Human Brain: A Supercomputer with an Infinitesimal Battery

A white neon sign that reads "use your brain"Written by: Biptratip Bhowick Tirzak 

Photo by: Jesse Martini on Unsplash

Long, long ago when humans were still living in caves, they all had a best friend. This friend helped these humble beings achieve superiority in their world. In return, this friend only wanted a reasonable share of the energy their human friend produced. The great thing about this friend was that they were extremely loss averse. They were sensitive to all the cues around their human friends and helped them react to these cues in an instant; this phenomenon saved countless lives. If we measure a relationship on a scale of 1 – 10, this friendship would be a 10. It still is. This friend is the reason why you understood that I was referring to your brain.

The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10 thousand other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe.” - Michio Kak

Let us talk about why this kinship is not something modern humans might want. The conditions we live in right now are significantly more favorable; it is rare for us to face threats that might harm us. However, our brain is still fearful; it is fearful of loss. That is why it is so hard for us to ignore that Instagram notification of someone going live/posting something. After all, there is a chance that it might contain something important to us.

The world we live in is so full of useless distractions. Now, with everything being online, it is brimming with such. Our brain is so complex, yet it has a limited capacity. Chief (An innovative nickname!) can only deal with so many things at a time. That is why you should not feel disappointed when you are feeling exhausted. Just like your cellphone, your brain needs some recharging too. Again, like the quick charging feature of your phone, there are certain tricks to jumpstart your brain.

Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain." - Edward de Bono

Plug yourself in. No, really! Your brain consumes the largest portion of the total energy your body produces. Feelings of burnout are symptoms that you need to fuel up your body. Taking a nap or getting some rest will allow you to recharge yourself. Immediate gratification is something you might also want to pursue if you are not in the mood for taking a nap, or do not have the luxury to do so. It works because our brain prefers this; it is the reason why we procrastinate frequently. Engage in any activity that you enjoy. It can range from watching cute cat videos to re-reading the Wikipedia bio of your favorite person/topic for the 100th time. Eating a few sugary treats or anything that contains glucose will also work like a charm.

There is another thing you could try, but it may be difficult for you to do. However, we should hope for the best! So, here it is, smile! Laughing has innumerable benefits, and one of them is energizing your brain. Nobel Prize-winning psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, mentioned in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow that even the act of smiling could improve your intuition and creativity. So, when Zoom becomes unbearable, take a pencil, and hold it in between your teeth for a few seconds (Obviously, a pencil that has been sanitized some time ago). You will feel…. how would I know how you would feel! Humor can boost your confidence and improve your state of mind. Watching videos that make you laugh is a free time-saving way to boost your depleted brain.

In short, your brain is very complex, and feelings of tiredness are its way of telling you how fatigued it is. Dealing with it is very necessary unless you want your performance to become worse.

“Keeping the charge of your brain from going below 20% is a good way to prevent exhaustion.” - The author of this blog

 


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