Have you heard of the one-hit wonders?  They’re the songwriters, composers, or authors who produce stellar works on their very first attempt—but they struggle to continue to reproduce the same caliber of work afterwards. While it may seem counterintuitive, this is a true phenomenon which, once understood, can help you or your team avoid this creative pitfall.                 Researchers from Washington University (St. Louis), investigated this effect, trying to understand why some people can be continuously creative, while others struggle to maintain that same level of creativity in their work as time goes...

               The old adage “something is better than nothing” is true even when you’re looking at maximizing your potential for an extra long life.  The secret may not be in up-and-coming supplements, but just keeping busy.                 We’ve learned how just small amounts of exercise can benefit the brain and keep normal aging processes for the brain and body at bay, and we’re learning more and more than 10,000 steps per day may not be a magic number.  In a recent study from the University of Sydney, we’ve learned that even if you’re not...

            When you’re serious about nootropics, you’re serious about brain health.  It’s now more important than ever to take steps to reduce the chances of suffering through the consequences of inflammation, pollution, and poor mental performance.  Most of the key ways that nootropics help us achieve better and more efficient cognitive performance is through keeping the brain as healthy as it can be, now and in the long-term.                 Recently published in the Journal of Physiology, a research team has found that preventing neurodegeneration due to aging relies on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein. ...

             Taking time to get out of the urban environment and relax in forest or park spaces relieves mental stress and improves emotional health, but the impact of a busy urban environment on the brain may be more significant than previously thought.  Based on recent research from the University of British Columbia, the brain is extremely sensitive to not just the environment, but the level of pollution contained within its environment.                 The study focused on measuring cognitive function with MRI on healthy adults and compared the differences between cognitive function when exposed to pollution...

              Singing while working is something that’s associated with fishermen, miners, wool crafters, and many more types of occupations.  It’s a common adage that whistling while you work makes the time go by faster, and many workplaces utilize background ambient music.  It turns out that listening to pleasant music while working isn’t just helping you find your way through tedious or otherwise boring tasks, but it may be enhancing your creativity.                 A study from a few years ago by the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, studied the effects of music (specifically, different...

              You may have heard the new way of describing how sitting for prolonged periods of time impact health negatively:  sitting “is the new smoking.”  It may sound extreme, but its’ basis is rooted in the fact that prolonged sitting leads to increased risk of ill health, obesity, and shorter lifespans.  Yet, for the millions of people who work desk jobs, are confined, or spend lots of time at their desks studying, how can they balance the damage?                 According to a new study from Columbia University, you have to get up from your...

               If you notice feeling more centered and less stressed after spending time walking in nature, it’s not just an emotional response.  Even though we’ve understood the way nature can impact wellbeing, we’re now finding changes within the brain right after walking in nature which proves just how influential it can be.                 After walking for one hour in a forest, the brain experiences changes.  Research finds that when compared to shopping on a street with traffic, the walk in nature decreases activity in the brain regions that are activated during times of stress. ...

            If you’re interested in maximizing your brain power and getting every last ounce of productivity out of your day, you’re probably not drinking enough water as you go!  When you couple that with a lot of high-energy, dehydrating beverages like coffee and tea, you are adding extra stress on your body which, in turn, affects the brain.  Aside from achieving better general wellness when you drink enough water, staying hydrated may be one the key ways to fight the battle of aging.                 The latest findings from the National Institutes of Health found that...

                If it seems like you’re getting less sleep in your 30’s, or sleeping more after you turn 50, it’s not just a coincidence.  New research has found that the amount of time spent sleeping changes several times throughout one’s lifetime—and can even be different depending on your geographical location.                 The University College London teamed up with two other research teams from the East Anglia and Lyon to take a deeper look at the findings from a neuroscience research project that’s currently underway where participants are playing the Sea Hero Quest game. ...

                 Listening to music is a great way to reduce stress and improve mood and motivation.  While not everyone has time or the inclination to learn a musical instrument, it seems like some of the most intelligent and cognitively-flexible people we know have had some experience playing an instrument.  What is it about learning music that seems to benefit the brain?                 Comparing learning an instrument to listening to music, a recent study from the University of Bath finds that choosing to learn an instrument has significantly greater results in enhancing cognitive power. ...

              If you ever needed another reason to eat your fruits and vegetables, the most recent study from the American Academy of Neurology gives us yet another reason we should make vegetables, fruits, and tea a top dietary resolution.                 Memory loss can be a normal part of the aging process, but it can swing into extreme decline when high levels of inflammation and other risk factors are present.  One of the  most important way to combat memory decline and preserve memory while aging is related to diet, specifically a diet high in flavonols. ...

               Most of us know that breathing can help slow down the sympathetic nervous system and help us feel calmer by taking several deep breaths when stress creeps up on us, but a recent study finds that the power of the breath extends much further.                 Breathing influences brain functions much closer than previously believed.  Even the distinction between inhaling and exhaling exerts different results on the brain.  Attention to surroundings is higher during an inhale, but outside stimulus is reduced and more focus to the task at hand is present when we exhale. ...