03 ways to rewire and train your mind
1. Focus on your emotions
The more we emotionally invest in an action, the more we’re likely to remember it well. Research proves that positive emotions help us retain the information. Our brains want to do things we enjoy, and especially things that elicit a release of dopamine – a hormone linked to motivation and reward. If you’re picking up a new habit, be enthusiastic about it and practice gratitude to increase your mood whilst you’re engaging in the habit.
2. Focus on what you say
What we say has incredible power and can directly impact our brains. Words like ‘can’t’, ‘try’, or negative statements about ourselves can all make or break our ability to learn new skills or change our minds. Speaking negatively to ourselves can also release a stream of stress hormones like cortisol, which prevent us from being able to learn effectively. Switch ‘try’ to ‘will’ or ‘can’; change ‘can’t’ to ‘can’t yet’, and instead of statements like “I’ll never be able to achieve this”, change your language to “I’m open to the possibility of achieving this”.
3. Visualisation
Visualisation and meditation are incredibly powerful, and are some of the most effective ways to create and strengthen neural pathways. Visualising movement for example, stimulates brain regions involved in movement, priming the brain so that we can move more efficiently. If you’re learning the piano, visualising your hands moving across the keys can make you better at playing the next time you sit down. If you’re a yoga teacher, you may already be in the practice of visualising your class sequence so it flows more easily as you teach.
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