On World Brain Day, we talk about how to use holidays to rest not only your body, but also your mind. A walk in nature, in the forest, is an activity that helps us relax and regenerate our brains. ‘By walking at a slow pace, staying active but immersed in a natural environment, our mind gains new strength to face the challenges that await us in this dynamic world,’ says dr Wojciech Glac, prof. UG, neurobiologist.
Urszula Abucewicz: - Does the brain need a holiday?
Dr Wojciech Glac, prof. UG: - The brain is designed to work 24 hours a day in a way that allows us to adapt to our everyday lives. Our ‘head’, therefore, does not need a holiday, but rather strategic care. It is not about doing nothing, but about planning this time so that the brain is prepared to work at full capacity effectively when needed and to rise to the heights of its potential.
- However, I have heard opinions, especially from psychiatrists, that when the brain is rested, it becomes more creative.
- This is obviously true, but from a physiological perspective, sleep is the basic mechanism of brain regeneration. If sleep is long enough and proceeds normally, it prepares the brain to function efficiently while awake without the need for special relaxation. However, even the most effective sleep will not allow us to operate at full capacity all day long, so sometimes relaxation is necessary for our cognitive functions to regenerate during the day. This relaxation does not have to involve lying flat, and it certainly should not involve staring at a smartphone screen, as this will have the opposite effect to the one intended.
- Should we choose a different type of holiday depending on the type of work we do?
- Of course, depending on the type of work you do and your daily activities, you may decide on a different type of holiday. If you do hard physical work or are very active in sports, a period of rest may be advisable so that your muscles, cardiovascular system and entire body can regenerate. However, for most people whose work does not require extreme intellectual or physical effort, especially those whose work is sedentary, it is a good idea to plan some form of moderate physical activity during their holiday. This will keep both the brain and the body in good shape. Most importantly, if it becomes a regular activity, it will make various everyday challenges easier to cope with. Holidays are a good time to develop and consolidate good habits.
- Does the brain need challenges and constant stimulation?
If we understand stimulation as a constant stream of highly emotional stimuli, then of course it does not. Relaxation should therefore consist of cutting ourselves off from an excess of such stimuli and immersing ourselves in an environment where well-known, mild stimuli associated with a lack of danger predominate. Less emotional activity means less arousal, the ability to slow down the neurons that provide us with high activity and the ability to concentrate.
Such a favourable environment in which our brain can relax is the natural environment. A walk in nature, in the forest or by the water, is an activity that helps us relax and regenerate our brain's resources. By walking at a slow pace, remaining active but immersed in the natural environment, our brain gains new strength to face the challenges that await us in this dynamic world. We need such challenges because they develop our cognitive abilities, but in order for them to develop and not cause severe chronic stress, we must be prepared for them.
- There may be situations where, even though we are on a long-awaited holiday, we may feel down. Is this depression? Is it a sign that we are addicted to work? Or is there something else behind it?
- There can be many reasons for this. It is always necessary to ask yourself what is causing this low mood, i.e. what thoughts accompany a person when they feel down. It may be disappointment with the holiday itself, because perhaps our expectations were too high, and neither the time, the place, nor what we are doing meets our expectations.
If, on the other hand, the thoughts that cause the mood to drop revolve around work, everyday problems that prevent us from relaxing during our holiday, then this is a sign that certain issues need to be dealt with. A holiday can be a time when, in a safe environment, surrounded by loved ones and away from stressors, you can calmly think about how to solve problems that are a source of unpleasant emotions and stress, even on holiday. Simply understanding the source of your bad mood and planning actions to be implemented upon your return will reduce stress and improve your mood. With a plan in place, and thus in a sense in control of the situation, the brain can then allow itself to reduce stress, as its role is partly to stimulate our cognitive functions to search for solutions. In the short term, throwing yourself into entertainment and holiday fun can also bring relief, but in general, distracting yourself from the sources of unpleasant emotions and stress is a risky strategy.
- What if this mood decline persists? What then?
- If attempts to solve the problems have not brought the expected results or the person is unable to identify the cause of the persistent mood deterioration, then a mood that is constantly or mostly low may be a sign of an affective disorder, such as depression. In such cases, it is essential to seek the advice of a specialist, psychologist or psychiatrist. In situations where chronic stress negatively affects cognitive functions, attempts to cope on one's own may not be successful, and feelings of guilt and hopelessness due to failure may only exacerbate the problem.
- Many people try to find themselves in a holiday situation and reach for alcohol and stimulants to relax or improve their mood. Does the brain like alcohol?
- Alcohol and stimulants induce a state we call reward. In addition to feelings of pleasure or even euphoria, the reward is a signal to the brain that the activity that led to this euphoria is worth remembering and repeating in the future. The greater the reward, the easier it is to develop a strong habit and strong associations between the stimulant and mood improvement in a short period of time. When stimulants are used to improve a bad mood, the brain encodes them as a ‘perfect solution’ with double the strength.
At the same time, stimulants have the effect of triggering euphoria, which activates mechanisms that reduce the responsiveness of the reward system responsible for this pleasure. And so, the effect of repeated use of stimulants is, on the one hand, a growing motivation to obtain pleasure and, on the other hand, a steadily decreasing satisfaction due to the decreasing amount of pleasure.
