Neuroplasticity & Focus
The Key to Lifelong Learning
Harnessing Neuroplasticity for Lifelong Learning
Our nervous systems do not just change but are designed to change.
Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. We learn and adapt because of neuroplasticity’s profound effects.
Our brains are not constantly learning. A specific set of events happens before our brains learn something.
Neuroplasticity only occurs when we experience failure, highly emotional moments, repetition, or lose balance.
Some neuropathways are strengthened or weakened as we age, depending on our goals.
Sometimes, this is slowly over time. Sometimes, one event changes our brains forever.
When learning, adults don’t add new neurons - they change them. Autonomic systems are complex to change. Voluntary systems are more accessible to change.
This helps us learn new skills or remove the emotional load of a grieving process.
The Brain-Behavior Relationship
The brain is the control center for behavior and an adaptable organ that changes in response to new experiences.
When we engage in behaviors that differ from our routine, we challenge our brains in new ways, prompting adjustments in neural pathways.
This dynamic reflects a fundamental principle: we must step outside our comfort zones and confront failure and new challenges to change the brain.
Learning Through Failure - The Emotional Steps of Learning
Contrary to the notion that a state of flow is ideal for learning, it's actually through failure that we most effectively stimulate neuroplasticity.
Flow is an expression of our brain doing what it already knows, whereas neuroplasticity is the brain adapting to what it doesn’t know.
Frustration & Epinephrine
When we fail a task, our brain releases epinephrine and cortisol, hormones associated with stress and frustration, signaling that something isn't working. This primes the brain to be open to learning. We are only open to learning after we experience a failure. If we never fail, then we are never open to learning.
We can get epinephrine by sleeping well, drinking coffee, doing something out of love or hate, accountability, shame, etc., which gives us the alertness necessary.
The frustration we experience from failure starts the learning process.
Finding frustration is a source of accelerated learning.
Focus & Acetylecholine
The release of epinephrine and cortisol triggers a release of acetylcholine, which helps us focus on the problem. Our brain doesn’t know what to focus on; it just knows something is wrong. If we focus on the issue that initially frustrated us, then we have a chance to solve it. Unfortunately, many people fall into the pitfall of shying away from frustration and focusing on escape or avoidance.
The best way to improve acetylcholine is to improve focus, and we can do that by improving our focus over time. The mental focus typically follows the visual focus. Look at something for a while, and mental focus will follow.
Reward & Dopamine
As we correct our mistakes, dopamine is released, rewarding closer approximations to the correct behavior. The closer the approximation, the more dopamine we release. When our brains release dopamine, it signals us to do more of what we just did - beneficial or detrimental.
Additionally, dopamine release is subjective. Different actions and circumstances will trigger different amounts of dopamine in individuals. Dopamine is released when we think we are on the right path, increasing motivation toward that goal. Since dopamine release is subjective, we can learn to tie dopamine to making errors. Making mistakes can be exciting because we get an opportunity to learn.
This can be a double-edged sword. If we learn to solve the problem at hand, then we can intentionally learn and grow. However, if we learn to escape and avoid, our brains will learn to do more of that instead.
This biochemical feedback loop is crucial for learning and adapting. We need to try and fail to learn. Learning does not happen unless we experience failure.
Failure and frustration signal that we are starting the learning process. Focusing on the problems that initially frustrate us will help us grow and improve; if we don’t, we will teach ourselves to avoid or escape.
Other Triggers of Neuroplasticity
Traumatic events can create lifelong memories, but there are methods to decouple the emotional burden. Our nervous systems are designed for survival, but the traumatic experiences signal that we need to pay more attention than usual.
Surprise also triggers plasticity. The surprise can be good or bad. Either way, our brains weren’t expecting it, and they will pay extra attention to predict the future more accurately.
Plasticity happens during sleep. The neural circuits that are highlighted with acetylcholine will be strengthened. This is how we move information to our long-term memory. If you don’t sleep that same day, you can sleep the next day, and it will still work. Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) and meditation put the brain in a sleep-like state, enhancing neuroplasticity and learning. 20 minutes of NSDR right after a learning bout leads to higher learning rates. Additionally, going for a walk, riding a bike, or doing any wordless activity can substitute for NSDR - letting the mind drift after deliberate, focused effort can help.
Age and Plasticity
Our brains can always change and adapt to our environment regardless of age.
People under 25 years old often show remarkable plasticity, spending extensive periods in learning states and adapting quickly. Kids’ nervous systems want to change naturally.
