Neuroplasticity And Rewiring the Brain 

Written and verified by Holly Hazen

The 2 neuroplasticity and rewiring the brain methods I use (and love) are in my 30-Day Brain Health Challenge. And I wanted to share this excerpt with you…

For the challenge I used a combination of Annie Hopper’s DNRS and Rick Hanson's H.E.A.L. practice. So let me tell you a little bit about them… but they are huge areas to study so this is very brief for you to get the idea behind the challenge ideas!

The H.E.A.L Practice

This is Rick Hanson’s model. He introduced neuroplasticity and rewiring the brain long ago.

HEAL: The Four Steps to Taking in the Good

Step 1 (H): Have a beneficial experience. Look for positive memories, facts, people, or events in the past and make them into positive experiences. As positive as possible.

Or use a positive experience that is happening in your life right now. (DNRS would say… if that feels too difficult you can use a future visualization, dream, or take the best little snippet from a memorable time). For example, you could bring to mind a fun time you had recently; a belly laugh you had; a friend you are grateful for; nature all around you; something you've recently accomplished. Now you have your foundation for the next step. So, allow yourself to recall or create and have the positive experience. We are going to spend some time there now.

Step 2 (E): Enrich it – make it bigger. Savor the positive experience.

Stay with the positive experience for 10 to 20 seconds (or breaths) or even longer if possible, and open to the feelings in your body. If you can… sense it in your body and intensify it. Make it bigger.

Step 3 (A): Absorb it – allow it to soak into your body. Right into your cells.

Sense into your body. Allow the experience to really sink in and expand within you. Imagine it revitalising and nourishing every cell.

Step 4 (L): Link the positive and negative material (optional).

This is an optional step. We will not be using this step, but I'd like to tell you about it, just in case some negative material arises during the challenge. 

What I mean by this is, as you're having your positive experience in the foreground of your awareness, you may notice some negative experience or feeling arising in the background. For example, when you are making a positive statement about yourself, something like “I am awesome, I can do this”, you could also feel a place inside you that disagrees that you are awesome. This is especially important if the negative experience or thoughts hijack the positive experience.

Your mind may become preoccupied with the negative. 

If this is the case, try to imagine the positive experience becoming much larger and much closer to you, it could be embracing you and making you feel happy. Then purposefully make the negative material very small and far away. Try to let it go and hold your focus on the positive experience. If you can't seem to manage this, then just stop and know that you've done enough for now. Throw your hands up in the air and laugh it off knowing you can choose another positive statement for tomorrow. One without so much emotional charge.

Rick Hanson On Taking in The Good

Here's a great little 6-minute clip from YouTube if you want to hear more about taking in the good:

DNRS Brain Retraining

This is Annie Hopper’s model.

The idea behind DNRS is that you can reprogram your brain to react differently. There are 5 pillars, so this is a REALLY brief overview.

Every time you interrupt an old pattern you can reprogram your brain. So for example, instead of getting anxious, angry, or beating yourself up for having [insert any symptom, thought, or behaviour that supports those], you are reprogramming your brain to react differently.

The brain is a pattern recognition organ, so you want to interrupt the old unhelpful patterns that no longer serve you.

Over time, your mind will just slowly learn to process your emotions more efficiently, react differently and you will slowly become a calmer person, a happier person!

I am living proof that you can interrupt your old programming and create new pathways. If I can do it, so can you. But it does take time… this is not a quick fix. 

Ok, enough background. Let's get started with the process. YAY!

Here's the link to my 30 Day Brain Health Challenge:

Join my fun neuroplasticity and rewiring the brain challenge. One week is free to download right now. Or you can get the whole guided e-book with loads of examples.

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