For some it can seem like a daunting task trying to over come the negative to live life in a more positive way. The reason for this is because our brains are actually wired to scan for the negative, the threats that come with daily living. Some may say that this goes back to the days when we had to hunt and gather for our food. This is a self-protective characteristic. Either way you look at it, you have to admit one thing: keeping an eye out for the negative information can cause a downward spiral and negative feedback look that doesn’t actually reflect reality.
Believe it or not, we don’t have to stay in this sea of negativity. We have the power to break out of the loop and rewire our brains to think positively. The key is knowledge, which is power. As long as you have an understanding about how the brain connects is the key to unlocking the power of “positive thinking”.
Whether you’re an addict or have just given it a try, we’ve all seen or played the game Tetris. This game is so addicting because even when you’ve turned it off, you see ways to shift shapes and arrange objects in your minds eye causing you to ‘play’ it even when you’re not in front of your computer.
There are several studies that have been conducted around this game that have given us scientific evidence that it is a learning tool. Even when you’ve turned it off, your brain is processing the information. There was even one study that showed it helped develop parts of the brain. When playing the game, neurons, or nerve cells, in your brain make connections communicating through synapses. When you learn something you change those connections. Every time you reactivate a circuit, a synaptic efficiency increases and connections become more durable and easier to reactive. So in simple terms whatever you do over and over again will eventually take up less of your brain power over time. This gives us the ability, with some practice, to change our behavior.
Taking this information, we can now harness the brain’s plasticity by training our brain to make positive patters more automatic. If we practice looking for the good, and become more aware of the positive aspects of living we can fight off the brains natural tendency to scan for the negatives. This will bring us into a better balance.
Picture yourself in a field. You walk among the grass to look at the pretty flowers because they make you happy. The next day you take the same path, to give yourself the same reaction. Over time, you’ve taken this path several times and therefore have slowly made a clear path by walking the same spots over and over again. This is pretty much how it works with your synapses. Slowly a track forms and becomes very clear and easier to recognize over time.
So how do you start? First scan for positives. Start with three every day. At the end of the day, make a list of three specific good things that happened and reflect on what caused them to happen. Good things could be just about anything that make you happy such as an unexpected compliment, a beautiful song on the radio or even buying that item you’ve been saving up for. Celebrating the small things has also been a proven effect of powering motivation and igniting joy.
After you’ve scanned for these things, give a shout out to someone who helped make it happen. Taking a minute to thank someone for their efforts will no doubt boost your mood as well as theirs. You can also go back and email an old teacher who’s advice you still live by today. Either way, check in with a nice note to someone daily.
Acts of kindness have been scientifically proven to boost happiness levels. Even the smallest act can make a huge difference in ourselves and whom ever we’re doing it for! Do something small and concrete by buying coffee for the man standing behind you. Just something small that will brighten your day.
Pay attention to the present moment without judgment. Open your awareness beyond the narrowness of negativity can help bring back more balance and positivity into the picture. This has also been proven through science.
The regular practice of mindfulness meditation has also been shown to affect the brain’s plasticity, increasing gray matter in the hippocampus, an area of the brain important for learning, memory, and emotion, and reducing gray matter in the amygdala, an area of the brain associated with stress and anxiety.
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