Here’s the science to prove it.
Your brain is plastic (no, not like a water bottle).
Neuroplasticity is catalyzed by these events, too.
Photo: Caitlin-Marie Miner Ong
And the more you do something, the more establishedand less newthese connections become.
Repetition is the key to rendering a behavior second nature.
(That’s how you learned to ride a bike.
Now, riding a bike is like, well, riding a bike.)
We have more control over our thoughts and behaviors than we think.
Use your non-dominant hand for manual tasks.
Learn to play a musical instrument.
Take a new route to the pharmacy.
Try reacting to an email with patience instead of exasperation.
Scientists find it can be a powerful tool for altering and strengthening key brain networks for the better.
They also compared their brains to a control group who didn’t go through mindfulness training.
But mindfulness training can actually help prevent the typical cortical thinning that comes with age.
“They don’t have as much de-gyrification [and] the brain looks healthier and younger.”
Don’t analyze, worry about, or force your breath.
Instead, be an objective observer of the action of breathing.
Any time your attention wanders beyond the simple act of breathing, take notice of it.
Then, redirect your attention back to the breath.
Jha likens this deliberate mental training to a pushup.
“It’s like doing a core workout for your body,” Jha explains.
It comes down to better attentional control," Jha says.
Our emotions can lead the charge in a detrimental way.
Distressing thoughts keep us awake at night.
Anger colors our reactions.
Fear of failure keeps us from achieving goals.
At best, it’s inconvenient; at worst, it contributes to debilitating mood disorders.
They’ve developed the ability to reclaim power from problematic emotions.
This mindfulness method of decentering allows you to create mental space between yourself and your thoughts and emotions.
“This matters for everybody.
Four to eight weeks of rigorous, lab-guided training isn’t in the cards for most of us.
Jha’s team looks for ways to optimize mindfulness benefits and minimize the time commitment.
