Neurons that fire together, wire together

“Birds of a Feather Flock Together”

You’ve most likely heard the saying “birds of a feather flock together” but what about “neurons that fire together, wire together”?⁣

⁣Neurons are the primary unit of our neural (brain) network. Our neural network is what allows us to learn and retain information. Until recently it was believed that these networks were fixed. However, scientists now believe that the brain can ultimately change no matter your age ⁣ ⁣

What does this mean for you?⁣ ⁣

Maybe positive thinking feels difficult, or your mind wanders during your meditation practice. This is because your brain is familiar with operating a certain way. If you are highly anxious, it’s most likely because you’ve built up a neural network that supports those thoughts. Negative thoughts follow the same pattern in the brain, and just as if you only did a workout on one side of your body, that pattern is stronger than any other.⁣ ⁣

How do you change it? Do a negativity audit!⁣

Maybe you listen to the news every day on the way to work and it creates frustration before you even start your work day. Maybe you have a negative person in your life who always calls you when things go wrong. Start to pay attention to the things in your day-to-day world that do not serve you.⁣

When you become aware of outside influences, it becomes easier to audit the internal part. Listen to your thoughts and start to remove the negative ones. You will most likely be surprised how often they arise.⁣ ⁣

Then, rewire! ⁣ ⁣

Give yourself a news consumption limit, maybe only certain times or days of the week when you know you can handle it. Maybe send your friend a text the next time they call to set up a time when you feel ready.⁣ ⁣

When you are aware of your negative thoughts begin to pull them out and reframe them. Ask yourself “is this true?” or “why do I think that?”. The more you do this, the weaker the negative pattern becomes and the easier it is to start the positive thoughts that are so incredibly beneficial.⁣

Challenge yourself to speak out loud using only positive speech. Instead of problems, you have opportunities. Instead of “I can’t” “what I can do is…”⁣

Here’s to taking control of our thoughts!