Cognition Ignition:
What Is Cognition and How Does It Affect Learning Processes At All Ages?
By Donesa Walker, LearningRx of Shreveport-Bossier
What is Cognition? Cognition is the umbrella term for your learning skills—your ability to process information, reason, remember, and relate. In short, your cognitive skills are your thinking skills. When you struggle to process or think through information, this issue causes a weakness in your thinking efficiency and is known as a cognitive deficiency. Cognitive skills impact the way we learn, the efficiency of the learning process, and what we do with the information that we have learned. What impacts cognition? Many factors play into your growth of cognitive skills, including genetics, proper hydration and nutrition, overall health, and aging. These aspects are among those that have the highest effect as well as activities that impact the brain such as playing sports or getting concussions. Strengthening or weakening cognitive skills happens sometimes by choices we make in our lifestyles as well as things that are outside of our control, but there has never been a better time to be
aware of our own cognitive function than in the high stress, fast paced world full of technological advances and pitfalls.
How does this affect our learning processes? Examining some of the ways we can make better choices to take charge of our own brain health starts when we are young and continues through all ages. Being aware of our own brain fitness is imperative to having the best in our society. Statistics state that those with higher cognitive function actually have higher income over their lifetime, making brain health a high priority. Dr. Sandra Chapman with University of Texas at Dallas Center for Brain Health coined the term "Brainomics" to define the high economic cost of poor brain performance, and she sees brain health and enhancement as the most significant path through which to raise the standard of living globally. As quoted in the Reader’s Digest in August 2017 and on the UT brain health website, “Although the origins of intelligence are still being researched, it does seem clear that IQ, or intelligence quotient, is not fixed—it can change throughout your life. Studies show our nutrition and other environmental factors may also impact brain power. We used to think that once smart, always smart and vice versa—we now know that is wrong," says Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD, founder and chief director of the Center for Brain Health at The University of Texas at Dallas. Science clearly reveals that the brain and our smartness are anything but fixed. We continuously shape and rewire our brain by how we think.
If we can change how we think and if our choices impact how we learn, what can we do to make our learning processes easier, especially if we already have learning or memory deficits? Just like exercise is necessary for the body, so it is necessary for the brain. The more deliberate we are about addressing the specific areas of weakness, the better improvements we will experience. The first step is to truly identify which skills are weak. Getting a cognitive checkup such as that given by LearningRx and other local providers is very important to understanding your cognitive health. Recently, I went to the dentist for a complete checkup and I found out that I had more than one cavity trying to develop not because I was doing anything bad for my teeth, but more because I wasn’t doing what I needed to in order to give them all the care they needed to stay healthy. I knew immediately what I needed to do as well to take care of my dental health.
When is the last time you have had a checkup for your cognitive function? In a recent meeting of the World Economic Forum of 3000 plus decision makers, eighty-four percent of them agree that adults of all ages should take charge of their own brain function without waiting for a doctor to tell them to do so. Eighty-three percent agreed adults should also be getting an annual mental checkup, and ninty-four percent say brain health should be a healthcare priority. What’s the next step? Once you have identified your cognitive strengths and weaknesses, then you must take charge of enhancing those skills that are weak through targeted exercises either digitally with a personal brain trainer or through concerted discipline via games and activities at home, depending on the gain level you desire or need. Do your research and take charge of your mental health! Cognition is the engine to your learning! Time to rewire and rev up, no matter what your age!
***LearningRx can help you with this. Come see us! Special offer for October 18-21 st only – FREE online cognitive assessment ($97 value) and a FREE consultation ($85 value) to celebrate 100,000 brains trained nationally! See our ad in this magazine.