Do you ever worry about a loved one’s memory or thinking skills?
Have you wondered how to promote the brain development of your child or grandchild?
Research shows a connection between our brain and our relationships with other people.
Our brains have the ability to develop and change throughout our lifetime, not just when we’re children.
Whenever we learn something, new connections are established in our brains. Young brains are more flexible and have more capacity to change, but the good news is that adult brains are able to change and even repair damaged areas.
Throughout our lives, our brains can create new connections and reactivate connections the same way an electrician repairs electrical circuits.
Dr. Linda Chamberlain of Connections Matter has summarized much of the exciting recent research on our brains in a helpful booklet. This research shows that our brains learn best when we have regular social interactions with other people.
These social connections include everything from close, lifelong friends to brief, positive interactions with someone you didn’t previously know, such as another member of a support group.
Our ability to bounce back after a bad experience depends greatly on our social support from family, school, neighborhood, church, and other places we meet people. The take-away on this? Reach out to someone today.
Ann Cochran is the health navigation coordinator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
