How to Create Neural Pathways in the Brain
Pay attention to what you think and do
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Consider who or what influences you most. Of course, close people like your parents, siblings, and friends have an impact.
Nonetheless, the way you perceive the world is down to you.
Before you can change your programming — the neural networks in your brain — you must accept you are in charge.
Only you can alter your habits, including your thoughts and actions, to improve your life.
Environmental factors can stimulate changes, but ultimately, how you look at things shapes how your mind alters.
Every thought affects neural pathway formation
Ideas that pop into your head alter your perception. Your beliefs influence your physical health, too, hence the usefulness of the placebo effect.
When your mind is in the past, your mental health sticks there, and your well-being will be low if you hold a grudge or go over memories of former slights.
Moreover, when you mentally rehearse old events, your body and mind re-experience what ails you again.
Your brain can’t distinguish between now and old happenings, so it responds to memories as if they are new.
What you do daily affects your brain
Repetition generates neural connections in your brain that make you who you are and inspire what comes next in your life.
If you want to rewrite your story, you must rewire your circuitry, and habit change is vital.
Your life doesn’t change much when you repeat your actions daily. At the same time, you experience the same old events because they are habits.
If you continue as you are, you’ll stay as you are. Just think about it for a moment. If you want to update your kitchen, you don’t hope the work will happen by itself. You envision what you want and take action.
Similarly, if the past haunts you and you want to start afresh or get out of a rut, you must change what you do, say, visualize, and think.
Do you inadvertently practice how to fail?
Do you picture worst-case scenarios? Maybe you hope to find solutions to potential problems by imagining things go wrong. All that happens, though, is you rehearse failure.
Do you repeat unhelpful patterns?
The same goes if you re-experience painful events with your imagination. You keep your life on a familiar unhappy track.
Are you giving your mind negative directives?
The words you speak count too. When you say you aren’t good enough, your system agrees with you. Rather than help you improve, it accepts your beliefs and stops you from reaching your potential.
Is your inner critic in charge?
Do you believe unhelpful self-talk? If so, your thoughts ensure neural connections that make you unhappy remain.
Why chronic stress produces a dismal life-story
The behaviors mentioned stimulate continuing stress, yet; nature built you to endure only short-term strain.
Like a gazelle fleeing from a lion, you may experience bursts of anxiety. Short-lived stress supercharges your ability to survive.
Chronic stress is a sign you are unbalanced. To find equilibrium, you can make changes and carry out actions to support them.
Eat healthy foods, and your body will plow resources into supporting new positive habits. Get in touch with your subconscious where change takes place, too, by practicing mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, or meditation.
Once you detach from your thoughts and behaviors and view them much like a witness, you will realize you are not your mind or body. The part of you in charge of your programming is the observer at the helm.
When you realize you are separate from your body and mind, you can make positive changes.
Choose how you want to see events. Picture the best-case scenarios from now on. Speak as though you are who you want to be and act that way. If nonconstructive thoughts arise, observe them and take over from your inner critic. Use self-talk that helps rather than hinders well-being.
Summary
•You program the neural circuitry in your brain.
•Thoughts and behaviors create neural connections.
•Your daily habits keep connections in place.
To change your life script, replace unhelpful habits, and support change with pursuits that increase well-being.
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