How to 'make' a winning brain

Toronto, Apr 20 (ANI): Moderate physical exercise or just a game of Whac-a-Mole can actually help grow your brain, according to experts.

According to the authors of a new book, 'The Winner's Brain', the brains of highly successful people function differently from those of the average Joe.

Assistant neuroscience professor Mark Fenske of the University of Guelph and cognitive behavioural psychologist Jeff Brown of Harvard Medical School have said that one can actually rewire his/her brain, even physically change it, reports The Globe and Mail.

They sought input from other brain experts and a variety of individuals they deemed "winners" - from blues guitarist B.B. King to Aaron Fechter, the inventor of popular carnival game Whac-a-Mole-and identified eight "win factors," including self-awareness, motivation, focus, emotional balance, memory, resilience, adaptability and brain care.

And Fenske has said that, with practice, it's possible to boost these win factors and train your brain for success.

Here are the eight tips for winning brains:Self-awareness: Train yourself to interpret other people's facial expressions and body language by watching scenes from a movie on mute. Then watch the scene again, this time with volume, and compare how well your interpretations matched up. You can improve this skill over time.

Motivation: If you have a problem with procrastination, make large tasks feel more manageable by breaking them down into parts.

Focus: Like playing Whac-a-Mole, sometimes you can actually perform better when you're not concentrating too hard. If something's not coming to you despite your best efforts, try relaxing and letting the brain work on autopilot.

Emotional balance: Practice managing your emotions by changing your perspective of a situation. Research shows that if you think of a highly emotional event as a challenge rather than a problem, you can stay calmer and retain a better memory for details.

Memory: "Edit your brain," the authors say. Recognize and consciously purge useless information. Imagine sweeping it away, so you can concentrate on more useful data.

Resilience: When you're in a tough spot, think of a "resilience role model," a parent, teacher or mentor, and ask yourself what they would do in your situation. That way, you'll have more than your own resources to draw upon.

Adaptability: Try a few minutes of meditation a day to calm your thoughts. Studies show "regular yoga and meditation can increase cortical thickness in as little as eight weeks."

Brain care: Research suggests that 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, three times a week, can help strengthen your mind. (ANI)