The latest neuroscience has identified
specific behaviors that help to ward off
dementia in later life. They might also
get you a corner office.
FORTUNE — Not so long ago,
conventional wisdom among
neuroscientists held that the human
brain was doomed to deteriorate with the
passage of time, and there wasn’t much
anyone could do about it.
Instead, a raft of recent studies, aided by
brain-imaging technology, all point to a
much different conclusion: Our grey
matter can keep on regenerating
throughout life, producing new active
cells all the time. “Your brain is a living
and constantly developing dense forest
with billions of neurons and synapses,”
says Alvaro Fernandez, founder and CEO
of market research firm SharpBrains.
The emerging science of neuroplasticity,
which studies how our brains change
and adapt, is revealing that, as with
muscles, it’s a case of “use it or lose it,”
he adds. “Once new neurons appear in
your brain, where they stay and how
long they survive depends on how you
use them.”
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Fernandez is co-author of a book called
The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness
that boils down the current explosion of
new research in this area to specific
advice on what to do now to guard
against Alzheimer’s and other forms of
cognitive impairment later on.
By a lucky coincidence, there’s plenty of
overlap between what’s good for your
brain and what could turbo-charge your
career. Consider these five tips:
1. Never stop learning. The latest
research shows conclusively that, the
better educated a person is, the less
likely she is to suffer from age-related
decline. “Highly educated people are
likely to have mentally stimulating jobs,”
Fernandez notes, and that fosters the
birth of new neurons. If you get into the
habit of learning new skills throughout
your career — which also happens to
make you more marketable and
promotable — your brain will thank you
later.
2. Immerse yourself in another culture.
In particular, learn another language. As
U.S. business (especially marketing)
becomes ever more bilingual, Spanish
would be smart — but, for the ultimate
brain workout, pick Russian, Mandarin,
or Arabic, whose different alphabets
make them that much more challenging.
If you can, volunteer for overseas gigs,
too. Not only do these make your
resume stand out from the crowd, but
“exploring and adjusting to new
locations forces you to pay more
attention to your environment” than
staying home, Fernandez notes.
Navigating an unfamiliar culture, even
for a short time, is like calisthenics for
your brain.
3. Seek out tough “stretch”
assignments. “The goal is to be exposed
to novelty and increasing levels of
challenge, so the task never becomes
too easy or routine,” Fernandez writes,
adding that this means “expending effort
and getting out of your comfort zone.”
Variety is as important as challenge,
several new studies show: “Excessive
specialization is not the best strategy for
maintaining long-term brain health. A
bond trader may thus want to try an
artistic activity, to stimulate brain cells
that he or she rarely uses otherwise.”
4. Manage stress. “Excessive stress, no
matter whether induced by external
events or by your own thoughts, actually
kills neurons and prevents the formation
of new ones,” Fernandez notes.
Obviously, you don’t want that. The
SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness goes
into detail on how physical exercise,
meditation, and even having a good
laugh help to protect your brain from the
ravages of too much pressure, while
heading off job burnout too. Taking a
real vacation once in a while is also a
proven stress fighter.
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5. Have lots of friends. Not only is a
vast and varied network of pals a huge
advantage when you want to change
jobs (or hire the right person), but it
turns out that “social engagement
contributes to brain health,” Fernandez
writes. New research shows that
regularly interacting with a wide range
of other people contributes to “both
short-term performance boosts and the
buildup of cognitive reserve.”
Is there an ideal number of friends? The
human cerebral cortex, it seems, can
efficiently process only a limited number
of relationships, and that number
(known to neuroscientists as Dunbar’s
number, after the researcher who found
it) is 150. In an interesting aside,
Fernandez notes that, although some
people have thousands of Facebook
friends, “the typical number is around
120, which corresponds roughly to
Dunbar’s number — that is, the number
of friends and acquaintances people
generally have in real life.”
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