Kids can learn new things without giving up neural pathways
Adults, on the other hand, experience more limited windows of plasticity. Adults (people over 25) can only learn something new if they are willing to give up another pathway.
Recognition is the first step of neuroplasticity for adults. It comes from the prefrontal cortex and tells the brain that something is about to happen that is worth paying attention to.
Short, intense learning sessions are more effective for adults. However, when adults are highly motivated, or their survival is at stake, they can exhibit rapid and profound changes similar to those seen in younger individuals.
The Ultraidian Cycle for Focus
The ultradian rhythm is a concept from chronobiology. It is a cycle that repeats throughout a 24-hour day. Ultradian rhythms are shorter cycles that occur multiple times throughout the day and regulate hunger, thirst, and heart rate.
The ultradian cycle lasts about 90 minutes and can be a practical framework for organizing learning sessions.
The cycle starts with difficulty focusing, followed by a peak focus period, and ends with the mind wandering, which signals that it may be time to take a break.
People typically have trouble focusing when they start a task, but this is a normal part of the cycle and not a signal that we can’t concentrate.
We can use the ultradian rhythm to plan periods of productivity and learning.
Strategies for Enhancing Focus and Neuroplasticity
Engage in Learning Bouts
Plan learning sessions when you are most alert. Experiment with the duration of focus and error-making, aiming for intervals between 7 to 23 minutes. Tolerance for length & multiple learning bouts can vary significantly among different people.
The first 5-10 minutes are for warm-up. This is a period of time when our focus is not perfect, but we’re building up to it. This period feels like agitation.
Attention will drift, and we have to grab it back. We can do this with our eyes, but we can also do it with other senses.
Manage Emotional and Physical States
Use breathing and vision techniques to manage stress levels or boost alertness.
Learning requires a certain level of stress, but not too much. The ideal headspace is calm but high arousal.
If you are too stressed, you can double inhale and exhale to calm down. This breathing technique manipulates nerves to calm us and releases excess carbon dioxide, which lowers stress levels. Additionally, you can use panoramic vision to help calm your nervous system. Focusing our perceptions on the edges of our visual field can also calm our nervous systems.
If we are too relaxed, we can try hyperoxygenation by breathing in more than out. This increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in our blood, increasing stress levels. Additionally, we can use pinpoint vision to increase arousal. Focusing our perceptions towards the center of our field of vision, typically on smaller objects, increases nervous system arousal.
Focus in the brain is anchored in our visual system. If you can’t focus your mind, you can practice focusing your vision. 60-120 seconds of focus vision on a specific location can access the focused mind. If you are reading and can’t concentrate, your eyes dart around. The more specific the thing you focus on and the longer you concentrate, the more your mind will focus.
You can also improve focus by blinking less - blinking resets our perception of time and space - when we state it enhances focus.
Novel Physical Experiences
Engage the vestibular system, which helps balance and spatial orientation, by putting yourself in new or unstable physical situations. This can include activities like yoga, cycling, or gymnastics, which challenge your balance and enhance neuroplasticity.
Our bodies know three planes:
Pitch - like nodding up and down
Yaw - like shaking your head no left and right
Roll - how a puppy looks out you, the rotational axis
Ears have two prominent roles: to hear and manage balance. The semi-circular canals have little bits of calcium that act like marbles, roll in our heads, and send signals to our brains that tell us how to change our movement relative to gravity.
When we are off balance, errors create a signal to the cerebellum telling the deeper brain centers to release the plasticity neurotransmitters—we respond to gravity quickly.
Being off balance opens the gates to neuroplasticity. Toddlers and infants use this system frequently to
When learning new motor movements, a high volume of repetition is critical.
Embrace Incremental and Motor Learning
Focus on repetition and incremental adjustments for cognitive and physical tasks. This approach helps specify the necessary changes in neural pathways for different types of learning.
Neuroplasticity is not just a feature of the brain but a foundational aspect of how we can continue to learn and adapt throughout our lives. By understanding and applying the principles of how our brain responds to challenges, focuses attention, and adapts through sensory experiences, we can enhance our ability to learn new skills, adjust behaviors, and even recover from emotional traumas.
The key to harnessing neuroplasticity is embracing challenges, understanding our physiological responses, and strategically using our body's cues to maximize learning. Whether through structured learning sessions or physical activities that challenge our balance and coordination, we can all tap into the transformative power of our brains.