How often have you heard the expression “you are what you think”? The mind is a powerful tool but can also be your worst enemy. It has the ability to affect every aspect of our lives – physically, emotionally, and spiritually – in either a positive or negative way.
If we learn how to manage our thoughts through having a grateful heart and harnessing different types of habits, we can unlock our full potential to achieve the life we want.
We all know that our brains are like sponges, able to absorb and process information. But most people don’t know that the brain can also change and adapt—and in ways very similar to physical fitness. The term “neuroplasticity” refers to the brain’s ability to change its structure throughout life by forming new connections between neurons or eliminating existing ones through synaptic pruning. Practicing daily sincere gratitude and creating new types of habits is a way of rewiring your subconscious mind. This can happen even after adulthood in response to experiences and learning new skills!
The Science Behind rewiring your subconscious mind
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is a diverse field of study that encompasses research in neuroanatomy, cognitive psychology, and behavior studies. Scientists in this field study how neurons (nerve cells) connect in neural networks to create thought processes, sensory perception, memory formation and retrieval, sleep cycles, attention span and more.
The brain itself is made up entirely of neurons—almost 100 billion neurons packed into an area about 2 inches thick! Each neuron has many branches called dendrites which receive messages from other neurons in its local area; these messages travel across synapses between these branches until they reach another branch called an axon which then sends electrical signals down to other dendrites farther away (in order).
Neurons
Brain cells, called neurons, are the building blocks of your brain. They communicate with each other through electrical signals and chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are released in response to an electrical signal sent from one neuron to another. These chemicals then travel between neurons in order to relay information about how the body should react.
Neuroplasticity refers to how our brains can change due to changes in our environment or lifestyle over time—and it’s something that happens throughout our lives! It involves both strengthening existing connections between neurons as well as creating new ones between them during this process of learning and adapting through experience.
The more we think about a certain way or develop certain types of habits the more these neurons for what personality traits we have.
neuroplasticity: rewire your brain and change your thoughts, habits, and personality
Neuroplasticity is a process in which your nervous system forms new connections between neurons (brain cells) in response to your behavior. For example, if you repeat an action enough times—like playing basketball or writing—you’ll form new neural pathways that allow that action to become automatic so that your mind can focus on other things while still performing the task at hand.
If we want to change ourselves for the better then we need to take advantage of neuroplasticity by forming new types of habits through repetition and practicing sincere gratitude.
The process of neuroplasticity can be thought of as a way to wire yourself for happiness. When we focus on the positive aspects of life, our brains form new connections that make it easier to maintain this state of mind. The opposite is also true: focusing too much on negativity can lead us down a path toward depression and anxiety. This is why having a grateful heart is so important
you can change the way your brain works by changing the way you think and behave. Neuroplasticity allows us to improve our lives, both physically and mentally, through self-directed neuroplasticity exercises.
There are three ways of harnessing neuroplasticity:
- Be more intentional with your thoughts and live life with grateful heart
- Learn new types of habits that improve your mental and physical health
- Focus on what personality traits you desire to have and work towards them
Over time, the more you practice gratitude a work on new habits you will naturally be rewiring your subconscious mind to make decisions that will lead to a more fulfilling life.
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rewiring your subconscious mind through sincere gratitude
The brain is an amazingly malleable organ. It changes in response to internal or external stimuli, a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. This means we can learn new skills and form new connections between our neurons—which helps us deal with all kinds of situations we encounter every day! When we practice gratitude, we increase our brain’s capacity for positivity and to recognize the blessing we have in our lives
Neuroplasticity is a natural process that happens all the time—new connections are made as we learn, old ones are strengthened or weakened depending on their use, and so on.
This phenomenon can be harnessed for your benefit: changing how you think about yourself, your life situation or anything else you care about has been shown to have real effects on your brain chemistry. It sounds like a simple thing, but there’s a lot of science behind it. Sincere Gratitude can help you change your thoughts by rewiring your unconscious mind y. It can make you happier, more positive, and better able to cope with stress and trauma
What it means to have a grateful heart
When we express gratitude, we acknowledge and appreciate the good things that have been given to us. Expressing gratitude leads us toward success and well-being.
If you feel grateful for what you have today, then you will be more likely to attract or acknowledge more good things in your life. If you do not acknowledge the many blessings in your life, no matter how small, then it will be impossible for you to feel grateful for what you have and live a happy and fulfilling life.
You are not born with a grateful heart. You can’t be. Gratitude is something you learn, and it takes time to develop. Gratitude has to become a habit; it has to be practiced and repeated over and over again until it becomes second nature.
A grateful heart is a learned skill, and it takes time and practice to develop. Gratitude has to become a habit; it has to be practiced and repeated over and over again until it becomes second nature.
When you are going through a difficult time, it’s easy to focus on the negative aspects of your life. It is important to remember that there are many things in your life worth being grateful for as well—even if these good parts seem unimportant compared with what troubles you right now.
Sometimes we forget how fortunate we are to have opportunities that other people in the world or in the past didn’t have such as:
- Your health
- Family and friends who love you no matter what
- Having a job (even if it isn’t your dream job)
- The freedom to go where you want and do what you want
- The privilege of being born into a culture where we have the opportunity to pursue our goals
Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. It changes how we view challenges and hardship, it can create happiness out of tragedy and heartbreak.
But how do you practice gratitude? How do you make sure you always have a positive mindset?
Keep a Gratitude Journal
- Write down five things you are grateful for each day.
