Arrange your environment to suit your brain
VANESSA RACE
Would it be nice to live in an environment and to know that it is good for your brain? Educators and brain specialists have been finding answers for decades, even centuries, about how to create a brain-friendly environment. Why not bring these wonderful science discoveries into your homes as well?
A brain-friendly environment is supposed to help your brain to work better, to remember better and for you to feel better. Don't forget that your emotion-control centre called the limbic system is inside your brain. So if you take good care of your brain, your moods will improve tremendously.
Arranging your environment according to scientific discoveries about the brain will help facilitate your brain to function at its maximum potential. Don't worry that this practice will be hard or complicated. It is easier than you think. Some things are as simple as changing the light bulbs and choosing wall colours to laughing more often in your homes.
Before we begin there are three fundamental questions I would like you to answer. And the answers are preferably a "yes".
First, do you feel accepted and a part of this home?
Second, do you feel you can make positive contribution and be successful in this home?
And third, do you feel physically safe in this home?
These are not the kinds of questions people ponder on when they are building or decorating a home. However, they are fundamental to making your home a place that the brain thrives and grows, especially for children. These questions address deep underlying psychological needs that are common in all humans. There is a quote by my favourite late philosopher, William James, who said "The deepest principle in human nature is the desire to be appreciated and valued." This statement is well aligned with recent neurological research done by Saplosky in 1998 on the impact of positive emotions and attitudes on the functioning of the brain. Who would think that being happy and feeling appreciated can be nourishing to the brain. Some of us might think it is a luxury. Who can be so happy under this kind of economic instability? Trust me, if you can remain positive and happy in your home, your brain will find better solutions for the current situation.
So, knowing what you like, knowing what makes you happy and arranging your homes to fulfill those needs are very important. Having pictures, notes, plants, sayings or things that remind you of happy times are crucial. In psychology we call it "positive priming". Also, showing someone you love that you appreciate them is vital.
Words and pictures are very powerful priming and this is the secret that successful leaders knew and used for centuries. Why not use it in the comfort of your home. Some of the quotes I use were from the zen monk I admire, Thich Nhat Han from Plum Village, France. One of it was his original writing my mother got for me that read "I know you are here, and I am very happy."
My mother and I practice meditation together and one of the practices is "hugging meditation" invented by tai Nhat Han. All we have to do is to hug someone we love, breath together and enjoy the present moment where both of us are alive and healthy. It is very healing and uplifting. The first time I tried I was shocked that I never know how to hug till then. My mind was always elsewhere. It is not easy to remain in the present moment and this writing reminds me to be alive every time I see it. (The other one I have reads "The tears I shed yesterday have become rain"). Both writings make me know that I am living with people who appreciate me, thus I am safe in this environment.
The use of colour in your home is also an effective strategy to stimulate the brain and improve memory.
A UCLA researcher, Robert Gerard, conducted an experiment on the psychological effects of colour on pulse rate, anxiety, arousal, and blood flow. His conclusion was that every colour has a specific wavelength that affects the brain and body differently.
In general, the colour that have a tendency to promote calmer mood and tranquility are green, purple, pink, with grey as the most neutral colour (I changed my bedroom wall colour from red to grey after I studied the brain). If you have children, the colour that tend to promote optimal learning are pale yellow, off-white, beige and pale blue.
In taking notes in the class, I promote children to use pens with variety of colours. This will help them organise information more effectively. Colours send very strong signals to the brain and they can help us remember better.
The amount of natural lighting and full-spectrum lighting influences our behaviour and achievements as well. A research conducted by Warren E. Hathaway of Hathaway Planning and Consulting Services studied 327 fourth grade students for two years on the amount of lighting and school achievement. The results concluded that students who were exposed to full-spectrum lighting with ultraviolet supplements showed greater academic gains, better school attendance, and developed fewer cavities as compared to students under high-pressure sodium vapor lights. Full spectrum lighting gives you a complete colour range of natural outdoor light and produces a continuous white illumination. In contrast most high sodium vapor light generates flickering light and cast a yellowish or green tint. All in all, natural light is the best because it is harmless and free.
But for night time, please refer to http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com and http://www.naturallighting.com/ for additional information. Your brain sends information in electrical pulses, so sitting under a harmful flickering light at night may interfere with the natural procedure that helps you think and make decisions in the day time. And if you can also remove most of the electrical appliances from your bedroom, especially television, your brain will thank you for that.
Whether you are living in a home or an apartment, whether alone or with friends or with someone you love, making it brain-friendly is a smart move. Most of the techniques are simple and fun. One of the rules I have when nourishing my own brain is that all the things I do for my brain I must be able to do it with a smile.and laugh if appropriate. So, have fun re-arranging your home and if there are quotes that you want to put on a wall that will make you laugh every time you see it, be my guest!
Vanessa Race or 'Nu Dee' is the founder of Genius Creator and inventor of the genius development programme at Vanessa School. She has a master's degree in education from Harvard University.
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