What is Neuroplasticity and How You Can Use It to Improve Your Well-being

By Alyssa Martinez @ItsMariaAlyssa

Neuroplasticity can be something you've read about in scientific publications, health magazines, or the news. The capacity of your brain to adapt to the environment is referred to as neuroplasticity, which may seem technical. Lifelong "reorganization via generating new brain connections" is involved.

The Importance of Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity permits you to heal from brain injuries or sickness. As you change your surroundings, your brain reorganizes its physical structure and the way it operates.

Research in the past 30 years has shown that the brain is more malleable than previously believed by doctors. Also, research has proven that your brain can be repaired and rewired.

For those who have suffered a severe brain injury or stroke, this finding suggests that neuroplasticity may also help you improve your quality of life as you can rewire your brain to build healthy, successful, and happy behaviors.

It is possible to influence and drive the changes in your brain, even if they occur without your knowledge or agreement.

Imagine that your thoughts are like flowers in a flowerbed. You may just observe its weeds and flowers, making no judgments or attempting to influence them in any way. You might also pluck weeds by reducing the amount of negativity in your thoughts. Alternatively, you might cultivate flowers by cultivating a more optimistic outlook on life. There are three basic approaches to mind control: letting be, letting go, and letting in.

When the unexpected happens-like a storm in your garden-these three methods for engaging your attention provide a step-by-step guide that may be really helpful.

As a first step, allow yourself to be present at the moment. Even if it's unpleasant, pay attention to it and accept it for what it is. Second, begin letting go of the negative when the time is right-which might be seconds with a familiar concern or months or years with the death of a loved one. Relaxing your body, for example, may help alleviate stress. After you've released part or all of the negativity, replace it with something good again when it seems appropriate. Imagine what it would be like to spend 10 or 20 seconds reliving the pleasure of being with someone who really cares about you.

You will also get long-term advantages from this third phase since when you have great experiences in your life, you aren't only cultivating flowers in your head.

How does it work?

The brain undergoes neuroplastic change on several levels, including chemical, structural, and functional. These alterations go hand in hand.

During the early stages of learning anything new, a chemical shift takes place. The short-term memory or progress in a motor skill is mostly influenced by chemical alteration.

Neurons in the brain modify their connections, resulting in structural change. The time and effort needed to make this kind of transformation are greater. As a result, it calls for the development of both long-term memory and motor skill mastery.

When whole brain networks are rewired, functional changes occur. The more often a brain network is utilized, the more excitable and efficient it becomes.

Take a step-by-step approach to soak in the good, enriching, and absorbing it.

    Find a pleasurable experience that's already present in your consciousness. A calm, even breathing, a pleasant warmth or coolness, or a physical sensation of energy or aliveness might all fit the bill. It doesn't matter how delicate or mild this feeling is; it's still enjoyable. In addition, there may be thoughts or emotions that are unpleasant, but that's just OK. Let go of them for the time being and focus on the nice experience you're experiencing. Whenever you feel well, go on to the next phase.
    Stay in a joyful state of mind. Try it out a little bit. What can you expect? Ensure that it lasts. Keep your focus on it for at least 10 seconds at a time. If your focus strays, just return to it. Experience this feeling in your body and mind and allow it to permeate your being. See if you can make it even more full and intense without any effort or tension. Allow yourself to be sustained by the joy you get from this experience. Try to embody it in subtle ways, like moving your body to breathe more completely.
    You should feel as though you're taking in the wonderful experience as you go through this process. There are a number of methods to engage in this kind of introspective contemplation. In certain cases, the feeling is like water being absorbed into a sponge, golden dust being sifted, or a diamond being deposited in the heart's treasure chest. Others just have a vague idea that the experience is altering them in some way, but this is not the case for everyone. With absorption, you open yourself up to receiving and allow the experience to penetrate deeper into your being.