About the Train the Brain Campaign:

Train the Brain, Palm Health Foundation’s community health campaign, takes place between October 1st and October 31st, 2018. The goal of Train the Brain is to change the conversation around brain health by helping Palm Beach County residents understand that taking care of the brain is just as important as taking care of the body. The campaign empowers residents to take charge of their brain health. Participants are invited to take a pledge to “train their brains” to make changes in their thinking, integrate self-care behaviors into their daily routines and show compassion to individuals with acute and persistent mental health conditions.

Improved brain health leads to better health overall.  Our brains can’t do push-ups or run laps, but we can train our brains to minimize the harmful effects of stress and achieve balance in our lives. It’s important to learn how to feed, nurture and strengthen our brains while also eliminating activities that can cause the brain stress and ultimately lead to chronic health issues.

Here are some things you might not realize have a negative effect on brain health:

  • Multitasking can overload the brain and actually cause it to shrink!
  • Too much smartphone and internet use can exhaust your brain and inhibit deep thinking.
  • Sleep deprivation to the brain is the equivalent of being drunk – brain function and response speed worsen.
  • A stressful environment can reduce blood flow in the brain and lower its functioning.

But here’s the good news: there are so many brain health activities that can make the brain stronger! Even the smallest of changes to our daily routines and practices can lead to better brain health.  For example:

  • Learning a new hobby has been shown to increase brain function.
  • Participating in meaningful social activities (i.e. volunteering, visiting with friends and family) maintains and increases brain function.
  • We can train our brains to think positively and form happy thoughts to drive out negative, harmful ones.
  • Meditation rewires the brain and reduces stress, anxiety and depression.

Palm Health Foundation is encouraging all Palm Beach County residents to participate in the Train the Brain challenge. Participants can start by taking the brain health pledge and committing to making conscious changes in their thinking and habits to increase their brain health.

Throughout the campaign, participants can attend a variety of FREE events across Palm Beach County that will teach brain health techniques and bring the community together for better health.

Palm Health Foundation hopes you will join Train the Brain, take the pledge, and commit to brain health!

*Sources: Center for Brain Health & Reader’s Digest

 

About Palm Health Foundation Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $78 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.