Have you noticed that your brain is always
"on"? That's what it does-it thinks! Scientists have found we have,
on average, 60,000 thoughts a day. 95% of those thoughts are habitual and of
those habitual thoughts, about 80% are negative. That's about 45,000 habitual
negative thoughts a day. We are actually hard-wired to be alert for danger, so
the brain scans for anything that could be a threat. This worked well for our
primitive ancestors who lived in harsh conditions and had to be on the lookout
for predators, but not so well for modern humans.
Our brains perceive negative thoughts as
true and in the present moment-and a threat. So, our bodies respond to the
negative thoughts like we are facing a clear and present danger! Perhaps these
are familiar thoughts to you:
·
I'm worried I won't be able to pay my
bills.
·
I'm just not good enough.
·
I'll never find the love I'm looking for;
All the good ones are taken.
·
I'm not as talented as she is.
·
My boss never notices all the extra effort
I put in.
·
I'm so stupid.
·
That idiot just cut me off in traffic!
·
If I blow this presentation I'll lose my
job.
·
I should have known better.
You can fill in more if you really start
to notice your thoughts. You may be surprised at how mean you are to
yourself-and possibly others! In her book Happy for No Reason, Marci
Shimoff quoted Dr. Daniel Amen, a world-renowned psychiatrist and brain imaging
specialist who calls these thoughts ANTs, or automatic negative thoughts. We
have downloaded them into our subconscious and they are so habitual, they have
formed neural pathways in our brains and become beliefs. Negative thoughts
stimulate the areas of the brain that relate to depression and anxiety.
The good news is, you can re-wire your
brain for greater happiness by forming new neural pathways. It turns out you can teach an old dog
new tricks because our brains have the quality of "experience based
neuro-plasticity." In other words, we can form new neural pathways by
directing our thoughts in new directions. The saying is, "Neurons that
fire together, wire together". You can create new default thinking
patterns that serve you better.
So here are some practices to help you
change your brain wiring and banish the ANTs for greater happiness:
1. First, notice when you are having negative thoughts.
Your body will often let you know by feeling contracted. Congratulate yourself
for noticing! In order to change something, you need to recognize where you are
now. Ask yourself if this thought is moving you forward or keeping you stuck.
Then break up the thought by taking a few deep breaths and looking for a
thought that feels just a bit better. What thought can you deliberately offer
that is true and comes from a more positive place? It doesn't need to be a big
jump-just something that offers relief. Keep heading in the direction of more
relief.
2. Practice loving yourself and more self compassion. One
way to get started with this step is to think of someone you love and have
compassion for. Place your hand on your heart. This actually stimulates the
"feel good" chemicals to be released in your body. Wish this person
well. You may want to try the Tibetan blessing: "May you be safe, may you
be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease." When you have
gotten in touch with those loving feelings, focus in on yourself with the same
message. Speak to yourself like you would if soothing a small child.
3. Meditate: Go gently with yourself if you haven't
meditated before. Thoughts will come up in your mind. Find a comfortable and
supported position, and breath slowly and deeply. Focus on your breath. The
practice of meditation is to simply notice the thoughts non-judgementally and
redirect your attention back to your breath or a mantra. I like the practice of
saying "Hmmmm" when I notice a thought and then returning to my
breath. Meditation has been shown to decrease blood pressure, anxiety, stress
and many other conditions. It has also been shown to improve memory and make
structural changes to the brain, including new neural pathways and an increase
in the immune response.
4. Make a list of positive aspects: What is going right in
your life? What can you appreciate? What things are you doing well? Realize you
do all you can, then let the rest go. Let the universe take care of the things
that are out of your control.
The key to all of this is Practice. Forming
new neural pathways means training your brain by deliberately thinking new
thoughts until the old pathways disengage and the new ones are created.
Estra Roell is a certified Law of
Attraction Life Coach, Advanced PSYCH-K® facilitator and Happiness Generator
Facilitator. She's known as America's Life Purpose Coach™. Estra helps clients
get in touch with their passions and purpose and assists them to uncover and
remove any blockages or old patterns that may be holding them back from living
a life of joy, purpose and abundance. Estra is also a co-author of the books
"101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career" and "How to Create a
Rich, Successful and Fulfilling Life." Visit her website at http://www.americaslifepurposecoach.com/ to
receive her free report on "Visioning Your Purpose and Heading Toward it
Today" and Tuesday Success Tips. Connect on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AmericasLifePurposeCoach/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Estra_Roell/366734
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