What is neuroplasticity?

Neuroplasticity is your brain's ability to change and reorganise the pattern of its neural networks. These changes include new connections being formed between individual neurons, as well as larger-scale changes in how brain areas connect to one another. When you learn a new skill, this is possible because of neuroplasticity.

While plasticity is higher in early development, the brain changes all throughout our adult lives. This means your current physiological state is not fixed. Understanding this benefits people who would otherwise feel limited by their current abilities, knowledge, and habits - these things are not set in stone, but can be changed and improved on.

How can we increase neuroplasticity?

Reducing chronic stress, exercising, and getting sufficient sleep all help with neuroplasticity. Motivation and the frequency / duration of learning also leads to greater neuronal changes.

Growth mindset

Growth mindset is the theory that people who believe they can improve their abilities through effort and learning more effective strategies are more resilient, hard-working, and persevere longer in the face of failure – and therefore tend to have better outcomes. A 'growth' mindset means you understand that your capabilities are influenced by what you do and how you do it, whereas a 'fixed' mindset means you see your abilities as static and unchangeable.

In programming, having a growth mindset is important because many programming concepts build on a foundation of prior knowledge that you may or may not have. With a fixed mindset, you may be tempted to give up on a problem or dismiss it as being 'too hard'. With a growth mindset, it will be easier to stick with the problem while identifying the sub-problems or the underlying sub-concept that must be understood first, then taking incremental steps until the problem is solved.