Wielding Neuroplasticity to Change the Way You Think Honestly.

Do you ever feel like your thoughts and habits are beyond your control? You’re not alone — and the good news is that you can transform those thought patterns with the right approach! Neuroplasticity, which refers to our ability to change our brains by creating new neural pathways through learning and experience, gives us extraordinary power to reshape our thinking.

The key to using neuroplasticity to your advantage is developing an understanding of how it works and a plan for an executive, founder, or leader; understanding this neurological principle opens up possibilities for positive personal development and long-term business success. Through harnessing neuroplasticity, you can shape yourself into an influential thinker equipped with adaptive skills for any situation or problem. This blog post will explore how exactly this works and give examples of how you can use neuroplasticity to further your career.

What is neuroplasticity & why it’s important

If you have difficulty breaking away from social media’s influences and detaching when needed, don’t be discouraged — there is no need to opt for drastic measures! Brain reprogramming isn’t only achievable with a mad scientist-like machine, but changing how you think can be achieved without damaging methods. The key here is to exchange your destructive habits with beneficial ones instead of searching for an entirely new approach.

This is essential because it allows us to recreate ourselves and be flexible when faced with challenges or unfamiliar terrain. The concept of neuroplasticity can help executive leaders understand how rewiring their brains could lead to success in business and serve as a tool for personal development.

Operations of the brain

Neuroplasticity is the remarkable capacity of the brain to transform and evolve according to one’s experiences. Neuro, in this context, refers to neurons or the essential components that compose the human brain and nervous system. Plasticity alludes to how flexible, shapeable, and changeable our minds are.

For centuries, assumptions that the neurological development in a person’s brain would cease shortly after birth. Today, however, we know that our brains can recognize patterns to create new pathways and entirely new neurons! This groundbreaking understanding has opened up innumerable possibilities for further exploration into the workings and capabilities of human cognition.

Before we begin, let’s explore habits in more detail: Habits form when our brains spot patterns between action and satisfaction. This information saves in the basal ganglia — an entirely different region than where conscious decisions occur.

Practical uses of neuroplasticity

So, now that we know what neuroplasticity is let’s explore some practical examples of how executive leaders can apply its principles to improve their leadership skills and overall business performance:

1) Learning: Organizational leaders often need to stay up-to-date on industry trends, best practices, and the latest research. Here is where executive learning comes in — it’s a great way to exercise your brain to stay sharp and constantly increase your knowledge base. Learning new information keeps our brains engaged and helps us form vital neural pathways for better decision-making.

2) Exercise: Exercise isn’t only good for physical health; it can also help improve mental health! The endorphins released during exercise are known to stimulate the growth of neurons in the brain, which increases executive functions like problem-solving, analytical thinking, and creativity.

3) Meditation: Regular meditation helps to improve executive functioning due to its ability to reduce stress hormones and create healthier neural connections between different parts of the brain.

4) Sleep: Having a good night’s rest is essential for executive leaders, and it helps to reset the brain and replenish its energy for practical use. Studies have shown that getting enough sleep boosts executive functions like decision-making, problem-solving, and creativity.

By practicing these simple tips regularly, executive leaders can use neuroplasticity to change their thinking honestly. The key is to understand how our brains work and how we can reprogram them to achieve better results both professionally and personally. Ultimately, by using neuroplasticity as a tool for self-improvement and executive development, corporate leaders can become more vital thinkers who can cope with any challenge or situation.

The Brain Science of Change

Neuroplasticity helps us to understand the neuroscience behind the change and how executive leaders, founders, and entrepreneurs can incorporate this knowledge into their leadership styles. As such, executive leaders should focus on building habits that promote innovation and growth.

For starters, executive leaders must be aware of how they think and how it impacts their decisions. We all know that executive leadership is a high-pressure job with long hours and tough decisions, so it’s essential to understand your thought patterns to ensure you’re making clear and rational choices. Therefore, leaders must dedicate themselves to self-directed neuroplasticity — expending energy and effort to reconfigure their brains for more positive behaviors and habits.

After executive leaders comprehend how their mindset works, they can modify it by forming new habits. Our brain-detecting incentives or penalties cause any practice that becomes routine. Thus, when we do something right, our brains are wired to repeat the action; similarly, with negative consequences — our minds remember not to retake such activities.

Breaking bad habits may seem impossible, but it can be achievable with the power of neuroplasticity. Executive leaders can benefit from modifying any habit. Practicing the following:

· Identify the cue that triggers the motion of the habit.

· Replace this bad habit with a healthy one through repetition.

· Reward yourself for every successful attempt to replace a bad habit with a better one to reinforce positive behavior and set an example for others.

