Celebrate Brain Awareness Week
16th - 22nd March 2020

‘Celebration’ is the key theme for the Dana Foundation’s 2020 Brain Awareness Week – a week in March to stimulate global enthusiasm and build public knowledge and support of brain science.

What does your brain conjure up when it sees the word ‘celebrate’?

Is the first big bright thing that pops into your head - PARTY!!!

If we are going to celebrate our brains with a party this March…what could you do to plan the ultimate brain bash?

We have to decide on a few things to bring this cele-brain-tion to life: where are we going to hold this event?; who is going to come?; what are we going to eat and drink?; what music and games will we play?; and, importantly, what is everyone taking home in their goody bag?

VENUE

It’s the perfect time for an evening beach get together. It’s going to be all about the Vitamin Sea at this soiree for the brain.

Why do our brains enjoy the beach?

Being in natural environments, even just watching film or looking at photographs of nature scenes, appears to bring about extensive positive changes in brains and nervous systems. Research led by a wise man named Ulrich, which was started in the 70’s and repeated through to the 90’s, revealed that humans were able to calm down their nervous system far more quickly and effectively when looking at nature scenes as opposed to city scapes. Ulrich and his team tested this in lots of different ways with lots of different people, in situations like - after watching something that scared them, during stressful exams, even with people donating blood. Every time it was the nature scene that worked for most.

So we are in nature, at a beautiful beach, our brains can better regulate, all the while bathing in a heap of natural wonders:

Our exposed skin can start to synthesise Vitamin D – to boost your immunity
Our eyes can soak up some lux (light) – to lift our mood
As we tune into the waves our own brain waves can simmer – to help us relax
Waves crash, negative ions are released, we inhale – our depression ratings drop
As we just ‘be there’ on the warm sand – our stress drifts away

Now this is starting to sound like a pretty sweet par-tay!

GUEST LIST

Easy! Everyone with a brain!

We want everyone to celebrate, activate and animate their abilities – with a deep understanding that it is their BRAIN that makes them all possible.

If you can’t make it to the beach, but you’re still keen to honour your brain by knowing more about its brilliance, here is a link to fun and informative events near you during brain awareness week: https://www.brainawareness.org/calendar/

FOOD

We are by the seaside, no better place to cook up some seafood! Leave the cow to graze another day and get your ‘fish on’ the BBQ! The MIND diet guidelines may be better followed in Oz by replacing one red meat meal with fish each week. Australia is fortunate to have an awesome array in the catch of the day, and extra lucky that so much of our seafood has good levels of healthy, beautiful brain building and anti-inflammatory omega 3’s.

‘Throw a shrimp on the barbie!’ Prawns are low in fat and calories, they are a great source of not just omega 3 – but also protein, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium and B12 as well.

While you’re wandering the fish market icetrays, at Kailis or Catalano’s, why not be open to some new delights from the ocean?

Ever tried octopus? It is one of the healthiest types of seafood, eaten a lot in the traditional Mediterranean diet. Try this easy Greek grilled occy recipe from Hank Shaw: https://honest-food.net/greek-grilled-octopus-recipe/

How about a seaweed salad on the side? An absolute powerhouse of micronutrients, go for small portions as it is full of the salty sea too.

DRINKS

Water is going to be the main bevvy at this festivity. Super versatile super drink, we can decorate it in lots of ways:

Room temp or icy cold…you know how you like it!
Infused with cold brew fruit and herbal tea
Carbonated for a bit of spritz
Steeped with cucumber and mint
It’s hot, so someone is bringing homemade icy poles made with water rich fruit and veg like this combo of: watermelon; berries; zucchini; and celery.

MUSIC

Canadian Neuroscientist Donald Hebb coined the phrase ‘what fires together wires together’ and the tunes at this gig are going to be wired to the best brain memories we can create. While it can seem that the soundtrack can just be something that strums along in the background, it is actually a profound neural connection (and future trigger) for strong emotional and sensory memories from the event.

The main aim of a party is to have fun and induce happiness, and the music should reflect this. If you get the chance to make a playlist combining everyone’s go-to happy party mix that’s a great start. You could also think of adding:

Some sing-a-long show tunes from musicals – maybe a secret ‘song and dance man’ will step out from the crowd, or an impromptu chorus will chime in?
A few epic cinematic tracks – really make everything feel uplifting, inspiring and awesome…the beach has never looked so big and bright!
Music based on the beats per minute (BPM). Dr Emma Gray completed research with Spotify and found that music from 50-80 BPM can create a state of ‘flow’. The pioneer of flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, describes that flow states may be our greatest source of moments of ecstasy, wonderment and happiness.

GAMES

This game is neuroplasticity in action.

What you need:

Visual distortion goggles
- Some cool human has made this, and these, and popped them on Etsy
- Exploratorium has some instructions on how to make some
- You could also just grab a pair of strong magnifying glasses from the chemist
A target – perhaps an X marked with tape or a hoop
Bean bags

Instructions:

Everyone takes a turn trying the goggles on, looking through them at the target.
Each player makes a prediction about what might happen when you attempt to hit the target while wearing the goggles.
Hilarity ensues as everyone takes turns to try and hit the target.
Prizes might be for
- the person with the most accurate prediction
- the one who demonstrates the most rapid adaptation of their brain with the most hits on the target.

Pin the brain stem on the brain may also be a game that tickles some of you creating your cerebral shin-dig.

Check out other fun teaching resources, which can be adapted into party games, from Dana and the Zuckerman Institute: https://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/brainstem

GOODY BAGS

Get everyone to draw their own brain on a brown paper bag, the host fills the bag with a collection of brain food, then tries to guess ‘whose brain is whose?’ as they give them out.

Brain food ideas:

Good quality dark chocolate
Crunchy beetroot chips
Rosemary popcorn
A green tea bag
Some turkey jerky

…and add

A ticket to a brainy information night at The Perth Brain Centre: https://www.perthbraincentre.com.au/news-and-events
Print out some of the puzzle packs created by Dana: https://brainawareness.org/handouts-resources/#2

You know you could actually throw this party…lift your brains up and let your hair down for Brain Awareness. The Dana Foundation and The Perth Brain Centre would love you to share the wonders of brain science with your community, then come back and share some photos and stories about your very own CELE-BRAIN-TION!