Neuroplasticity Rule #2: Choices

The choices we make help direct our brain's neuroplasticity in the direction we want.

Tune in to find out why I never recommend focusing on choices alone and how I applied this, and other nueroplasticity rules, to overcome binge eating years ago.


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Transcript

Neuroplasticity Rule #2: Choices

[00:00:00] Welcome back my friend, this is Stefanie and we are moving on to rule number two, choices. If you miss the first couple episodes of the series, don't worry. You can go back if you want to, but they're also designed to be listened to on their own. If this is where you're tuning in today. So I'm going to kick this off with a quote by Shad Helmstetter and he's the author of, "the power of neuroplasticity".

[00:00:38] And these seven rules I'm going over were inspired by his book, I'm pulling from other sources as well, but the framework of the seven rules is actually his creation. And I really love that he broke it down into bite sized pieces that we can apply. And I quote: [00:01:00]

[00:01:00] "The reason choices are so important is that without making clear choices, you leave your brain to its own meanderings and those are determined by your old programs or by the random influences of whatever happens to be taking place in your life at the moment."

[00:01:19] When it really comes down to it, if we want to change something about the way we see ourselves or behavior or an outcome that we're experiencing, it requires that we become aware of our choices and then expand our ability to make more conscious choice. And that brings me to the difference between those two kinds of choices, the first one, an unconscious choice.

[00:01:49] And that's something that happens on autopilot. Our brain is automatically taking care of that choice. It's a program that we're running [00:02:00] and we really want these unconscious choices to serve us. Instead of sabotaging what we want. So this is the place where we want to bring more consciousness to so that we can make those unconscious choices, especially if they're not serving us, make them more conscious.

[00:02:23] So if that's an unconscious choice, what's a conscious choice. It's something that has mindfulness attached with it. It's a choice that we are actively making. It's not something that's on autopilot. It's something that we are choosing with awareness. Now, there are a lot of benefits to having unconscious choices, especially when they are moving us in the direction that we want to be going.

[00:02:56] The sticky part happens when those unconscious [00:03:00] choices are actually not serving us. So when it comes to choices, just like thoughts and emotions, they get recorded in the brain. And then when we repeat them often enough new neural connections form, and it's actually real physical changes. When you think about a new neural connection, those neurons in your brain are physical.

[00:03:26] They are moving and connecting with each other. So when you repeat a choice or a thought or an emotion consistently, you get those physical changes in the brain because of those new connections that are happening. And when we do this intentionally, when we're directing our brains, neuro-plasticity we end up taking away some of the power that those unwanted unconscious programs and [00:04:00] choices have when we actively become conscious of a choice and then make the choice that we want instead and repeat it, and repeat it, and really practice it. 

[00:04:15] We are starting to direct our brain with what we want, and that's really all neuro-plasticity is. Our brains are doing it all the damn time. I mean all the time. There is not a time that your brain isn't paying attention and using its ability to change itself from information that we're receiving from the thoughts that we're thinking from the responses that we have from the environment that we're in.

[00:04:47] So when we think about this rule of neuro-plasticity of choices. Our choices, can influence those physical changes in our brain. [00:05:00] And the thing I really want you to understand, because when we get to this point, if you are a person who tends to judge yourself and get stuck there, because you're not where you want to be, I really want you to look at the choices that you're currently making in your life that you're not happy with as information.

[00:05:23] That's it, it's just information, evidence of the programs that your brain is currently running. We don't need to have any guilt or shame around it at all. Everything that you're becoming aware of, whether it's a choice, a thought or an emotion can be used as information about the beliefs and perceptions that we have.

[00:05:46] We can use that as information about who we've been conditioned to be. And those programs that are active and making our choices for us. It is [00:06:00] so easy to blame ourselves, especially when we talk about choices. And I really want you to reframe this for yourself as you're becoming more aware. This is just information.

[00:06:17] That's it treat it like a piece of information and then you get to decide if you like it, or if you don't and then what you want to do about it next. And before you jump feet first into this concept and use all your willpower in the choices you're making. I want you to really understand that the choices you make are only one part of the equation.

[00:06:47] If you're ignoring your thoughts, you're ignoring your feelings and just using all of your willpower to make different choices. You're setting yourself up for self-sabotage. Period. There's no [00:07:00] way around it. We can only make different choices for so long. If our underlying thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, and emotions, aren't supporting those new choices.

[00:07:13] Our choices that we make, the actions that we take in our life are influenced and probably coming from a foundation of our state of being, which is a combination of our thinking and our feeling. So if I had to choose between putting my energy ,oh, in my choices or in my thoughts and emotions, I would choose my thinking and emotional states. Because I know from past experiences, that that is the foundation of the choices that I made.

[00:07:53] And in doing this in and of itself, that starts to influence our [00:08:00] choices because we've changed our state of being. And no matter where you start, whether it's a thought, feeling, action, it doesn't matter creating that awareness and those choices to choose differently, to think something differently, to feel something differently and to act or choose something different.

