You Can Change Your Brain
You have a remarkable built-in ability to strengthen and grow the person you are, at any age.
Neuroplasticity is the umbrella term for a sequence of processes taking place in your brain over time in response to incoming stimuli. Neuroscience has confirmed that your brain changes throughout your life. This is neuroplasticity. Your experiences, behaviours, thoughts, and emotions physically change the form and function of your brain. In other words - your life shapes your brain.
Historically, neuroscience believed that neuroplasticity only occurred during critical periods in childhood. While it is true that plastic change happens much easier in childhood, your brain is capable of making alterations until the day you die. Harnessing the process of neuroplasticity in adulthood isn’t quite as simple as some of the neuro-hype would have us think, but it can be accomplished under specific circumstances.
Neuroplasticity has allowed people who have had strokes and brain trauma to recover functionality. Because of neuroplasticity, congenitally blind people’s brains have figured out new ways to see, and children with cerebral palsy have learned to move more fluidly. People with autism have made cognitive strides once thought impossible, because of the ability of their brains to rewire themselves. The examples are endless.
Because of neuroplasticity, your habits, thought patterns, and ways of reacting to the world - helpful and unhelpful - get etched into your brain. Worrying about friendships or finances, catastrophising about that mistake at work or school that you feel will haunt you, being in a bad mood and ignoring your family all day, replaying the painful memories of your friend’s illness and death over and over. Whether you want to call them habits or addictions, your regular activities literally get wired into your brain.
Neuroplasticity has possibilities for every aspect of human nature including medicine, psychiatry, psychology, relationships, education, and more. Because you can learn to consciously control your thinking, reactions, and behaviour, and some of the experiences you have, you can oversee your neuroplasticity and invite change and healing into your life.
We have grossly underestimated how our minds and brains can help us and the huge role they play in shaping our lives and realities.
How we focus our attention, and intentionally direct the flow of energy and information through our neural circuits, can directly alter the brain’s activity and structure. The key is to know the steps toward using our awareness in ways that promote well-being.
I invite you this week to change your brain; to practice patience, compassion, kindness, empathy, joy, and gratitude. Make 5 minutes every day to commit to this practice.
As I always say, the neurons that fire together, wire together.