My top 5 brain health stories for 2014.

As 2014 draws to a close I’ve crunched the numbers and come up with the the top 5 most popular blog posts I’ve written this year.

To everyone who has read, commented, shared or liked – THANK-YOU!!!

Here are the top 5 most-read posts for 2014 (in descending order, just to keep the suspense!!).  Enjoy, and see you in 2015!

 #5.  This is your brain on knitting.

Neural Knitworks events (think knit-ins) are based on the principle that yarn craft with its mental challenges, social connection, and mindfulness, helps keep our brains and minds sharp, engaged and healthy. In early 2014 I was involved in setting up a new brain health initiative called ‘Neural Knitworks’.

Click here to read more about your brain on knitting.

#4.  Seven principles of neuroscience every coach should know.

What does coaching have to do with the brain? Short answer: EVERYTHING! Plenty of neuroscie nce research supports the idea that our brains remain adaptable (or plastic) throughout our lifetimes. If you’re a coach you know that you can facilitate changes in: thinking (beliefs and attitudes), emotions (more mindfulness and resilience), behaviour (new healthy habits).

Read more about neuroscience and coaching by clicking here.

#3.  Compassion fatigue? How mindfulness increases empathy and serenity in health professionals.

The health and well-being of the nurses was surveyed at three points: two weeks before training in mindfulness stress-based reduction (MBSR), immediately following the MBSR program, and four months following the program. Once the numbers were crunched, significant improvements were seen in various measures of health, stress, burnout, self-compassion, serenity, and empathy, both immediately after, and four months out from completing training.

Read more about using meditation and mindfulness to increase compassion by clicking here. 

#2.  21 top brain blogs to inform and inspire you in 2014.

In this post I’ve packaged up of some of my favourite brain, mind and neuroscience blogs on the internet. These bloggers are super clever, witty, and at times irreverent. But most importantly, they make neuroscience, and current research about the mind and brain, accessible to everyone. And, whether they know it or not, each of these bloggers has inspired me at some point since I started Your Brain Health last year.

Click here to read more about 21 of my favourite brain, mind and neuroscience blogs. 

#1.  27 minutes of mindfulness meditation a day changes brain structure

Meditation group participants spent an average of 27 minutes a day practicing mindfulness exercises, and their responses to a mindfulness questionnaire indicated significant improvements compared with pre-participation responses.  After the people completed the mindfulness course they all reported significant improvement in measures of mindfulness such as ‘acting with awareness’ and ‘non-judging’.

Click to read about meditation and mindfulness.