[00:08:24] Now, with all that being said, I am not asking you to ignore your current thoughts and emotions. This episode is not asking you to practice toxic positivity. We really need the first rule that awareness, that mindfulness, and really looking at it with a sense of curiosity before we start actively making different choices.

[00:08:53] And I love using emotional freedom technique all the way through these rules, all of these rules actually [00:09:00] about, especially between the mindfulness and the choices piece. Because it gives us a space to process, to feel, to be present with all parts of ourselves, and then that's when we make a new choice.

[00:09:16] That's when we decide the direction that we want to give to our brain for its plasticity. There are choices in your life right now that you are not aware that you are making on a daily basis. There are choices in my life right now that I'm not aware that I'm making on a daily basis. And my subconscious mind is doing it for me.

[00:09:42] It's not about fixing it all right now, it's not about having awareness of it all right now .That's not realistic. There's so much on autopilot and we need it that way. If we had to think about everything, it becomes [00:10:00] too much. So don't stress about it. Just go with what you're the most aware of. I mean, where else are you going to go?

[00:10:08] What else are you going to work with? Start with what's here. What's now. And move from there. Something that Dr. Joe Dispenza says is along the lines of to create something different from what we're familiar with, we have to change the way we routinely think and feel. When I think back to how I overcame binge eating, I realize that the reason I was successful with it was because I was applying a lot of these rules of neuroplasticity to this situation.

[00:10:50] And leading up to that point. I wasn't, I had been doing a lot of research and figuring out what I needed to do to fix the behavior. [00:11:00] And for a really long time, I was focusing just on my choices when it came to what I was doing, my actions. Um, it created a lot of guilt and shame for me because I was only focusing on my choices.

[00:11:17] I didn't realize at the time that there was a mental and emotional component that I could have influence over. I realized I had thoughts and emotions that weren't serving me and creating the behavior. But I didn't know that that foundation of my thinking and feeling was where the change was actually going to be happening.

[00:11:42] And when I spent my energy there, creating awareness around my thoughts and emotions, when it came to binge eating and why I was wanting to perform that behavior, that's when I started [00:12:00] having light bulb moments. And realizing that no amount of willpower, when it came to my choices was going to make an impact on the behavior because it was being ran by a program in my mind on autopilot.

[00:12:17] It was one of the only ways at that time in my life where I felt comfort, where I felt some sort of control, even though the behavior made me feel out of control at the same time. And I learned so much about what was going on in the background, and that was creating the foundation of the actions that I was making on autopilot.

[00:12:44] And that's when I started making changes, that made a difference that made an impact on my behavior. I started questioning my thinking. I started asking myself, well, what would I need to think about myself? [00:13:00] And feel about myself to change the behavior. And I spent my energy, there was shifting my thinking, my thoughts, my perceptions about myself, and about food and about joy and about guilt and shame.

[00:13:20] There's a lot to unpack there. So when I reflect back on that period of my life, where I was trying to change the behavior, but that's the only area I was focusing on. All of those choices were being run on autopilot. By the foundation of my beliefs, my thoughts and my emotions. And then when I started bringing awareness to it, then I was able to start making different choices in my thinking and my emotions.

[00:13:52] And as a result, the choices that I was making when it came to food and to my body. So [00:14:00] if there was an outcome in my life or a choice or action in my life that I wasn't happy with a behavior that I wanted to change, I wouldn't start by focusing on the behavior itself. I would choose to put my energy into uncovering the beliefs and emotions that create the foundation for that behavior to take place.

[00:14:27] So if you, for example, are working on self doubt, procrastination, perfectionism, then take a peek under the hood. Look, become aware with curiosity. So that you can have more consciousness to be able to choose differently. And this in and of itself is a choice because you're choosing to become aware to take a look [00:15:00] with curiosity.

[00:15:02] And this whole concept can open a can of worms in a really big way, especially when we think about freewill. And there's a lot of debate going on, whether we really have free will or not. And I would say it's a mix of both. Unconscious choices that we have running is where we don't have free will, because we're not aware of them. And it's just happening. We do it automatically without having to think about it. So in that case, I would say you don't have free will yet, but when we apply the first rule of mindfulness, We expand our ability to become more conscious of the things that are going on in our minds of the [00:16:00] thoughts, the emotions, and the choices that we're making.

[00:16:03] And then our freewill starts to expand and we have more conscious choice. For me I choose awareness. I choose. I choose to choose me. I choose to choose my own happiness and a healthy mind and really creating that relationship with myself that creates confidence and the ability to expand and grow and move forward.

[00:16:39] Directing my brain's neuroplasticity in a way that serves me better. And I have a lot more to learn. I'm growing as I am doing this. And I don't think that will ever stop. I'm committed to be a lifelong learner and using the plasticity of my brain [00:17:00] in ways that are purposeful and intentional. And you can have the same, that's it for today's episode beyond the lookout next week.

[00:17:14] For rule number three.

[00:17:17]