Week 2: Getting Started

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Walt Disney

We are so pleased to be taking the next step on our journey with you.  The first class can be a bit overwhelming so this week we are going to dedicate much of our time to answering your questions.   If you have had moments of doubt or frustration, you are not alone.  This is to be expected when trying something new.  Before you know it though, this will not be new.  It will be very natural to you!

Congratulations on being a positive role model for “resilience”.  The concept of resilience was pioneered and researched by Emmy Werner (1982, 1989).  Werner defined resilience as, “The capacity [of individuals] to cope effectively with the internal stresses of their vulnerabilities (labile patterns of autonomic reactivity, developmental imbalances, unusual sensitivities) and external stresses (illness, major losses, and dissolution of the family)” (Werner, 1982).   

In other words, resilience is:

• the ability to bounce back after adversity 

• the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties

• a "positive adaptation" after a stressful or adverse situation

• rebounding from adversity as a strengthened and more resourceful person

• often, bouncing back stronger than ever   

Dr. Werner is best known for her forty-year longitudinal study of 698 infants born in 1955. The study provided evidence that children exposed to reproductive and environmental risk factors go on to experience more problems with delinquency, mental and physical health challenges, and family instability than children exposed to fewer such risk factors. Among Werner's most significant findings was that two-thirds of the children became self-destructive as older children and adults, and one-third of the children displayed resilience and developed into caring, competent, and confident adults despite their problematic development histories (Werner, 1989). 

Only the third approach promotes well-being. It is employed by resilient people, who become upset about the disruptive state and thus change their current pattern to cope with the issue. The first and second approaches lead people to adopt the victim role by blaming others and rejecting any coping methods even after the crisis is over.  These people prefer to instinctively react, rather than respond to the situation. Those who respond to the adverse conditions by adapting tend to cope, spring back, and halt the crisis. 

Maria Shriver - The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement:   Maria Shriver is a BrainHQ advocate, sharing that it is a particularly effective program for women.  As founder of The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, Shriver has been at the forefront of educating the public that women are at an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. In 2010, “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s,” reported for the very first time that women make up two-thirds of all the Alzheimer’s cases in this country and that Alzheimer’s is predominately a woman’s disease. “Women’s brains have a special journey, with different experiences and challenges from those of men,” Shriver said. 

“We must recognize the ways that women’s brains are different and we must broaden our definition of women’s health to include the brain. My goal is to give women the information and resources they need to keep their brains active and healthy throughout life. Together with BrainHQ, we’re now offering women a practical and scientifically-proven tool that can improve cognitive health and can fit easily into busy lives.”

“I see this as the ultimate women’s empowerment issue,” Shriver said. “Women work their whole lives to be recognized for their minds, and then Alzheimer’s puts them at risk of losing them. That’s unacceptable to me, and I won’t rest until we find a solution.”

“When it comes to cognitive performance, I hope BrainHQ program can be one piece of the puzzle for women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond,” Shriver continued. “I also hope it can be a tool for caregivers, as well as for fitness trainers who can make this an integral part of any workout. Let’s face it, stretching, training and challenging your brain is just as important as stretching, training and challenging your body.” https://www.brainhq.com/news/maria-shriver-launches-new-program-with-brainhq-to-help-women-make-cognitive-health-part-of-their-wellness-routines/

Tom Brady & TB12:  Tom Brady is considered by many to be the greatest NFL quarterback of all time.   He has incorporated BrainHQ exercises into his own routine and speaks about their benefits as part of his company, TB12.  The TB12 Method is a wholistic approach to health and wellness, with a focus on performance and recovery. At the center of the TB12 Method is the concept of Pliability, a muscle state which is supported by balanced nutrition, optimal hydration, mental fitness, and functional strength & conditioning. It is designed to help those that practice it live pain-free and perform their best. https://tb12sports.com/ 

Every BrainHQ exercise challenges the brain’s speed and accuracy of information processing. Using smart adaptive algorithms, each exercise ensures that the challenge stays at a level just right for driving brain change—not too easy, but not too hard. The result is that BrainHQ exercises rewire the brain, improving brain activation, timing, and connectivity between different brain regions. 

Timing

Scientists can also use advanced techniques to measure the speed at which information flows through the brain. Faster information processing can lead to quicker thinking, better memory, and faster reaction time.

By rewiring the brain through brain plasticity, and improving the speed and accuracy of information flow through the brain, BrainHQ exercises are designed to improve the quality of information that reaches the brain’s memory, attention, and thinking centers. In this way, BrainHQ sharpens cognitive function, helping people think faster, focus better, and remember more.

Focus Better

The ability to focus your attention on what matters—and equally important, to ignore what doesn’t—is even more important than you might think. When you can focus your attention on a conversation (while filtering out distracting background noise) and on the visual world around you (so you can quickly spot what you need and dismiss what you don’t), it helps you feel sharp, connected, and on top. What’s more, focusing your attention helps your brain pump chemicals that improve learning and memory. Multiple scientific papers on BrainHQ exercises have shown that training with BrainHQ can improve attention, both by helping you focus and by helping you filter out what doesn’t matter to you.

Remember More

Of all cognitive abilities, memory is one that feels particularly important to many of us. Having a sharp, effective memory makes people more confident—having memory lapses can leave them feeling insecure. More than a dozen scientific studies—conducted by well-regarded researchers at respected universities in a variety of populations—have shown that using BrainHQ exercises can have a substantial impact on memory performance.

By sharpening cognitive function, BrainHQ can improve the quality of everyday life. That’s because when people can think faster, focus better, and remember more, they are able to stay happier, healthier, and in control over important aspects of life.