Does your brain do this crazy weird thing, too?? Please tell me I’m not alone!!
I discovered that my brain is SUPER weird. Is yours, too? I’d love to know if this is normal or if I’m the only one!
Over the past few months, I have come to discover something very strange and intriguing about my brain…and I have no clue if this is normal…so I thought I would share and see if anyone else has found this, too.
My brain works faster (and better) when I’m moving.
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I’m not talking about hands-on tasks making learning easier or anything (my brain likes to learn kinaesthetically, so this in itself isn’t shocking information).
What I’m surprised about is the fact that my brain actually can process information faster and clearer when my body is physically moving.
How do I know this?
I am not an auditory learner…so in general, listening to information has never been my strongest suit. HOWEVER, I do enjoy listening to many podcasts, and I learn a lot in the process…which is odd because this is usually my worst way of understanding ANYTHING.
In a lecture setting, the only way I can understand/retain anything is if there are lots of good visuals and I take physical notes by hand.
Why can I, for some reason, keep up with podcasts, even though this is my most challenging learning method?
It has nothing to do with the subject matter or interesting-ness of the topic, it’s actually because I usually listen to podcasts while I’m walking.
Even movement as simple as walking completely changes the game for me. I’m no longer a sitting duck trying to figure out what’s being spat out; I’m a fully comprehending human who actually loves going along on this audio journey.
This in itself is only half the discovery, though. I also noticed something else that blew my mind even MORE!
I listen to podcasts at 1.5 speed. I can legitimately ONLY do this (comfortably) if I am also walking.
1.5 speed is PERFECT for when I’m walking, but it’s way too fast for my brain to deal with if I’m sitting (unless I’m doing something relatively active with my hands like cooking or something). Not only is it hard to follow (because, auditory), but it’s just too fast to even understand the words half the time.
Isn’t that crazy???
1.5 speed while walking is perfect, but it’s too fast if I’m sitting. Regular speed is too slow for walking, but “just right” for sitting (though unless it’s SUPER intriguing, I will regularly lose focus if I’m sitting…but at least I can understand it easily enough if my brain is paying enough attention).
It’s like my brain goes into warp speed or something when I’m moving. It’s almost like the sound travels forward, and as long as I’m travelling forward with it, I can keep up no problem.
Why on earth does this happen?
I’ve gone down a few research rabbit holes on this one, and I still can’t find a clear answer. Usually all I find are things like: “exercising helps you feel more focused during the day” (aka exercise helps you brain function better overall, but it doesn’t say anything about the phenomenon of both together), and “exercise helps people think” (aka exercise helps with creativity and creating new thoughts, but it doesn’t really touch on learning process itself).
But though these sort of follow a similar wavelength, they still don’t exactly completely explain this particular case.
Perhaps exercise is just a supercharger and we’d all be better off if we did all of our schooling continuously moving?
…Or maybe this is just a kinaesthetic learner trait?
It’s also kind of funny because I walk a lot in my day-to-day life, and my body really struggles with daily long sitting-based tasks unless there’s lots of interspersed exercise. Maybe the reason for this is simply because my brain knows it needs to keep moving in order to function.
Whatever it is…if you’re a kinaesthetic/visual learner like me, and are given some purely audio information to learn, try popping in a pair of ear buds, going for a walk, and seeing where you end up.
It may be your best (and maybe only) way to figure out what on earth is going on!
Give this experiment a try for yourself - I’d love to know if there are more people like me with this same little quirk. It’s kind of crazy, but it’s super useful to know, and I feel like one day, it could be harnessed for superpower capabilities.
If you’ve tried it, let me know at @aplusacademicsathome. I want to know if I’m the only one!!
PS I listen to an ever-changing list of podcasts. In case you’re looking for some suggestions, here are some of my favourites these days:
Podcasts: Your Best Everyday Learning Tool. 23 Best Podcasts of 2021
And make sure you listen to them with The Best Noise Cancelling Headphones 2021.
To read more about the different study methods, check out:
Who is Nadya Corscadden?
Nadya holds an MA in Musical Theatre and is no stranger to the home learning scene. Having spent a good chunk of her younger years in distance education (and opting for some correspondence electives at university), she has accumulated many tricks to help maintain focus and inspiration. She has a passion for independent learning and wants to help anyone and everyone find their stride in this atmosphere whether it’s homeschooling or simply studying for that next big test!
She is also a triple threat singer, dancer and actress….and can’t wait until stages are alive again!
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