What if it was possible to change the way that your brain thinks? To change the way that it perceives the world around you? What if you could rewire your brain for a happier life…
REWIRE YOUR BRAIN FOR A HAPPIER LIFE
…Not that long ago scientists believed that once you reached about 25 years of age your brain was mature & fully wired. As in, done. Fully cooked. No more growth. No more change. What you had was what you had. That’s more than a little bit grim don’t ya think? Lucky for us, more recent research proves that while mature brains are indeed more set in their ways then a child’s brain, they are still very capable of growth & change.
The reason for this is something called “neuroplasticity”. Neuroplasticity is just a big science-y word for the brain’s ability to adapt & actually grow new neural pathways in response to changes in your environment, experiences or activities. You can actually reprogram your brain to seek out little nuggets of joy all day long. You can rewire your brain for a happier life.
HOW TO GET STARTED
You’re probably thinking, “How in the hell do I rewire my own brain??? Isn’t that a job for a brain surgeon?” You’d think…but, no. It’s actually super easy. Any time that you use your brain in a different way on a repetitive basis you are actually developing new neural pathways. It’s just what your brain does, kinda like how your muscles grow when you heft dumbbells on the regular.
But how do you sprout new neural pathways that are specific to happiness? There are a number of of ways to do it, but one of the easiest & quickest ways to jumpstart the giddiness factor in your brain is to start a gratitude journal. Now all of you non-writers out there just slow your roll & listen for a minute. I’m not talking about pages of free-writing every day. I’m talking a 2 minute bullet list. Write it on a napkin if a journal freaks you out…just write the list. Every day.
Seriously though, I do recommend at least a small notebook that you use only for your daily gratitude list. If it’s all in one centrally located place it makes it a whole lot easier to go back & peruse your list as opposed to digging in the bottom of your purse for that cocktail napkin that you wrote Tuesday’s list on.
Let me break this down for you:
- Keep your notebook/journal & a pen in a handy spot so it’s right there ready to go.
- Every night before bed write down just 3 things in your life that you’re grateful for. It can be anything. It doesn’t have to be big stuff. If you’re just grateful that you found a matching pair of socks without a hole, it counts. Write it down.
- Take a second to review your list when you wake up in the morning.
- Repeat the process. Every. Single. Day.
**If you prefer to write your list in the morning, feel free. Then just review your list before going to sleep. Whatever works best for you.
THE END RESULT
The key to making any permanent lasting change is desire, commitment & consistency. You have to want it badly enough to do it even when you aren’t exactly feeling it, otherwise you don’t really want it as much as you think you do.
If you consistently require your brain to think about and write down the things that you’re grateful for (and by default make you happy) in time your brain will spend more of it’s time throughout the day actively looking for things that make you happy. Instead of scanning only for the negative (that’s the default setting for all human brains), it will constantly be on the lookout for those little nuggets of joy that otherwise might have been missed.
Let’s be realistic, this one tiny daily habit change isn’t going to transform your entire life. It will however get you started on the path to a happier more aware way of living. And every little step you take to improve yourself & your life is a step in the right direction.
As a gift to get you started on your happiness journey, download & print your FREE “30 Days Of Gratitude Calendar” here!
THE LINK UPS
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