What would we be without dreams? We have dreams of all kinds and woe betide those who do not have them. Dreams are desires to which a hope of materialization is attached. In this sense, recent research has shown how having dreams significantly improves our health.
Specifically, Álvaro Pascual-Leone , professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, after learning the results of his study, expressed it in the following way: “ Having a life project , a goal in life that transcends oneself and that brings satisfaction when striving to achieve it is good for the brain and for health in general .”
It seems that having dreams or a life plan increases cognitive reserve . Cognitive reserve is the brain’s capacity to face challenges at a level where our abilities are really put to the test . It is closely related to tolerance to change, to new things or to uncertainty.
But what kind of illusions are we referring to?
These are aspirations or some transcendent reason, something that motivates us to keep going. For one person, the reason for getting up in the morning may be their children or grandchildren, for another, the job they do or perhaps their faith in a religion…
They are diverse, individual or collective, and can change over time . What does not change is the state of satisfaction that they produce once we have completed them, once with our effort we have achieved it, and if not, our satisfaction for having tried and not “throwing in the towel”.
“People with a clear life plan have greater cognitive reserve and take better care of themselves.”
Keys to a healthy brain
People with a well-defined life plan and who are excited seem to have clearer , healthier minds. Thus, excitement seems to be the oil that lubricates all our cognitive processes. They also have fewer cognitive problems in their daily lives and take better care of themselves.
To enjoy healthy neurons we have to nourish seven areas of our life:
- Health: The number of times we get sick and the way we deal with the illness affect our brain.
- Nutrition: a complete and balanced diet helps us slow down brain deterioration .
- Sleep: good sleep hygiene, since the quality of sleep is directly related, for example, to the consolidation of memories.
- Exercises: combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercises. One and a half hours of exercise improves brain functions .
- Cognitive functions: how we deal with our problems, whether or not we have attention or memory difficulties, prevent or slow down brain deterioration.
- Social relationships: the type of social network, the number of friends or the possible support received are factors that condition cognitive reserve.
- Life project: treasuring dreams or goals, finding satisfaction in them, raises our sights and makes us bet on the future by taking care of the present.
The magic of illusions
Illusion is the essential dimension of the future . Perhaps not so much its content as its coverage. With it we can keep looking at life, open our eyes and dream, but knowing that most of our illusions will require an effort from us in exchange for becoming reality .
To inject enthusiasm into one’s project is to revitalize it , give it energy, polish it, tidy it up, vaccinate it against the enemy of monotony. In this way, efforts are gradually made to achieve what is intended, and any failure is positive, it teaches a concrete lesson to add to the bag of our journey.
Finally, it should be noted that joy, like tenacity and patience, protects our illusions from the erosion of a path decorated with roses that are not without thorns. Yes, the same illusions that take care of our mental processes (memory, attention , intelligence…) .
All sources cited were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, timeliness and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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Bartrés-Faz, D., Cattaneo, G., Solana, J., Tormos, J.M., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2018). Meaning in life: resilience beyond reserve. Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy , 10 (1), 47.