- Write down what you are grateful for before you go to sleep every night.
- Keep your gratitude journal in a place where it will be seen often (such as on your dresser or nightstand).
- Write down at least one thing that made you feel grateful each day for 30 days straight.
Think of the positive things you are grateful for.
- Think about all the wonderful things that have happened to you and your family.
- Think about all the amazing things that have happened to your friends and co-workers.
- Think about all the great things you have in your life, no matter how small or insignificant they might seem.
Look for little wins or small moments that make you happy
- When I opened my eyes this morning, I was happy that I could see the sunlight coming through my window blinds!
- While cooking dinner last night, I noticed how delicious (and healthy) my meal tasted—and how beautiful were these vegetables!
- I’m grateful that I have a job with so many coworkers I can call friends
Related:57 Powerful Morning Affirmation To Kickstart Your Day
The most important thing to remember when it comes to gratitude is that it’s not just a way to see the good in yourself and others, but it’s also a way of growing. When we start each day with an attitude of gratitude, we become more thankful people who find things to be grateful for throughout our lives. We’re motivated by these acts of gratitude and want to express them, so we become better friends, spouses, and people.
Develop New types of habits through neuroplasticity
In order to change your habits, you must first understand how the brain works. The brain has two main parts: the cortex and the limbic system. The cortex is responsible for learning new things and making decisions based on logic and reason. The limbic system is the control center for our emotional life, as well as many of our memories.
For a change to occur, both parts of the brain must be activated. If one part is not stimulated properly then no change will take place. For example, if you want to change your eating habits but don’t think about what you’re eating or how much food you need then the new healthy eating habit will not stick around.
Habits are formed through repetition; the more we repeat a behavior, the stronger its neural pathways become. This is called “neural pathway stabilization.” The more often a neural pathway is used, the more likely it is to become strengthened and remain active in our brains even when we aren’t intentionally engaging in that behavior.
Habits occur when there is a rewiring of your subconscious mind and our new types of habits eventually become part of what personality traits we have; However because habits are so ingrained in our brains’ pathways and routines, they can be broken when we start engaging in new activities or our environment changes
Related: 21 Good Habits to Improve Your Health
How To Change Your Habits
The first step in forming new types of habits is to change your mindset.
- Look at the good reasons for doing what you want to do, not just the negative ones.
- Write down your goals and give yourself a timeline to complete each goal
- Be realistic in what you can achieve in the time frame you set for yourself( no your limits and start small )
- Create multiple steps in achieving your goal so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming
The second step is to make sure that your environment supports the new behavior. For example, if you want to start exercising more often, put some workout clothes and shoes right next to your bed so that when you wake up in the morning they’re all ready for you.
Your environment is very important in creating a new habit, it can with for you or against you
- Are people in your life supportive of you or sabotage you?
- Do you have the space or time to work on your new habit?
- Beware of anything in your environment that will sabotage your efforts and come up with a game plan to prevent it from happening
If these two steps don’t work on their own, try adding a reward system into the mix by rewarding yourself with something small every time you complete a goal you set for yourself:
- If you losing weight, buy yourself something nice for every 5lbs you loos
- If you are starting a business, invest in a new business course when you completed one of the mini goals you set for yourself
When you set a goal to create a new habit remember It can take about 66 days for the habit to become ingrained into your brain. this is why a new habit can be challenging because it requires you to intentionally think about it until rewiring your subconscious mind takes over and it becomes second nature and part of your personality.
Our Habits can Determine what personality traits we have
Personality is the sum of the habits, thoughts, and actions that make up your character. Your core personality can be influenced by a number of factors including:
Your Genes. Like father like son? Well, not exactly but there’s definitely some truth there! Research shows that genetics plays an important role in determining who we are as adults, particularly when it comes to our temperament.
Our Childhood Experiences. Our early life experiences have an enormous influence on how we see the world and how we relate to others. If you grew up in a home where you were made to feel loved and valued, then this will likely have a positive impact on your self-esteem. But if there was abuse or neglect at home (physical or emotional), then this can make us feel like we’re “not good enough” or just not worthy of love.
Your Current Environment. If your life is full of stress, trauma, or pain, then this can have a direct impact on your self-esteem. On the other hand, if you are surrounded by people who care about you and support us in your goals and dreams, then this will likely have a positive influence on how you feel about yourself.
But just like any program, you have the ability to rewire your subconscious mind and work toward being the person you want to be. Your subconscious mind is like an iceberg, with the majority being hidden from view. It’s your inner self, and it can be quite powerful if you allow it to be.
Related: Affirmation and Neuroplasticity
We all have a default setting that is established early in life and we tend to fall back into this mode of operation when things get tough; however, there’s a way out! We can learn how to reprogram our minds for more positive thoughts and actions by choosing which new types of habits will help us become the person we want to be. This is where your conscious mind focuses on specific goals and eventually leads to rewiring your unconscious mind.
Take Away
You are your thoughts and your habits. The more you think, the more you become those thoughts. And when you become aware of them. the more you realize who you really are and who you want to be. If your thoughts and habits aren’t working for you, then it’s time to change them.
Just because you’ve always thought or done something a certain way doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it that way forever. A lot of the time we just do things out of habit and don’t even realize we are doing them.
You have the power to change your life for the better. You have the power to become whoever you want to be. It all starts with having a grateful heart and developing new types of habits.
Related: The Model Health Show POdcast-How your thoughts control your biology
