Think your bank account looks half empty? Well, think again. “Sunny”
thoughts could suddenly change that to half full.
Sounds like a bunch of hyped-up hooey? Not according to Oxford professor Elaine Fox, who claims that thinking sunny (positive) thoughts can actually reprogram the brain… Within a special CNN column, Fox discusses neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to flexibly adjust to new input). Fox states that although we respond to our
existing neurons, our neurons also “respond to us, to the things we do and even the things we think, resulting in observable changes in our
brain.”
Now some might argue that too much sun could eventually fry the delicate brain, and the body along with it… Fox
would probably agree. She points out that “rainy” thoughts are sometimes necessary in order to protect individuals from truly hazardous circumstances.
However, many overwhelm their natural “alarm systems” with negative interpretations of events that might otherwise be beneficial. She asserts that optimism, “especially when linked with realism, is associated with better health, more success and a deeper sense of well-being.”
So how can the floodwaters of pessimism be rechanneled? Ethan Youngerman of glo.msnbc.com reports on Fox’s “suggestions for flexing your optimism muscles.” These include the following:
counting blessings (maintaining a daily awareness of the good things that occur by actually writing them down); curating moods (by actively taking charge of your feelings); mindfully meditating (cultivating “a kind of neutrality toward bad events”); and making an effort to smile and laugh more often (which “releases mood-boosting endorphins, even when you force it”).
Resources
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/02/health/mental-health/rainy-brain-sunny-brain/index.html
http://glo.msn.com/relationships/train-your-brain-to-be-more-optimistic-1534687.story#!stackState=0__%2Frelationships%2Ftrain-your-brain-to-be-more-optimistic-1534687.story
Copyright August 13, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment