When people discuss being better, setting goals, or pursuing excellence, they normally default to including the gym in their weekly regime. This is a very important component to include in your life to achieve optimal physical health. Through many repetitions, consistent movements, and diligent efforts, you are able to build strong muscles that allow you to complete harder physical tasks, increase your metabolism, and add years to your life.
"While this is all awesome stuff, many people oversee the greatest & most important muscle to workout in our body - the brain."
The brain is an extremely complex organ that has intrigued me for years. While I could go into the breakdown of each component, and all its fascinating parts, I will stick to the ideas that are relevant to the topic ‘your mind is matter,’ a phrase coined by Dr. Joe Dispenza, leading researcher and author of topics regarding neuroscience and mind-body medicine.
Have you ever noticed that when you buy a new car, you start to only notice the same model everywhere you drive that week? Or when one thing deviates from a plan, then everything starts to seem difficult and/or unorganized? This is the power of the mind. Placing the center of attention on one thought, idea, feeling, or emotion - ultimately, everything else starts to follow. Studies have actually proven this in research with humans. In a very simple double-blind study, half of the participant population was given a blue pill and was told that it would increase their happiness, whilst the other half was given an orange pill and was told it would bring side negative effects of depressed and saddened emotions. After taking these pills, the participants were asked to fill out surveys. These surveys proved the blue pills brought more pleasant emotions, whereas the people that took the orange pills notated more negative emotions. The funny part - both blue and orange pills, were sugar pills. Thus proving that it was not the pill that brought these emotions, it was the predisposition of the outcome placed on the subjects by the researchers. Because the thought of either happiness or sadness was placed on the individuals, they were able to physically alter their brain to portray the emotions they thought they should perceive.
Knowing that our brains have this kind of power, why don't we use it to our advantage? Just like we train our muscles to perform in specific ways, we must consistently train our brain. Our mind can truly change the matter of our lives. We can do this by simple acts of positively pivoting our outlook of unfavorable circumstances - expressing gratitude rather than complaints. We can widen our perspectives by learning and listening to others. We can increase our knowledge by reading, interacting, and applying ourselves.
"We can physically train our brain to act in ways we desire to aspire."
Simple acts that allow me to continuously sharpen my mindset include saying no to things that do not serve me, recognizing when I am developing negative thoughts, and journaling. We must learn how to say no - to foods, people, and distractions. I am currently training my brain to recognize when I am aimlessly scrolling through social media, to say no. There is no purpose, I am filling the void of being bored. I am teaching myself to be bored, content with my own thoughts rather than filled with critiquing others. When I am developing negative thoughts, I have allowed myself to recognize this before I slip into the slippery slope of allowing it to affect my mood - because attitude is essentially shortened states of being. Break the loop of allowing your thoughts and feelings dictate your attitude by giving into the habit of complaining. Express gratitude, give thanks, and develop a ‘positive pivot’ - a method of turning and finding all the great things in the midst of a bad situation.
Journaling also allows your mind to grow, because it forces you to make sense of the thoughts running through your mind. It makes the overwhelming to-do list seem manageable. It brings peace to the anxious and unorganized thought processes. Most importantly - it allows you to witness what is truly going on in your mind on a daily basis.
In this short passage, I hope you gained new perspectives on how you can truly take control of your own mind. Our minds are so powerful; we must use our brain in tactical ways to enhance our day to day living. Lifetimes are built on the days we live - live great days.
Best,
Hayley Leonard
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References:
Principles and studies discussed reference the book You are the Placebo by Dr Joe Dispenza.