A Simple Secret to Longevity
Did you know that doing new things, or even thinking new thoughts, can help you live longer? The reason for this has to do with how our brains work. Our brains are made up of neurons, which are specialized cells that transmit information. You can think of them like an electrical wire carrying the electricity from one place to another. When you do anything, say anything or even think anything certain neurons fire and pass along information telling you how to move, feel and function. The more often you do, say or think the same thing again and again the more those neurons get activated and the easier it becomes for them to get activated in the future, to the point where they become your automatic responses.
That is why when we learn a new skill we have to focus and practice frequently, but after a while it becomes automatic. Take driving a car for example. At first your hands are on 10 and 2, gripping the wheel, eyes glued to the road, your brain calculating every move. After years of driving, I bet you sometimes "space out" and end up in your driveway without even remembering the drive home. Driving went from a conscious event to an unconscious one.
When we constantly repeat the same behaviors, thoughts and experiences our brains go on autopilot. Life on autopilot creates more of the same. Your brain keeps doing what it knows how to do and therefore you keep recreating the same experiences and living the same life. When life becomes too repetitive we naturally check out because our brains aren’t as activated.
Our brains need new stimulation. Our brains need novelty. Why? Because novelty makes us happy, present and attentive. When we experience something new and different our brains literally fire in new ways, which stimulates the release of dopamine, known as the "happy hormone". This is why so many of us (myself included) LOVE to travel. Because going somewhere new makes you feel alive! Your brain is engaging with the world in a new way and releasing more of the happy hormone. Plus, not only do new experiences activate the pleasure centers in your brain, but they engage your memory centers as well. Novel information gets your brains attention and allows you to be more engaged.
One study says that "novelty is so important to well-being that researchers have identified “neophilia” — the desire to have novel experiences — as a predictor of longevity. People who actively seek out new experiences throughout life live happier, healthier lives. This is an important consideration for those who want to live well in their older years, since the tendency to seek out novel experiences often declines with age. Our natural desire for novelty is to some degree counteracted by the fact that our brains become strongly wired to the routines we have established, making one less likely to stray from familiar experiences."
Don’t get me wrong, routines are wonderful and can help your day to day life run a bit more smoothly, but don’t let yourself get stuck in a rut! Seek out new experiences, try new things, engage in stimulating activities and welcome the opportunity to explore something different!