In this BIT: Neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf, shares how to change your mindset, detox your brain, and understand the root cause of anxiety!
Do you ever wish that our brains came with a ‘detox’ button? A way to shift our thinking from negative to positive, change our mindsets, leave unpleasant habits in the past, and instantly become a better version of ourselves. While perhaps not so ‘instant’, there is a way for us to detox our brain, and feel happier. It’s called neuroplasticity, and Dr. Caroline Leaf, a research neuroscientist, was one of the first in her field to study this subject. Dr. Leaf helps thousands of students and adults use their mind to detox their brain and succeed in any and every aspect of life. It’s true – our thoughts can quite literally reshape our reality. In this conversation with Dr. Caroline Leaf, she walks us through the fundamental steps and understandings that everyone requires in order to shift their thinking, change their mindset, and reap the benefits of neuroplasticity.
Dr. Caroline Leaf: Everything we do begins with a thought. If we want to change anything in our lives, we first have to change our thinking, our mind—the powerful “aliveness” we all have. When we know how to change our mind, we rewire neural networks in the brain that create useful, sustainable, and automatized actions and attitudes—good habits that make us happier and healthier. We get from good advice to a good life with our mind—hence the term mind-management. One small thing you can do each day to practice this in your life to feel better is what I call a “thinker moment”. This is when you schedule in time throughout the day and week where you can slow down, meditate and let your mind wonder. This can be anything from a few seconds or minutes to an hour. These moments give the brain a rest and allow it to reboot and heal, which can increase clarity of thought, help you deal with stress and help improve your mood. This is what I do: at least 7 times a day (or, ideally, every hour if possible) I schedule in a few seconds where I just let my mind wander, which really helps me focus and feel less stressed. I also take breaks throughout the day where, for several minutes, I just daydream, which activates my alpha wave, calming me down, increasing my happiness and helping me relax. This is especially effective outside in the sun, especially if I have been “locked up” all day in an office staring at a computer!
The brain is changing all day long in response to the way we use our minds and how we interact with our environment (this is known as neuroplasticity). These changes can be in a positive, neutral or negative direction. When we focus on small moments of happiness, this can change our brain in a positive direction, making our minds and brains stronger and more resilient.
Our ability to think is truly phenomenal. Our brains can change as we think (neuroplasticity) an grow new brain cells (neurogenesis)—the brain changes in response to the mind-in-action. Using the incredible power in our minds, we can persist and grow in response to life’s challenges, rather than being trapped by what happens to us. We are not victims of our biology! We can take our thoughts captive and change the way we think, speak and act. This means that when we feel sad or anxious, we can view these responses as normal human reactions to life that we can manage, rather than something that controls and defines us. It is something we can control!
Dr. Caroline Leaf is an expert in the root cause of anxiety, and other topics!
Credit: Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper
We are made for community, so when we share something that makes us happy with someone we love or care about, it is like a double gift: the happiness spreads! For example, the act of sharing positive experiences helps solidify them in our own memory through what researchers call “savoring”, which is when the brainwaves flow in a coherent way activating resilience networks in the brain. When we recount happy moments with our loved ones, we relive them mentally, extending their emotional impact.
As mentioned above, whatever we think about with our minds impacts our brains, and our bodies, right down to a cellular level. This is called the mind-brain-body connection (psychoneurobiology), and is the reason why we shouldn’t just let anything into our heads—it can impact not only our mood but our physical wellbeing as well! Key to “detoxing the brain” is how we manage our minds, which means that the one thing we should all be doing every day while awake is paying attention to what we think and what we focus on. You can start doing this by just keep a thought journal—get into the habit of thinking about your thinking, because thoughts aren’t just thoughts. They shape our lives!
My grandkids! Even just talking to them on the phone is something I treasure—they are so precious, and remind me to look at my world with joy and wonder every day.
We hope that Dr. Caroline Leaf’s advice for how (and why) you can find more happiness in daily life, change your mindset, and understand the root cause of anxiety, gives you a small bit of happiness and helps you detox your brain.
Find Dr. Leaf here:
Website: https://drleaf.com/
For more happiness check out our Mood Boost page.
Featuring quick videos created for teens by teens.
Read this blog post to understand the root cause of anxiety, and how to relieve these feelings!