I choose the book Spark, because I was intrigued to understand how physical activity could change my brain and all its neural circuits to live a long healthy life. One of my goals is to live well into old age with the people that I love and in good cognitive function. I read how important is to keep good mental activity by implementing the use of puzzles, word games, reading, writing, music, etc. But I had a vague understanding how my brain continued shaping its neurons with the combination of exercises. Moreover, by conditioning my body; my brain boost new perceptions on how to control external factors like stress and anxiety.
To better understand the concepts, the book Spark, was written by John J. Ratey, MD, and professor of Psychiatry. …show more content…
So, it is my time to keep fit and sharp and not only focus on my body health but my mental health.
A Warning Sign
The brain constantly is sending messages to the body to protect us from pain or bad experiences and send signals of pleasure to recharge us with new experiences. But how the constant factors like work, money, family or traffic affects my brain? As Ratey (2008) stated
“scientist don’t always distinguish between psychological state of stress and the psychological response to stress” (p.58) I responded to negative things with anger or irritations that stressed me even more. But on the other hand, my brain recharges me with new perspectives to cope just for the sake of my health. Nevertheless, the body needs certain doses of stress; otherwise if we are in danger, the body knows how to respond to “fight or flight” accordingly. Some people choose
MY FIT AND HAPPY BRAIN food, cigarettes, alcohol, etc, as coping factors. All of these are unhealthy choices that our body
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and brain suffered the consequences. The most important part that I learned with stress and exercise is that changes in my life is as mental as it is behavioral. I can choose healthy choices like walking or swimming. Choices that will increase my “joy” hormones without harming …show more content…
My Misconception
The swell of technology keep feeding us with anxiety. Wherever we go we see advertising, marketing, or the internet flooding us with negative visions. Additionally, at work, I am taking care of patients with more comorbidities and my anxiety levels are increasingly high.
As Ratey (2008) stated “if you worry when there is not real threat, to the point that you can function normally, that’s an anxiety disorder” (p.87). My awakening experience in my life is to stop watching crime and murder programs. I found out that not only I was feeding an unneeded anxiety but it was affecting my daughters’ life. They started to act and talk about unreal situations that created fear in their lives. Nevertheless, it is important that they know the outside danger but also it was more important that my daughters get out of my house with confidence.
Now, the time I used to watch those shows; I spend it with exercise time to reduce my tension and even provided a healthy distraction for me and my daughters.
In the study by Oili, Timo, and Tommy (2015), it aimed employees working with