While experience-dependent neuroplasticity reinforces our habits through unconscious repetition, self-directed neuroplasticity is an intentional practice of being aware of how personal choices make us feel. When we come across counterproductive patterns, this kind of neuroplasticity allows us to rewrite them into habits that serve and empower us.

Calculated Moves

Realizing that our brains are reprogrammable is one thing, but doing so requires more effort. Many of the habits we acquire are created unconsciously by the non-rational parts of our minds, so to begin changing them, we must take an objective look at which ones need altering and how they will transform us for the better.

Are you making a conscious effort to eat more healthily but need help to break the habit of consuming processed sugars? Take an introspective moment and contemplate why you’re attempting this lifestyle change: Could it be to reduce health risks, increase energy levels, or enhance physical well-being — whatever your reasons are, make them explicit.

The next time you impulsively reach out for a bag of chips, stop yourself in your tracks. You can choose healthier snacks like popcorn or dried fruit; note of how better these choices have made you feel, then write down the positive outcomes afterward.

You likely feel gratified that you decided to go with the healthier option rather than the chips while noting that this is how you are constructing new neural pathways. Please take a moment to review your progressions and accomplishments after a month of jotting them down. Doing so will fill you with confidence, as it is empowering to see the data that supports what you said you would do by writing them down and reviewing the changes in your physical and mental brain structures, creating positive beliefs within yourself for good.

Analyze the climate

Cultivate a supportive circle of friends who will empower you to create healthier behaviors and habits. When executive leaders engage with like-minded people who understand how we think and function, it can help us to become more aware of our behaviors.

With a support system of trusted individuals who can guide and advise, we’ll be able to resist unfavorable decisions that could impede our progress. The more connected an individual is with their group’s values, even when those people aren’t around, the higher likelihood there will be for them to adhere to those convictions.

When we nurture relationships based on our shared values, it can create strong bonds that will influence how we act both in the present and long term.

“If your environment doesn’t change, you probably won’t either.” Says James Clear, the author of New York Best Times seller Atomic Habits. Habits are both influenced by our physical and social environment. For instance, being around a tantalizing aroma of food may prompt you to eat, or spotting the television when you return from work could indicate that it’s time to unwind for the night. Similarly, receiving daily notifications on your iPhone at noon or text messages from friends might suggest that now is an excellent opportunity to study!

The good news is that even minor tweaks to your environment can go a long way to rewire your mindset. Like, you are reducing this friction around failed goal setting. I think goals can only be beneficial if they facilitate your attempts to perform a desired action. Instead of striving to complete Behavior X, concentrate on making it more straightforward and accessible for yourself to achieve.

Take executive and leadership development, for example. We often talk about “raising the bar” or aiming high; however, too much ambition can be overwhelming to tackle all at once. Having standards doesn’t mean that you should lower your expectations; instead, focus on taking small, manageable steps to motivate yourself into action.

By understanding how neuroplasticity functions, executive and leadership teams can strengthen their brains’ capabilities while adapting their behavior to achieve a desired outcome. Using the tips outlined here — from making conscious decisions to considering one’s environment — one can make lasting changes.

To illustrate, I find the gym a tedious task. As my willpower breaks easily, I must create conditions that make it more difficult to succumb to my inner voice, encouraging me to hit that snooze button and stay in bed rather than lift weights. To stay accountable, I chose to hire a personal trainer. Even if it was easy for me to give up on myself, I did not want to break my promise and not show up at 8 am for another person.

Honor your Success

The reward factor of forming habits is vital. That’s why some customs, such as ingesting unhealthy food or endlessly scrolling through social media, are so addictive: Our brains experience a rush of dopamine each time we do something enjoyable, even if it leads to negative consequences in the future.

The importance of recognizing even minor accomplishments while developing new neural pathways can never be understated. Celebrate your victories, no matter the size. Rather than harshly chastising yourself for the things you may not do perfectly, reward and congratulate yourself for your small successes — this positive reinforcement will trigger a flood of dopamine in your brain, which is equivalent to “giving ourselves our carrot”!

However, executive and leadership teams can harness their power to achieve their goals more effectively. By utilizing the potential of neuroplasticity, executive and leadership teams can expand their brains’ power and make significant progress in achieving their objectives.

About the Author:

The Executive Health Doc?, Dr. Shahan Chowdhury, is an executive health expert and concierge medicine pioneer working with companies that seek to ignite professional and personal growth in their executives. She is consistently ranked in the top 10% of executive health providers in the United States. Her clinic, Tailored Health, is located in Frisco, TX, and empowers senior leaders to become the executives of their health and long-term well-being.

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