2. Let’s get into the mood!
For what looks like a big old lump of putty, the human brain is a
truly incredible organ. Think of it as the body's Mission Control
Center, as it manages just about every aspect of general
functioning that you can imagine. How much of a brainiac are
you when it comes to general trivia and prevailing myths? Take
this test to find out!
How well did you do in the test?
For the facts you knew, where did you learn them? Do you
remember them from school, have you studied the human
brain professionally, or are you just keen on popular science?
What are the phenomena related to the human brain that
fascinate you the most?
Why do you think there are so many myths surrounding the
human brain?
3. Brain health
How much do you know about
maintaining brain health?
Look at the poster.
Which of the steps do you take
regularly?
Are you aware of the impact these
habits have on your brain? Or do
you pursue these activities for
other reasons?
If you are eager to learn more about
brain health, check out this podcast.
4. The importance of mental health
Over the past decade, society has become significantly
more aware of various mental health issues. Some
schools have even gone as far as introducing regular
‘emotional check-ins’ for their students.
Do you think that it’s a positive trend?
What are some of the most common mental health
conditions people encounter these days?
Would you attribute a higher incidence of mental
health diseases to the conditions under which we live
these days or to a greater awareness of these
problems? If it’s the former, then what changes in our
lives have caused the surge?
Has it ever occurred to you that society has fallen in
love with certain labels, and/or that being diagnosed
with certain diseases is seen as a status symbols?
5. Does everybody need
therapy?
Some people believe that
nowadays, therapy is an absolute
must for each and everyone.
Other still perceive it a last resort
for when you can’t cope with your
problems on your own.
Read the two opinions expressed
in this debate.
Where do you stand on this
issue? Do you have experience in
therapy? If so, how would you
evaluate it?
6. Do you find it easy to stay
focused?
Have you noticed that your
attention span has shrunk over the
years?
Is the technology to blame for this,
or can something else account for
these changes?
Why are children and teenagers
particularly hard hit by a lack of
focus?
Look at the tips and discuss which
you find most helpful.
find a way of
making an
activity more
enjoyable
set a mini-
deadline, then
take a break
remove
distractions,
such as your
phone
reward yourself
eat beforehand
exercise before
heightened
concentration is
needed
create an
atmosphere
conducive to
work
7. Creativity
Do you consider yourself a creative person?
What tasks that you have to perform daily call for
creativity?
Are there any tricks you use to get into a creative
flow? (e.g., the free writing technique, browsing
Pinterest…)
At what time of the day do you feel most creative?
Would you say that schools don’t foster enough
creativity in children?
Can creativity be taught, or is it purely innate?
How do various mental health conditions affect the
brain's ability to generate creative ideas?
Do you know any practices involving creative thinking
which are used to overcome certain mental health
issues (e.g., depression or anxiety)?
8. How to
give your
brain a
break
practice
mindfulness
take a
shower
take a walk
go for a drive
journal by
hand
connect with
someone
disconnect
from
technology
celebrate
tasks
How do you let your brain rest?
When you have some downtime, do you
often catch yourself absorbed in
activities that stimulate your brain even
more instead of letting it have some
rest? (A common example of such
pastime is surfing the net.)
Have a look at activities suggested on
the right. Which of them are part of
your routine? Why are they considered
the best activities for your brain to have
a break? What else can you suggest?
Have your ever heard of ‘revenge
bedtime procrastination’? Why do some
people fall prey to this phenomenon?
9. Due to the constant overstimulation inflicted upon our brain by
technology, a lot of people feel that their brains are buzzing. This is
rarely in a positive way, though. What became a common complaint,
especially in the year of lockdown, is the so-called brain fog, the
inability to think clearly.
Another related mental state that came to the fore during the
pandemic is languishing, which is not exactly a disease, but rather
the absence of well-being.
Have you felt anything similar recently? What other symptoms did
you have? What could account for this state?
Is there something that helps you snap yourself out of brain fog or
languishing?
Why do you think there was a need for these new terms in
psychology?
“There’s this sense of
debilitation, of losing ordinary
facility with everyday life; a
forgetfulness and a kind of
deskilling”
“It wasn’t burnout — we
still had energy. It
wasn’t depression — we
didn’t feel hopeless. We
just felt somewhat joyless
and aimless”
10. Exam practice
What might the people be working on in
these situations?
What kind of an impact might a minor
distraction have on the process?
Vocabulary to use
to rack one’s brains
to brainstorm
bounce one’s ideas off sb
a light(-)bulb moment
to have a brain wave
to interrupt one’s train of thought
to draw inspiration from sb/sth
(cannot) wrap one’s head around sth
to dawn on sb
a freewheeling discussion
maintain/lose/regain focus
