You may have heard that every single cell in your body regenerates after 7 years…
…that may not be true, but people do certainly undergo magnificent change!
For example, the cells in your stomach lining change out as quickly as every two days because they are in contact with the strong chemicals that digest your food. Your skin cells are replaced every two to three weeks, while your skeletal cells regenerate every ten years.
The brain does not quite work that way. Some studies say that parts of the brain’s memory center can regrow, but for the most part, brain cells do not regenerate… but that does not mean that our brains do not become new!
Your brain works by sending signals from one neuron to another. To your brain, thinking a thought or moving a muscle are like driving a new route. The first time, it takes a lot of concentration; but the more you do it, the less mental effort it takes. Your brain makes neural pathways for the muscles it’s used to moving and thoughts it’s used to thinking.
And for a long time, that was all there was to it – once your mind was made up, there was no changing it. It was thought that only children had minds that were “plastic” enough to change these neural pathways. But then, we discovered that people are more powerful than they believe.
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to reorganize its synaptic connections. With time and repetition, new connections become stronger and old connections fade away.
This is one of my favorite things to talk about with my patients, and I can summarize why in one word: hope.
People who struggle with mental illness often get discouraged because they believe this is who they are, or they have lived with their illness for so long they do not remember what it was like to live without it. They just see this as their fate.
But neuroplasticity proves that change is possible.
Dr. Norman Doidge highlights this in his book The Brain that Changes Itself. In it, he discusses just how much hope that neuroplasticity offers those who are struggling with mental illness:
Norman Doidge, MD, a psychiatrist and researcher, set out to investigate neuroplasticity and met both the brilliant scientists championing it and the people whose lives they’ve transformed… We see a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole…blind people learning to see, learning disorders cured, IQs raised, aging brains rejuvenated, painful phantom limbs erased, stroke patients recovering their faculties, children with cerebral palsy learning to move more gracefully, entrenched depression and anxiety disappearing, and lifelong character traits altered. (Norman Doidge, M.D.)
Needless to say – if your brain wants to become better, it can!
If you are dealing with something difficult today, let me tell you like I do all of my patients: there is hope. Here are 7 things you can start doing today to improve your mental health and neuroplasticity:
1. Embrace mindfulness.
Mindfulness is just “focused groundedness” – taking a moment to focus on the here and now. One study published in the psychiatry journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Psychiatry) found that mindfulness techniques helped improve mental health for individuals navigating life with anxiety and depression.
10-15 minutes of meditation, deep breathing, or yoga daily will not only relax you, but also help you gain self-awareness of your thoughts and feelings.
2. Challenge negative thoughts.
When something poisons our body, we avoid it. It is curious that we are not more eager to do the same for our minds.
If you notice a negative thought or pattern of thinking, take a moment to look at the thought objectively. Is there evidence to support it? If not, is there another perspective you can apply to the thought that is more positive, or at least more neutral?
3. Keep learning.
You may have heard the saying, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” This could not be more true of your brain. The more you use it, the more active it remains, and the more “plastic” your brain is able to be. Consider picking up a new hobby that challenges you, like playing a new instrument or learning a new language – or try some brain training games to keep your mind fresh.
4. Move during the day; rest at night.
It is important to remember that your mind is also your brain – in other words, the emotional and intellectual part of you is also a physical part of you! You must care for it like it is a muscle that you are training. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and sleep cleans out toxins that build up during the day. Make sure that you are getting plenty of both.
5. Practice gratitude.
Gratitude is a habit that directs our focus to the positive. The more often we seek out things to be grateful for, the more we find them. We can begin this practice simply by writing down 3 things to be thankful for each day.
6. Set SMART goals.
SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-sensitive. But when it comes to neuroscience and mental health growth, achievable is the most important part. Be sure your goals are realistic and that they are made up of smaller mini-goals along the way, whose accomplishment you can celebrate!
7. Be patient and persistent.
Change does not take place overnight, and it may involve some trial and error. But if you do not give up on change, change will not give up on you. It is not only possible, it is certain, if you are.
Above all, remember: you have the ability to improve your mental health one day at a time, one decision at a time. You decide what steps you take. You write, and rewrite, your own story.
Make today your masterpiece!
Florina
P.S. Do you know someone who could use some encouragement today? Feel free to share this email with them to let them know just how powerful their brains are.
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