Learning is Health
In middle age, individuals typically possess foundational knowledge and skills that enable them to work and gain experience. However, as they continue to perform their tasks flawlessly over time, their skills can become mechanical. For instance, seasoned drivers may navigate roads without consciously noticing their actions. This phenomenon is common across various professions and signifies the onset of an invisible problem: the trap of professionalism.
Angelo Mosso, a 19th-century Italian physiologist, pioneered the first neuroimaging technique, known as human circulatory balance. His research revealed that mental activity triggers increased blood flow to the brain. Paradoxically, when actions become automatic, the brain engages in passive functioning. Moreover, Michael Mathias Merzenich, a neurologist and professor at San Francisco State University, elucidates in his book “Soft-Wired” that the human brain naturally develops until around age 25, and sometimes even until age 30. Beyond this point, brain development slows imperceptibly, marking the onset of aging.
As proficiency in work increases and experience accumulates, the brain’s nourishing process accelerates, coinciding with its natural aging. Nevertheless, there’s promising news: methods exist to maintain youthful brain function. Here are some suggestions:
- Embrace new experiences and learning opportunities.
- Cultivate and develop new skills throughout life.
- Proactively seek out opportunities rather than passively waiting for them.
- Wholeheartedly engage in continuous learning processes.
Engaging in new learning experiences is not only beneficial for mental health but also for physical health. When we learn something new, the cells responsible for receiving and transmitting information become more efficient, requiring less energy for impulse transmission. This results in the involvement of a greater number of neurons in the process.
Moreover, as we become proficient in new skills or information, activity in localized brain regions and blood flow gradually decrease. Essentially, the brain becomes more active and neurons become more productive at the outset of the learning process. Mastering new skills and acquiring knowledge not only forms new synaptic connections, strengthens the crucial myelin sheath, and improves decision-making, but it can also significantly slow down the inevitable aging process and enhance quality of life, especially at the onset of dementia symptoms.
The responsibility lies with each individual. Many people pursue new learning opportunities in life to avoid stagnation, advance their careers, seek salary increases, or even switch professions. In my view, learning is akin to medicine; it’s up to us to decide how we’ll apply it, in what measure, and how often. While working in an organization that fosters a culture of learning and self-improvement, with ample opportunities and autonomy to apply acquired knowledge, certainly makes our jobs easier, it’s only part of the equation. The other part lies in our own initiative and perseverance.
New knowledge can come from any domain. For the brain, the content of what we learn matters less — whether it’s a new skill relevant to our work, personal life, sports, or hobbies. What’s crucial is that we provide stimulating input to the brain. Interestingly, individuals who have a passion for learning tend to exhibit greater positivity and happiness.
Anna Konjoryan
