Using Play to Rewire & Improve Your Brain
Huberman Lab Podcast Recap
Published:
Duration: 2 hr 23 min
Summary
Play is essential for brain development and can enhance creativity, leadership, and happiness. Engaging in play at any age promotes neuroplasticity and improves cognitive functions.
What Happened
Play is crucial for both children and adults, affecting nervous system development and fostering creativity, leadership, and happiness. A lack of play during childhood may contribute to ADHD, but neural circuits for play can be developed at any age.
Reading comprehension is negatively impacted when reading on smartphones compared to paper. This is due to suppressed physiological sighs while reading on small screens, leading to reduced oxygen and increased carbon dioxide levels in the brain, which can hinder focus and learning.
Jaak Panksepp's research revealed that play is regulated by the brainstem and involves the release of endogenous opioids, enhancing prefrontal cortex function and promoting creative and flexible thinking. Play also allows for social and emotional development by exploring different roles and scenarios in a low-stakes environment.
Physiological sighs are deep inhales followed by long exhales and are crucial for maintaining proper oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the brain. Engaging in play and practicing physiological sighs can improve learning outcomes and prefrontal cortex adaptability.
Play is a form of contingency testing, enabling individuals to explore various outcomes without significant consequences. This approach expands the operations of the prefrontal cortex, allowing for novel behaviors and interactions, which are valuable in competitive scenarios.
Play triggers the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which aids in rewiring brain circuits and enhancing neuroplasticity. Engaging in dynamic movements, such as those in dance or sports, can further stimulate the vestibular system and brain circuits associated with play.
John Ratey's book 'Spark' discusses the role of play in neuroplasticity, emphasizing the importance of play throughout life. Neuroplasticity involves intense focus followed by rest, such as deep sleep or non-sleep deep rest, which play facilitates.
The episode also touches on the importance of maintaining a playful mindset throughout life, noting that play circuits in the brain are preserved into adulthood. Engaging in at least one hour of pure play per week is recommended to promote neuroplasticity and lifelong development.
Key Insights
- Play is a vital component for both children and adults, significantly influencing nervous system development and enhancing creativity, leadership, and happiness. Neural circuits for play can be developed at any age, making it never too late to incorporate play into one's life.
- Reading on smartphones can suppress physiological sighs, leading to decreased oxygen and increased carbon dioxide levels in the brain. This condition can hinder focus and learning, suggesting that reading on larger screens or printed materials is more beneficial for comprehension.
- Neuroplasticity is facilitated by play, which involves a two-step process of intense focus followed by rest. Engaging in play releases endogenous opioids and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, enhancing the brain's ability to change and adapt.
- Dynamic movements associated with play, such as those in dance or sports, engage the vestibular system and mimic brain circuits linked to play. These activities can promote neuroplasticity, enabling individuals to learn and adapt throughout their lives.