Rewire your brain: the power of thought
“The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
Photo by Rebe Pascual on Unsplash
By no means do I claim myself to be an expert on this topic, it’s simply the result of general research.
The brain is a powerful organ, and it takes more than just thinking positively to rewire it. It’s easier to when we are kids because we don’t have a lot defined yet, but, as we grow older, it becomes more challenging to change our thought patterns. Thankfully, with conscious effort and a basic understanding of neuroplasticity, the brain can be rewired.
To make it simple, neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt. When we learn something new, a connection between our neurons is created. The more we go through, the more connections. Along the way, if we repeatedly think, feel, or act a specific way, the faster and the intenser the connections get. On a related note, we have about approximately 100 billion brain cells, which means that numerous connections are corresponding to certain habits in all parts of our life.
When it comes to the process of wiring and strengthening brain pathways, Donald Hebb’s best describes it by saying that “neurons that fire together wire together.” This phrase is adequately explained by Daniel Siegel, in his book, The Developing Brain. “If a pattern has been stimulated in the past, the probability of activating a similar profile in the future is enhanced. If the pattern is fired repeatedly, the probability of future activation is further increased. The increased probability is created by changes in the synaptic connections within the network of neurons.” As a whole, this demonstrates that to successfully rewire the brain, we must adjust our beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and actions to that main goal we desire.
The mind is powerful, and it’s best if we understand that whatever we think, the mind stores. More technically, as neuropsychologist Rick Hanson says, “Mental activity is like a spring shower, leaving little traces of neural structure behind.” For example, when we think positively, we strengthen our neuron pathways for happiness, the same as if you think negatively, then sadness is what gets strengthened. Since we are biologically more wired to negative thinking, it’s harder to change but not impossible. Overall, rewiring the neurons in your brain will help you achieve a better life, and below, you’ll find some of the things that have benefited me throughout the process.
1. Define your why. Identify those ideas that support your intention. If you want to make a change, you’ll need reasons that motivate you to start.
2. Think positively. Emotion controls the capacity we have to fully achieve our goals. To truly make a change, you need it to be meaningful enough so that it is attainable.
3. Act on it. Ideas are just ideas until you decide to act upon them. You need to think, speak, and act accordingly so that the dream is turned into a reality.
5. Repetition is key. As I mentioned earlier, repeating something makes it deeply wired into our brain, so, do the same when starting this new habit. Remember what your end goal is every day and notice how your mind starts to change.
6. Be Mindful. Thoughts and emotions can be controlled with mindfulness when we don’t let our attention divert to the nearest distraction. To achieve this, I use the calm app, but sometimes we don’t have much time. Whatever spare time you’ve got, use it to notice your body and your thoughts; then, hold your attention to what you want to change and begin to replace your neuron pathways.
Remember that you have a “use it or lose it” brain so be sure to get it in shape. Also, let me know your thoughts on this article by commenting down below or sending me an email to letshabitblog@gmail.com . I always love to hear what you think !!