How Money Helps to Build Brain Power (2024)

FAQs

How Money Helps to Build Brain Power? ›

More recently, we've also discovered that low income is associated with physical changes in brain development. For example, children from low-income families tend to develop a smaller hippocampus—a part of the brain that is important for learning and memory.

Money problems can affect your mental health

These are some common ways money can affect your mental health: Certain situations might trigger feelings of anxiety and panic, like opening envelopes or attending a benefits assessment. Worrying about money can lead to sleep problems.

The burden of responsibility of newfound wealth, and the decisions around it can lower mood and make it feel like life was easier without it.

There are two primary parts of the brain involved when we make financial decisions: the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala lies within the limbic system, and is often called the reflexive brain, or reptilian or lizard brain.

Money provides a safety net, shielding us from the uncertainties of life. It allows us to cover our basic needs—food, shelter, and healthcare—and grants us peace of mind. Knowing that we have the resources to weather unexpected expenses or emergencies contributes significantly to our overall well-being.

While money can certainly be a source of power, it can also be a liability. For example, those who accumulate great wealth may become targets for theft, extortion, or kidnapping. They may also face intense scrutiny and criticism from the public, media, and government, which can undermine their power and influence.

Intelligence appears to have no direct correlation with wealth. Key examples of this include famed NBA player Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (who is wealthy) and Christopher Michael Langan, an American with a very high IQ (who is much less wealthy).

It certainly can. Think about when you have anxiety about saving for a financial goal, and then when you finally reach that goal and the feeling of relief and success that you have at that time. Money, planning, and goals are able to stimulate the happiness-inducing dopamine.

How to get 100% brain power? ›

Much research has found that creative outlets like painting and other art forms, learning an instrument, doing expressive or autobiographical writing, and learning a language also can improve cognitive function.

Move more. Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, and the more blood flow and oxygen your brain gets, the more cells it can form and the more nourishment it can supply those cells. Studies show those who exercise regularly are more likely to have better cognitive skills and memory.

To answer this question, we have to look at the engine room of our brain: the nerve cells. The main energy currency of our brain cells is a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (or ATP), which our body makes from sugar and oxygen.

Money and Emotions

Some feel a positive connection to money, where it's a tool to help them build a satisfying and secure life. Others associate negative emotions like stress with money – either from not having enough or being uninformed about how to make the best use of it.

Cerebrum. The largest part of the brain, the cerebrum has two hemispheres (or halves). The cerebrum controls movement, speech, intelligence, emotion, and what we see and hear.

Feeling beaten down by money worries can adversely impact your sleep, self-esteem, and energy levels. It can leave you feeling angry, ashamed, or fearful, fuel tension and arguments with those closest to you, exacerbate pain and mood swings, and even increase your risk of depression and anxiety.

Money allows us to meet our basic needs—to buy food and shelter and pay for healthcare. Meeting these needs is essential, and if we don't have enough money to do so, our personal wellbeing and the wellbeing of the community as a whole suffers greatly.

Imagine allowing money to determine your sense of self-worth. This should emphasize the need to avoid inflating money's influence on our intrinsic value. Secondly, money can shape one's values, beliefs, and attitudes towards others. And this can be both negative and positive.

Financial stress can also greatly alter the state of your physical health in addition to your mental health. According to a guide on dealing with financial stress, “Money can greatly adversely impact your sleep, self-esteem, and energy levels.