsequent sleep or deep rest. This is the core mechanism of neuroplasticity. Focus activates the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia circuit, while also releasing norepinephrine (norepinephrine) to increase alertness. To truly change the brain, these two substances must act simultaneously - creating a sense of urgency and high focus.
Whether the motivation comes from "interest" or "fear", as long as it brings enough urgency, it can trigger the brain's learning mechanism. Huberman emphasized that neuroplasticity is triggered by focus, but occurs during sleep; effort without a goal or sense of urgency will only make the brain "learn a bunch of random things", making it difficult to form real ability.
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560342993660625423/
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