Why is change so hard?
Have you ever tried shed an old bad habit and failed? Maybe made a New Year’s resolution that you couldn’t keep?
Well it’s your brains fault.
Everything we do, feel or think is built into our neurology. Neurons in our brain communicate with each other via neurotransmitters and synapses that form an intricate network of trillions of synaptic connections. The connections form the circuits that literally wire habits in our brain.
The more often we think of something, or do something, or feel something, the connections get stronger. The adage, “ if you don’t use it you lose it” is true here but in reverse. When we do something over and over again, the stronger the neural connections. The busier regions of the brain will get more blood flow, the neural layers will thicken, and more neurons will grow.
“Neurons that fire together, wire together.” Donald Hebb
Like a busy path in the woods, the ground is worn from repetitive use. What happens when that path is forgotten? The path is covered and eventually returned to the forest.
This at first glance can be very sobering, but in this case, the obstacle is the way.
The same adaptability of the brain to develop these bad habits are the keys to unlocking the path to developing new connections and habits.
Next week we will talk about how to take the steps to reprogram our brains!