- And then we fall into a spiral of addiction.
- That's exactly what happens. The phenomenon of tolerance, associated with a decrease in the sensation of pleasure and, as a consequence, the compulsive search for new sources of pleasure due to a persistent mood deficit, is the essence of addiction.
- It's not just alcohol that makes us overestimate our abilities on holiday, and then you hear about someone wanting to climb Rysy in trainers.
Holidays, cutting ourselves off from stressful everyday life, being in a new place, the presence of loved ones, while improving our mood, can also lead to an excessive belief in our abilities. The same reward system that is responsible for our mood is also the system that allows us to estimate our chances of success and determines the strength of our motivation. So when it is overstimulated, Orla Perć may seem like a paved promenade perfect for a stroll in flip-flops. Thus, holidays sometimes push people into risky behaviour that they would not engage in under other circumstances. Excitement in such situations can tip the scales in favour of dangerous behaviour, diminishing the importance of anxiety and risk assessment.
The only process that is then able to properly assess the potential benefits and losses is common sense, which, unlike automatic decision-making processes, can assess the situation in a broader context and look much further into the future.
- What about intuition? Will it be a good or bad advisor in risky situations?
- The intuitive decision-making mechanism is simpler, based on less data, the most obvious associations, the here and now, emotions and a simple estimation of potential gains, costs and losses. This simple decision-making mechanism is something that, in the first step, tells us what we should do, what attitude to take towards the challenge we are facing. Intuition arises unconsciously, although its effect is an attitude and the resulting readiness for a specific behaviour that we are aware of. In the basic mode of decision-making, consciousness is only responsible for checking whether the action resulting from intuition leads to the expected effect and, if necessary, making adjustments when something goes wrong. Fortunately, however, this control mechanism allows us to inhibit behaviour and deepen our analysis before intuition leads us to the brink of disaster.
- For many scientists, PhD students and undergraduates, the university summer break is a time when they can work on writing a chapter of their thesis, an article or a book. Are such assumptions good from the perspective of human functioning? Or, since it is the summer holidays, should they recharge their batteries for the next academic year?
- We all have different needs, the fulfilment of which is essential for our proper functioning and well-being. Work is one of those needs. It is therefore always worth considering whether the fulfilment of one need has a negative impact on the fulfilment of others. Of course, a person who is highly motivated to write an article or carry out planned research would feel bad if they suddenly had to give up the opportunity to achieve an important goal, and trying to do so by force would end in disappointment and low mood. It is therefore worth thinking about this in advance, before building up motivation and a state of expectation of reward that will prevent you from taking a break from work and enjoying a well-deserved rest.
- There is a lot of talk about flow, about how, when we do work with passion, we enter a state of flow.
- Flow can be described as a state in which a person performs a certain activity with a strongly stimulated reward system, which is also a source of motivation, extremely focused attention on the task, a feeling of time standing still, and satisfaction. They are driven by a goal that is extremely important to them, and their motivation is sustained by signals indicating that they are getting closer to their goal. It is a self-perpetuating mechanism of motivation and reward.
The state of flow is certainly pleasant, but it is extremely important to maintain a balance between work and our other needs, including those related to social life. Although we do not all have the same social needs, each of us needs contact with loved ones to maintain our mental health. We know that excessive commitment to work while neglecting other needs is a risk factor for burnout. So when we don't meet all our needs, our brain lets us know by generating unpleasant emotions and stress, which we ultimately won't be able to ‘cover up’ even with the strong satisfaction we get from work.
- Academic work is not all good emotions. Creative blocks and deadlines can take a heavy toll. And not only on academics.
- We are ambitious and we have ambitious bosses, so we have a strong need to achieve ambitious goals. Ambitious, difficult goals are, for obvious reasons, those that are not easy to achieve. So when the brain makes decisions, it is aware of the risks and stakes. This is a source of stress, which, just as it helps to achieve these goals, can also cause problems. If it is too strong or too prolonged, problems are guaranteed. This will lead to a disruption not only of emotional processes, but also of cognitive processes and those responsible for regulating our body's physiological processes. This is the risk of taking on difficult challenges, which can be a source of euphoric feelings when we reach the top, but also a source of affective or anxiety disorders when, for various reasons, we fail.
- Apart from visiting a specialist, rest may be a good idea.
- Absolutely. First of all, we change our environment, and a change of context automatically shifts our thoughts and goals in a different direction, which not only reduces the intensity of unpleasant emotions and stress but also allows us to change our goals to start fulfilling ourselves in other areas and meeting other needs. The more demanding our work is, the more important it seems to find this balance and time to relax. Through contact with nature, moderate, regular physical activity, healthy sleep and social relationships, we can have the power to reach new heights, increasing our chances of success and minimising the risk of mental disorders. To enjoy your work and return from holiday in a good mood and with a positive attitude towards work, it is worth adopting a strategy that will increase your chances of achieving this. This strategy consists of exercise, sleep, relationships and nature.
- Thank you for the conversation!