Smarter, faster, better: How the science of neuroplasticity can enhance your productivity and creativity

Three pounds. That’s how much the average human brain weighs. This complex organ accounts for just 2% of your body weight, yet it uses 25% of all the energy you consume, thanks to calorie-hungry brain cells, or neurons.

For decades, scientists believed the neural networks we establish in our earliest years remain set, like circuits, throughout our lives. Now, researchers know “our brain cells are capable of neuroplasticity,” writes neuroscientist and stroke survivor Jill Bolte Taylor, “which means they can rearrange with other neurons they are in communication with.”

In other words, our brains can change. They learn, restructure, and re-wire themselves based on our experiences. That’s good news for people who sustain traumatic brain injuries, like Bolte Taylor, but also for anyone who needs to adapt to evolving circumstances. In other words, all of us.??

As someone committed to lifelong learning, I love knowing that my brain is still elastic; that it can “stretch” to integrate new ideas. In fact, my role as the CEO of Jotform depends on it – and I’d like to share how I keep my mind sharp. First, let’s delve a little deeper into the science of neuroplasticity, and why it matters.??

Neuroplasticity, explained

Polish neuroscientist Jerzy Konorski first used the word “neuroplasticity” in 1948, but it didn’t become a common term until the 1960s. That’s when researchers discovered that neurons could reorganize themselves after trauma, and that stress could change our brain structure. Scientists also defined two different types of neuroplasticity:

• Structural neuroplasticity refers to changes in the connection strength between neurons
• Functional neuroplasticity describes permanent synapse (connection) changes based on learning and development

While both types are exciting, writes psychologist Courtney Ackerman, structural neuroplasticity means we can change the actual form of our brains. New discoveries and specialized cognitive training could eventually enhance our mental abilities, deepen our memories, and even slow age-related decline.

In the meantime, functional neuroplasticity allows us to strengthen new mental pathways.

“Imagine your brain as a colossal power grid,” writes Fast Company contributor Jonathan Thompson. “Billions of pathways light up every time you think, feel, or do something. Putting neuroplasticity into action means carving new pathways, while strengthening the best of the existing ones – and not reinforcing the pathways you’d rather avoid.”

I’m still exploring this fascinating topic, but I know firsthand that the following tactics can enhance your mental agility, while boosting both performance and productivity – when you need it most.?

1. Prioritize collaboration

We often view learning as a solo activity, like poring over a dense textbook. Some of our most important and inspiring lessons, however, come from working with others. Collaboration can expose you to fresh perspectives. Seeing how different people approach problems can also be eye-opening.

At Jotform, our product developers work in small, cross-functional teams. Each group includes a designer, front- and back-end developers, a UX specialist, and any other applicable functions. Team members consistently challenge each other – and they find solutions that would be impossible to uncover on their own.?

But don’t despair if you’re a freelancer or solopreneur. Make time in your week to connect with colleagues or talk through a sticky situation with a friend. When I’m feeling stumped, I like to pull a relevant book off my shelf and read for 20-30 minutes. Inevitably, I get the creative injection I need to break through my roadblock.??

?2. Maximize your prime time

Harnessing your best work hours is a smart way to supercharge your productivity. Most people know if they’re so-called early birds or night owls, but even smaller circadian fluctuations can dramatically influence your mental abilities. For example, one study found that time-of-day fluctuations can affect attention, executive functioning, memory, and other cognitive abilities.??

As with most things in life, knowing yourself is the key to success. For a week or two, note when you feel mentally energized and when your mind needs a break. Look for patterns, then protect those “peak brain” hours. Use them to tackle your most important work.?

3. Find your flow and skill balance

Most people have experienced the full mental absorption that psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called “flow.” In this pleasurable state, distractions fade, time slips away, and you’re effortlessly focused on the activity at hand, whether that’s running, cooking, writing, painting, or something else entirely. Studies have shown that people in flow are 500% more productive than those in a “regular” state of mind.

Flow also increases cognitive performance and creativity. As the authors of the On Running blog explain, “during flow, attention gets laser-focused, your default inner critic is silenced, pattern recognition and motivation get dialed up, while mood and emotion become positive. The brain literally becomes an innovation engine.”

Flow feels great, but it’s not always easy to achieve. According to Csikzentmihalyi, we’re more likely to experience flow during a challenging, but not exhausting activity. If a task is boring, or too easy, you’re unlikely to find your groove. As the difficulty increases, your mind becomes more engaged – until it gets tough enough to induce stress or anxiety.

The right balance of challenge and skill boosts the odds that you’ll slip into a flow state. And as your abilities grow, you also need to crank up the difficulty. In other words, you have to keep taxing your mind if you want to attain peak performance.?

4. Save your brain for the big stuff

Unlike our bodies, we often compare our minds to machines. We think our brains can keep chugging away, no matter what we throw at them. After all, the brain doesn’t get sore or winded, right? Wrong – and I say this with deep humility, from personal experience. Your mind needs rest and recovery. Your brain needs care, feeding (remember all those calories it craves), and appropriate stimulation. That’s why I’m so enthusiastic about automation.

Instead of using your precious mental resources to upload expense reports, create content summaries, track brand activity, or populate form fields, let your computer do the heavy lifting. Create simple, automated workflows that complete manual tasks while you sleep – or flex your creative muscles. No matter what busywork lands on your to-do list, there’s an easy-to-use tool you can leverage to get it done.

If you’re not sure where to start, visit review sites like G2.com to explore the options. Online searches will also surface instructions, support groups, and new ideas to help you build powerful automations – even if you’ve never written a line of code. Use the time you recover to continue learning and growing. Take a course, launch a strategic project, and keep stretching your brain’s capacity to change and innovate. Any limits are only in your mind.

Thank you for reading. Feel free to check out my new book,?Automate Your Busywork: Do Less, Achieve More, and Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff