Because of its neuroplasticity, for better or worse, the brain is changing all the time. This involves the brain’s ability to form new connections. We can take charge of the way it changes by making proactive lifestyle choices in several areas. Most people are aware that what we eat and drink affects our energy, focus and mood, and the positive effects of exercise are also well known. Many people even know that our thoughts and attitudes determine how and what we perceive and respond to situations, and that mental habits can become ingrained as both useful and destructive patterns in our lives.

Less familiar, but becoming better known in this “age of the brain” are ways that we can more directly influence how our brains are functioning. Neuroscience has given us the tools to see our brains at work and also to get them working better.

Electroencephalograph (EEG)-based neurotherapy allows a person to train their brainwaves to achieve increased focus and attention, deeper meditative states and a brain that responds more appropriately to the demands of the modern world.

Computer-based “brain fitness” programs can help sharpen auditory and visual processing skills, attention and shortterm memory, as well as improve integration of movement with visual and auditory information to directly affect the brain’s timing. “Brain driving” devices use auditory and visual stimulation or very mild electrical currents to help synchronize brain waves and encourage shifts to more beneficial brainwave frequencies.

Keeping up to speed in the modern world means being flexible, mentally present and able to make good decisions regarding the multitude of stimuli and exciting new choices that occur each day. Before becoming overwhelmed, remember that the brain can change, allowing information to be handled more fluidly and efficiently. It is possible to add these brain fitness activities to a personal lifestyle plan to change one’s brain health for the better.

For more information, call Dr. Andrea Russell at 520-885-0557 or Valerie deLar at 520-465-8877, email Info@TucsonBrainCamp or visit TucsonBrainCamp.com.