28 Sep How to train your brain to think differently
There’s no doubt that happy people think differently.
Happiness isn’t just about “positive thinking”; but it is more likely to come to those whose thoughts are realistic and helpful and constructive.
Accordingly, those who want to enjoy more happiness could benefit from thinking more like happy people think. And here’s how you can do this based on science…
via Inc.com by Amy Morin
The conversations you have with yourself have a direct impact on how you feel and how you behave. If your self-talk is filled with self-doubt, harsh criticism, and catastrophic predictions, you’ll struggle to reach your goals.
But you don’t have to let a pessimistic outlook or foreboding inner monologue hold you back. You can train your brain to think differently.
In fact, training your brain to think differently physically changes your brain. That’s why so many therapists use cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to help people create long-lasting change.
What the Research Shows
CBT is a well-studied mental health treatment. Therapists who employ this method help people change the unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns that are keeping them stuck.
CBT isn’t just a quick, feel-good treatment that temporarily masks underlying issues. Studies consistently show CBT creates measurable physical changes in the brain.
Neuroimaging shows CBT modifies neural circuits involved in the regulation of negative emotions. Studies consistently show CBT can change dysfunctions of the nervous system.
A study published in Translational Psychiatry used MRIs to examine brain changes in people with schizophrenia. After six months of treatment, there was more neural connectivity between the amygdala (which manages emotion in the brain) and the prefrontal cortex (which governs high order thinking). The changes were long-lasting.
Another study found that after just nine weeks of online CBT treatment, people with social anxiety disorder experienced decreased brain volume and activity in their amygdalae, which helped them keep their anxiety at bay.
Researchers have also found CBT rewires the brain in people with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as well.
So what types of CBT skills do therapists teach? Here are three ways to train your brain to think differently…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE