HOW TO CHANGE YOUR BRAIN AND THINKING IN 5 STEPS
The question I am most frequently asked by new clients, is ‘How can I think and feel differently, and how quickly will it happen?‘
So this post is dedicated to everyone who wants to change how they think and feel. and want to feel more positive and happy and confident about themselves and their outlook on life.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR BRAIN AND THINKING!
The answer is Neuroplasticity.
Fortunately for us all, some great scientists have researched the brain and found that our brain can change and develop, learn and adapt throughout our lives. This is neuroplasticity, and this means that each and everyone of us can, through hard work and practise, change our brain’s automatic default settings in terms of how we think and feel and make them the best they can be.
How does this happen and what can you do to ensure it change happens?
Well here comes the science bit!
PART 1:
The brain is made up of neurons which are connected by synapses. If something happens in your world it will trigger a neuron to fire, this will send a message to other neurons, via the synapses, getting them to fire as well. This is a chain reaction that happens on automatic is is pre-programmed by our previous lie experiences. So this is why you think, feel and behave in automatic ways depending on the circumstances.
In short, neurons that fire together, wire together.
Now, how can you change this automatic default cause and effect influence over how you think, feel and behave?
Step 1 – Plan: Remember this is going to be like start a new clean eating regime, you must plan and prepare in advance. Choose your first day for a reason. Bets it’s not too challenging a day.
Step 2 – Conscious choices: Spend a day consciously choosing all the things you want to be and do. Keep focussed on the end result; who do you want to be and feel like at the end of the day.
Step 3 – Keep on track: Use mindfulness to help keep you in the present moment so that you don’t get overruled by your automatic processes.
Step 4 – Conscious review: At the end of the day take the time to look back on the day and focus only on the things that went well. Congratulate yourself for every part of the day where you felt proud of who you were and how you thought, felt and behaved. It is ESSENTIAL that you focus only on the positives!
Step 5 – Sleep: You must plan for and get your full 8 hours sleep. This is critical because during our sleep, and as part of our neuroplasticity, a part of the brain called the hippocampus will replay your day and encode your thoughts feelings and behaviours about the different aspects of the day.
Do you see now why the conscious review must focus on the positives only? If you’ve focussed on the positives you are helping your hippocampus to replay and encode those positives moments – thus helping you begin to re-programme and change your automatic thoughts, feelings and behaviours into more positive experiences.
Clearly this will take time and whilst what I’ve described here may sound simple, the implementation of it is not easy as it requires your commitment. Unfortunately no one else can do this work for you, just like no one else can do physical exercise for you either.
Speaking of physical exercise, this leads me onto the second part of neuroplasticity and the how you can change you brain and thinking.
PART 2:
How to grow new brain cells and help change your brain and thinking!
Another part of neuroplasticity is that we continue to grow new and replace old brain cells throughout our life. The amount of new brain cells slows with age, however this can be helped out at any age.
What’s the magic answer to ensuring you keep growing the best, brightest and most amount of new brain cells? Exercise!
Again, those clever scientists have been researching on our behalf and have found that exercise is important to the growth, development and rejuvenation of all cells in the body, including our lovely and important brain cells. They’ve even taken the time to figure what exercise we need to best optimise our new brain cell production – Resistance training is best, with cardio second and walking third. So why not mix it up and try and bit of all three to keep your mind and body guessing and interested.
Why should you want more, new and fresh brain cells? Well these new brain cells are the ones we want to help shape and form our new autopilot responses to the world and experiences around us. These new brain cells offer us the chance to instil are best day, best version of ourself into the hippocampus.
SUMMARY:
Plan what the best of you looks like, how would you think, feel and behave if you were at your best!?
Be that person.
Get exercise to boost your brain cell production and happy hormones (endorphins) that day.
Review all the best bits of your day.
Get a good nights sleep.
And repeat.
The more you do this, the quicker it will become your new norm and you’ll be thinking, feeling and behaving like the best version of you each and every day.
This is how you change your brain and thinking!
Its simple, but its not easy, so if you want help with any part of the process get in touch or leave your comments below.
And remember, whatever you resist persists, so let the negative float on by, choose an empowering positive instead and get those neurons that fire together to wire together in a whole new way!
Wishing you a happy and confident day!
Lydia x