Subscribe
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events
Menu
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events

From Jackie with Love: Old dog, new tricks

in Arts & Entertainment
Outlaw Partnersby Outlaw Partners
May 19, 2018

By Jackie Rainford Corcoran EBS Health Columnist

It was only 30 years ago that a tipping point in neuroscience was reached and neuroscientists—those who study the brain—began to fully shift their understanding of how the brain works.

For approximately 400 years prior, it was widely accepted that after adolescence, not only did the brain stop growing, but it began a long steady decline. And if brain cells died, that was the end of that.

Article Inline Ad Article Inline Ad Article Inline Ad

How dismal!

I’m grateful to be alive in an age where we now embrace and celebrate that the brain is highly malleable, and growth and change are possible throughout our entire lives.

This new understanding of the brain is referred to as neuroplasticity, and as I prepare to leave my 40s behind, this provides great comfort. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

Not only have scientists shifted from believing that the brain stops growing, but they’re now proving that it’s possibly the most adaptable and changing part of the body, regardless of age.

Modern technology is responsible for this radical shift. New sophisticated tools allow neuroscientists to have a much more complex and complete understanding of how neural connections are made. And they’re just scratching the surface.

So what does this mean for our health? The implications are very exciting since most of us have a change we’d like to make in order to grow and enrich our lives. While we may have tried to change in the past and failed, we can be hopeful that it is in fact possible and we shouldn’t give up.

However, while it’s true that the brain remains plastic throughout our lives, it is more malleable when we’re younger since the brain is still forming. Current understanding is that the rational brain isn’t fully formed until age 25. This is a great reason for young people to practice healthy behaviors early on.

As we get older, we create stronger brain patterns, or neural connections, due to repetitive actions. This type of patterning benefits us by allowing us to not have to overthink our daily routines—consider the concentration it took the very first time you drove a car, compared to driving today. But it can also make change more challenging.

Alvaro Pascual-Leone, a professor of neurology at Harvard University, likens the plasticity of the brain to fresh snow on a hill saying that, “When we go down the hill on a sled, we can be flexible because we have the option of taking different paths through the soft snow each time. But should we choose the same path the second time or the third time, tracks will start to develop, and soon we will get stuck in a rut.”

That said, as we get older, “unlearning” is often the first step in change. And while this requires more effort and time, change is still possible and, if it means living a more fulfilling and meaningful life, it’s worth pursuing.

If you’re interested in learning more about reprogramming your mind and behaviors in order to change, I recommend starting with an easy to read book by Carol S. Dweck titled “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.” It offers tips and tools on how to develop a “growth” over a “fixed” mindset in order to change and grow.

You can do it!

Jackie Rainford Corcoran is an IIN Certified Holistic Health Coach. Check out her new website corcoranhealth.com where you can schedule a free 30-minute health coaching session.

Outlaw Realty Outlaw Realty
Outlaw Realty
ADVERTISEMENT

Listen

Hoary Marmot Podcast

Joe Borden & Michele Veale Borden

Lastest Episode
See More Episodes

Upcoming Events

Jul 2
11:00 am - 5:00 pm Event Series

June Show at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery

Jul 2
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm Event Series

Community Yoga

Jul 2
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Event Series

Post 99 Honey sales

Jul 2
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Event Series

Pickup Ultimate Frisbee

Jul 3
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Event Series

Music in the Mountains: Yarn

View Calendar
Event Calendar

Related Posts

Music in the Mountains opens with New Orleans soul
Arts & Entertainment

Music in the Mountains opens with New Orleans soul

June 30, 2025
‘Paint Under the Big Sky’ grows in third year
Arts & Entertainment

‘Paint Under the Big Sky’ grows in third year

June 27, 2025
Big Sky Broadway kids fine-tune ‘Shrek’ performance
Arts & Entertainment

Big Sky Broadway kids fine-tune ‘Shrek’ performance

June 26, 2025
Grow Wild to host third annual Wildflower Festival
Arts & Entertainment

Grow Wild to host third annual Wildflower Festival

June 23, 2025

An Outlaw Partners Publication

Facebook-f Instagram X-twitter Youtube

Explore Big Sky

  • About/Contact
  • Advertise
  • Publications
  • Subscriptions
  • Podcast
  • Submissions

Outlaw Brands

  • Mountain Outlaw
  • Plan Yellowstone
  • Big Sky PBR
  • Wildlands Music
  • Outlaw Partners
  • Outlaw Realty
  • Hey Bear

Copyright © 2025 Explore Big Sky | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Choices

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Yellowstone
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Real Estate
  • Events

©2024 Outlaw Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Explore Big Sky Logo
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events
Subscribe
Facebook X-twitter Instagram Youtube