Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in womens, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

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The phrase rewire your brain is used so loosely lately that it can seem more like a metaphor than a scientific reality. Is it really possible to rewire one's brain? And if so, how? We asked neuroscience and psychiatry experts for a much-needed lesson on brain rewiring and even snagged some actionable tips you can start today.

Rewiring your brain, scientifically, means to learn new things or to, in many cases, eliminate old habits that don't serve us and replace them with new habits that do serve us, says board-certified psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and founder of mindfulness wearable brand Apollo, Dave Rabin, M.D.

When your brain is "rewired," the connections between brain cells strengthen. This makes it easier for certain brain pathways to complete the tasks at hand. The more you do a task, the tighter those connections get, and thus, the more the task becomes a habit. This applies to many scenarios, including practicing an instrument, exercising, using positive self-talk, etc.

The science behind the phrase comes from the work of Eric Kandel, M.D., a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist who demonstrated that practice makes mastery, so anything you do (whether its good for you or not) gets wired in the brain as the action repeats.

The brain is much more flexible than we might thinkand shifting the status quo is possible.

You may have heard of the term neuroplasticity before, which, as a refresher, is the brain's ability to form new connections. Neuroplasticity often happens when we learn or experience something new. And there's an element of neuroplasticity involved in rewriting the brain: That's where the re in rewiring" comes in.

Board-certified psychiatrist Sue Varma, M.D. explains that the brain is much more flexible than we might thinkand shifting the status quo is possible. However, she adds that this flexibility can be both helpful and unhelpful, given that traumatic experiences can rewire the brain for the worse.

This is where the concept of brain rewiring becomes more complex. As you can imagine, rewiring your brain from past trauma, especially traumatic memories youve mentally blocked out or your brain chemistry has prevented you from remembering clearly, is much harder than changing a daily habit in your life.

So, while the following tips for positively rewiring your brain can help with many goals, overcoming complex trauma often requires a different approach that includes professional therapy.

Now, just because its possible to rewire your brain doesnt mean its easy. Behavior change takes time, effort, and a whole lot of patience, but these tips can help you get started:

1 .

Youll want to set yourself up for success by making realistic goals. To do so, focus on areas you have control over and try not to ruminate on those you dont. Otherwise, youll just spark negative thoughts.

Anxiety stems from spending time thinking about things we don't have control over, Rabin says. So waste no time worrying about those and start with something you know is realistic.

The same applies to habits related to diet, exercise, and personal care. If you want to cut back on addicting processed food, for example, consider a small goal at first: Start by adjusting one snack a day, and then move onto your meals once youve formed the initial habit of reaching for a whole food snack.If you want to go to the gym more often, start by going once a week rather than four times a week to prevent feeling overwhelmed.

2 .

Some people say it takes 21 days to form a new habit, but modern research suggests 10 weeks is more realistic2 . Even with that extension, it varies greatly from person to person and goal to goal, and thus, you shouldnt hold yourself to a time constraint if its not going to help you.

Rather, just focus on practicing your new habit daily and staying committed to it.

Using the example from above, if you want to stop self-deprecating thoughts surrounding burnout, then have a few positive affirmations at the ready and plug them in when your brain starts taking a negative path.

Say to yourself, out loud or in your head, Im allowed to take breaks, or Giving myself time to rest will improve my performance later on, or Im doing something positive for my mental health right now, and Im proud of that. You get the idea.

Its critical to have your new habits at the ready to replace the old ones. If you want to cut out processed food snacks but dont have a healthy alternative stocked in your pantry, its going to be even more of an uphill battle.

3 .

Picturing success really can change your brain, and both experts agree youll have to start being optimistic about your goals if you want to achieve them.

Visualize the best possible outcomeone year and five years from now, Varma suggests. You may even try writing down what you see as success to get a clear picture of what you want.

Even when you slip up, remind yourself that youre going to make mistakes along the way, and thats all a part of the process, Varma adds. This is an essential part of viewing your success and your journey in a positive light, encouraging you to keep going.

A final reminder: Its always okay to ask for help, even with goals you think seem simple. Talking to a mental health professional can make a huge difference in your process of planning and executing the changes you want to make. Rewiring the brain is possible, but its hardly ever going to be easy. Ask for support, and see that as a step in the direction of success.

Structurally, rewiring your brain means tightening connections between certain brain cells. Once you have a particular goal in mind, rewiring your brain can strengthen the brain pathways required to achieve that goal. It can also weaken the pathways involved in less desirable habits or thought patterns. It calls on the concept that repetitive action, good or bad, becomes habitual over time. Some habits are rooted in deep trauma and may call for a more complex approach and extra professional support, so dont be afraid to ask for help. Here, more ways to build healthy habits that stick.

Read more from the original source:
Can You Actually Rewire Your Brain? Here's What Experts Say | mindbodygreen - mindbodygreen