Ahhhh, Memories!

Memories are powerful things. Whether it be in the form of a flashback or for the purpose of acing a test, memories have both function and purpose in our lives. And even though memories are very much the things that make up our lives and help define who we are, we hardly ever think about memory as something that can be trained.

The following TEDTalk gave a wonderful outline for just how memories are more than what they seem, and how the mind can perform even mundane tasks in wonderfully creative ways. Check it out! Then, let us know your thoughts on, well, your thoughts (or at least your memories). 

BELOW, LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE VIDEO! HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF MEMORIES IN THIS MANNER? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IT SAYS ABOUT THE WAY OUR MIND WORKS?

Myths About Introverts

At our last Aspie Insiders get-together, the group discussed the differences between introverts and extroverts. One thing quickly became clear: even though it's nice to categorize human beings in one of these two camps, it's rarely the case that someone is "purely" an introvert or an extrovert. We used an introvert vs. extrovert quiz that helped us generate some discussion (found here), and what we found as we went through each statement is that most of our members were all over the place.

Even the very first statement ("I prefer one-to-one conversations to group activities") was met with some speculation. Some of the more introverted members said that they enjoy group activities so long as they don't have to actively participate all the time — if they could remain the "quiet member," it was even better for their personality than a one-to-one conversation. The rest of the quiz was much like this, with many surprises as our extroverts indicated some introverted tendencies and vice versa.

Social Circles!

Rather than look at the quiz as a failure, we determined that everyone is their own unique person, such that even the most introverted person maintains some extroverted qualities. This became very apparent as the issue of social media came up; many introverts have a richer social presence online than in real life. For them, this is where many of their social circles exist.

One other thing that we talked about briefly is some of the myths that exist about both introverts and extroverts. Here's a good article from a self-described introvert about some of the falsities that are out there concerning introverts. (As an introvert myself, I can attest to many of these.)

A last thought from our Insiders is this: a good indicator of whether you're an introvert or an extrovert is in how you react to being social. If being "out and about" and talking to others drains your energy, there's a good chance you're an introvert. Extroverts, on the other hand, often feel energized from being around other people. Of course, this isn't always the case and there are many people who float between these two extremes, but it's often a good starting point for realizing where you stand in all of this.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AN EXTROVERT OR AN INTROVERT, AND WHY? IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE TIPS FOR FIGURING OUT THESE DIFFERENCES, PLEASE SHARE BELOW!

The Brain Matters!

Featured below are a couple of articles that show the importance of both nutrition and sleep to our brains. At first glance, one might wonder what these things have to do with social skills. After all, the first article tested for scores on cognitive tests; nothing about social skills was mentioned at all. But if we look at human beings as a whole rather than just on the basis of a test score, we might be able to bridge some connections. The second article argues for the importance of sleep, that it contributes greatly to our physical health. It also helps us solve problems and think more clearly. A person who is well-rested is also more capable of handling stress as well.

Focusing on the health benefits that proper nutrition and sleep can provide is wonderful. It helps us perform real-world tasks as best as possible and keeps us in tip-top shape for everything from our jobs to our friendships. And let's not forget, a large part of being a responsible adult means that we take proper care of ourselves. Without proper nutrition or sleep, one may feel too sick or tired to perform their responsibilities at work. Or one may forget about a commitment they made with a friend. Or... well, the list goes on and on!

The first article -- which you can find here -- showed the link between good nutrition and good cognition.  The researchers used biomarkers in the blood to correlate vitamin usage to brain health.  Here are some of the things they found:

• People who consumed higher levels of vitamin B (as well as vitamins C, D, and E) had higher scores on cognitive tests than people with lower levels of those vitamins.
• People who had higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids also performed better on these cognitive tests.
• Higher levels of trans fats was associated with a poorer performance in thinking and memory tests.  The researchers also found that higher levels of these fats led to more brain shrinkage.  Trans fats are found in junk foods like friend, packaged, and fast foods.
• Author Gene Bowman said that the team's findings "need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet."

The second article -- found here -- revealed the important role that sleep has for our brain.  Researchers again used biomarkers in the blood to reveal that sleeping has an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain.  The study also showed that people who have trouble sleeping are more at risk for metabolic syndrome.  Interestingly enough, it was also mentioned that sleeping on a problem is actually an efficient way to solve them.  According to the article, "During sleep, our brain's memory centers are busy consolidating recall for more effective memory when we're awake.  Sleeping well is an important way to improve your memory ability and may lower risk for cognitive decline."
With the importance of sleep explained, the article gave some tips for sleeping soundly at night:

• Stay up during the day. A daytime nap can be invigorating, but if you already suffer from sleeplessness at night, try not to nap so you'll feel more fatigued at bedtime.
• Avoid evening liquids. After dinner, try not to drink large quantities of water or other drinks. A full bladder can awaken you during the night and you may have trouble getting back to sleep.
• Stay mellow in the evening. Watching lively nighttime sports or an exciting movie thriller tends to hype some people up, making it harder for them to fall asleep.
• Avoid caffeine at night. Whether it's from tea, coffee, soda or even a chocolate bar, caffeine can keep us awake, so avoid it in the evenings. Try to skip coffee entirely in the late afternoon and evening.
• Maintain good sleep habits. It helps to get into bed at the same time each night. Try to skip watching TV, eating or even reading a book. Simply turn out the light and take a few moments to get settled. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something else until you feel tired again. Once you go back to bed, get settled, and give it another 20 minutes. Every time you get into bed to sleep, try remaining still and focus on slow, steady breathing.

DO THESE STUDIES CONFIRM YOUR OWN NUTRITION AND SLEEPING HABITS?  AND DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR EATING OR SLEEPING BETTER?  IF SO, ADD THEM TO THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!

The Divided Brain

During discussions with our Aspie Insiders, we have referenced the idea of "emotional intelligence" a few times, usually when having a conversation about how we react to the actions of others. While this isn’t a new concept, it’s still something that many people don’t quite understand.  One of the things we’ve talked about as a group is how our mind works — that is, sometimes it reasons while other times it empathizes.  For a long time, we explained this by referring to how our brain is divided.  One side reasons while the other feels emotions, one side analyzes and the other creates, and so on.  The interesting thing is, this activity in the brain isn’t really as divided as we thought.  Check out the video below to find out more.

IF YOU HAVE A VIDEO YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, LINK US TO IT BELOW! AND DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR OWN THOUGHTS ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE BELOW AS WELL!