Hi there,

Ask yourself: Am I in control of my neurobiology?

One of my favorite neuroscientists Robert Sapolsky claims that we’re merely “victims of our neurobiology.” If we pay close attention, we quickly realize that we actually don’t choose most of what goes on in our complex nervous system. This is shaped by our genetic makeup, childhood experiences, cultural origin – you get the idea. With all of this happening to us rather than by us, it’s easy to lose hope and accept our fate as helpless victims.

However, we can still seize back control and become the champions of our neurobiology. (This is where self-directed neuroplasticity comes in!) Although we cannot choose the content of our thoughts, feelings, or sensations, we can intentionally choose which ones (and how) we engage with them. This is huge! By strengthening these neural pathways, our brains become more resilient to whatever stressors may come our way, turning us from victims to champions!

But how do we achieve this? Let’s take a look back at last week’s sessions to find out:

🧠 Mindfulness Monday

We can begin training our brains through practicing one of these two types of meditation. (Check out the video to find out how).

  1. Focused attention: Narrowing our attention on a specific object while noticing any distractions that may come our way

  2. Open awareness: Witnessing the wandering nature of our mind without trying to focus on anything specific

 

đź’Ş Resilience Tuesday

We can grow any kind of resilience (whether that be psychological, emotional, physical, or relational) using the three following skills:

  1. Bounce: Quickly returning back to baseline after going through a challenging experience

  2. Grit: Having “thick skin” by maintaining composure, perspective, and perseverance while going through a tough time

  3. Reframing: Changing the way we feel about a memory by reframing our narrative of it

 

🗒️ Journaling Wednesday

One way to prime our nervous systems for positivity is through stream-of-consciousness journaling. This means emptying our minds onto the paper by keeping the pen moving – even when we run out of things to say. This way, we can lean into parts of our consciousness we may have never activated otherwise. Check out the video for some example prompts!

 

🙏 Thankfulness Thursday

Unlike the negative experiences that make us “victims of our neurobiology,” gratitude means recognizing the positive experiences that make us beneficiaries of our neurobiology. By growing our appreciation, we can strengthen these pathways so that thankfulness comes more easily. (This brings us one step closer to being champions!)

 

🏆 Practical Friday

To tackle the weekend head-on, we discussed the two “scales” of attention that we can switch back and forth between to fully take in “the bigger picture.”

  1. Diffuse attention: Like a lantern, we notice many things at once (think of being at a party where you know several people)

  2. Focused attention: Like a flashlight, our attention is laser-focused on just one thing (think of an important job interview)

 

Join 15 Minutes of Positivity Today!

To become a champion of your neurobiology, be sure to join our 15 Minutes of Positivity sessions every Monday - Friday at 12:00 PST. The best part is: it’s free! For more information or to sign up, click here. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Thank you for sticking around! Stay tuned for more positivity soon.

Oli

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